Here is chapter ten! Sorry it took so long, but I went through a little drama with my pet cockatiel, Cotton, dying and that put me off my writing for a bit. But the chapter is really really long to make up for the wait! So enjoy!
Copyrights concerning Albion and such go to Lionhead... but Lily is mine.
Warning: This chapter is a little scary, I guess, but not too descriptive. If you don't like reading Reaver nightmares then just skip this chapter I guess, or at least skim until you hit the first XxX cuz that's where the dream kind of takes it's own turn and it's important to the story and stuff... There is language as usual and some nudity, but it's not described too much. Just a mention here and there. That's pretty much it! Enjoy!
Chapter Ten: Restless Dreaming
Lily's eyes half-opened, her sleep disturbed by an unidentified noise. She groaned softly and rolled over to face the most tragic and frightening expression she had ever seen on anyone's face ever. She quickly and smoothly slid to the other side of the bed, pulling the sheets around her bare chest and looking with wide eyes at the man sleeping beside her.
His face was pulled tight, his eyes squeezed shut hard and his mouth open slightly gasping for air. He was ashen white and covered with a film of cold sweat and individual muscles twitched at random all over his body. He suddenly gnashed his teeth and flung his whole body onto his other side, grabbing at the blanket and his pillows, his whole body tense and trembling.
"Reaver-?"
"It would be better to leave him be."
Lily looked up at the hooded woman who had appeared at the foot of the bed. She nodded and tucked the sheet more modestly around herself, then turned back to the man beside her. "Why? He just looks like he's having a bad dream."
"The dreams that man dreams are not like anything you can even imagine. They are of his past, which is both long and troubling. One as young as yourself could not understand."
"What do you mean?"
"His years are more than ten times what you have lived, and he had truly experienced what it means to lose everything."
"I don't know about the years part, but I know what it's like to lose everything."
"And have it ripped to shreds before your own eyes and know that it was entirely your fault?"
"Oooh..."
The hooded woman inclined her head toward the shivering man. "It would be impossible to understand unless you were willing to see for yourself."
Lily frowned. "How on earth would I be able to see it for myself."
Theresa stepped forward and placed a thin white hand on the young girl's forehead. "Do you want to see?"
"I suppose..."
"So be it then."
"Wha-" Lily's eyes suddenly shut and she fell back onto the bed after a flash of white light from Theresa's palm.
"Sleep, little runaway. If this man is to be your teacher, it is only fair that you know his... colorful past."
XxX
She opened her eyes to see a lush field of green and a magnificent sunset falling behind a sloping hill and a distant cliff. "Wow," she breathed, sitting up to look around her. A playful breeze swirled around her, making her look down and blanch slightly. "Um, Theresa?"
"Yes?"
"I think you forgot something... I'm not wearing clothes."
"This is a dream, little runaway. Just concentrate on the clothes you want to be wearing and that problem will be solved."
"Oh." Lily shut her eyes for a moment, then opened them and looked down. She was now dressed in a shortish black frock with a medium length cloak draped behind her. "Excellent," she said, and stood up. She gazed around her, taking in the natural beauty of the countryside bathed in the golden-red light of the sunset. "If this is a nightmare, I would love to see what a good dream is for him," she muttered, draping her cloak over one arm and stepping onto a nearby trail. She couldn't see where it led to, but it looked friendly enough, so she stepped out and began to follow it.
"Rory!" a young voice shouted, the tones littered with giggles. "Rory, stoppit! I swear... oof!"
Lily ducked into a shallow depression behind a rock, almost surprised that she was crouching over a thick spread of yellow flowers. "God, this whole place is like an optimistic painting on acid." She inhaled and hid herself more effectively when a golden-haired girl rolled into view.
The little thing was wearing a blue and yellow dress with a white shawl wrapped around her shoulders and soft-looking brown and white shoes. Her golden hair was a wild, flower-dotted mess that swirled prettily around her soft, but thin little face. Her skin was lightly tanned and her cheeks showed a faint pink flush of sun beneath her big, bright blue eyes. She giggled and sat up, trying to smooth her dress and braid her hair at the same time. "Honestly, Rory, we are going to have plenty of time to roll around tonight after we are married."
Lily peeked out a little further and almost gasped out loud when she saw a young, tan and thin version of none other than Reaver come bounding over the knoll of grass to land next to the blonde girl and kiss her ferociously.
"I know that, my love, but I simply can't help myself."
My lord, his voice sounds so young and strong... is this a memory from when he was a teenager or something? And he's getting married tonight? Lily shook her head and withdrew slightly, still watching the lovey young couple. God... I'm going to be sick.
The blonde girl kissed the tip of Reaver's nose and giggled. "Well try to resist just a little bit, and I will give you whatever you ask for tonight."
He smiled and brushed her hair back. "I cannot wait, my precious little flower."
Wow, she is acting dirtier than he is. A sign of the end of times!
A loud, indiscernible voice roared across the hills, and the blond girl stood. "That sounds like my brother. My mother must have sent him to fetch me to prepare for the wedding."
Reaver stood and took her hands. "Stay with me a moment longer for the sunset to finish."
The girl smiled and hugged him. "Alright, you big baby. But as soon as the sun is gone I've got to run home or my mother will scold me something fierce."
Reaver just smiled and stroked her hair, wrapping his arms around her and pressing his lips to her forehead.
In her hiding spot, Lily gagged.
In a few moments the sun had sunk behind the crags of the distant cliff and behind the roll of the hills. The blond girl kissed Reaver on the cheek and pulled away. "I'll see you in a few hours, my Rory."
"I will see you then, my Lily."
Lily started and frowned. Had she heard that correctly? Was that girl's name really Lily? Or was that a pet name that Reaver had come up with for her? Come to think of it, she thought, that girl has called him Rory several times now. That means at some point Reaver must have changed his name...
The young version of Reaver watched the blond girl dash away over the hills, then sat and sighed heavily. "I'm not ready for this," he groaned. "I want to marry her, but I'm so afraid. I don't want to ever leave her, or let her ever leave me." He punched the ground and groaned again, putting his forehead on one knee. "What should I do?"
The blond girl's voice came drifting over the green fields, distant, yet clear. She was singing a simple tune that sounded like a lullaby a mother would sing to her restless child before bedtime.
"The sirens of Oakvale,
the sirens of Oakvale.
They come in the night,
with the full moon bright,
to grant a one wish,
in Oakvale.
The sirens of Oakvale,
the sirens of Oakvale.
They fly through the reeds,
to hear someone's needs,
of a mournful soul,
in Oakvale.
The sirens of Oakvale,
the sirens of Oakvale,
If your heart is pure,
and your wish is sure,
sirens will hear you,
in Oakvale..."
Lily tilted her head to one side. I think I've heard that song before, she thought. She started when young Reaver suddenly started laughing.
"Hahaha, that's it! The sirens! On a full moon, legends tell that the sirens appear near Oakvale and grant one wish to whoever can find them! It's a long shot, but maybe there really is truth to that story." He stood and brushed himself off. "I think I know where I can find them too. There's that underground cavern that's all carved out and looks like some sort of temple. I'll bet that's where the sirens would be, if anywhere!"
"The sirens?" Lily wondered out loud, standing to watch the young Reaver run down a path toward a rocky depression in the direction where the sun had set.
"An ancient legend in the extinct town of Oakvale," Theresa chimed in. "Legend tells of a group of three sirens who, in return for a favor, will grant the wish of one person on the full moon. Like most legends, it is heavily based on a truth of an ancient and ominous nature. But time and whimsy dulled it down to a song sung to children at night, and it became nothing more than a passing fancy for most of the residents of Oakvale."
"What ancient and ominous truth was it based on?"
"You will learn more soon, but I can tell you that there is indeed a trio of dark creatures who grant wishes to this day, but their price is heavier than most people can pay and their existence is barely noticed in Albion today."
"So Reaver is on his way to make them grant his wish now?"
"Follow him and find out for yourself."
Lily sighed and took off down the hill where Reaver had gone, trying to spot the young man from her higher vantage point. "I don't see him." A thin golden trail suddenly began to sparkle before her, making her stop. She knelt and tried to touch it, but it seemed to dissipate before her hand could even get near it. "What the hell is this?"
"A guide I am projecting to help you find your way. It's one of the few ways I am able to help you."
"Oh. Thanks, I guess." She stood and started chasing after the golden trail, keeping her eyes ahead of her and still trying to see where the young Reaver had gone. "How far away is this trio of wish-granting specters?"
"You will know when you reach your destination."
"Fine," Lily grumbled, climbing over a steeper part of the trail. When she reached the top she could clearly see the valley below her. A large metal gate fenced off a part of the landscape that looked to be dead, sharply standing out against the vibrancy of the rest of the world around her. "I'll be a son of a whore if that's not where I'm bound," she said quietly, and began descending the trail in front of her.
When she reached the opening at the front of the metal fence she suddenly felt a cold draft and could see the intricately carved stone entrance in front of her sunken slightly into the ground. She walked forward cautiously, not liking the feel of the area. It looked very dark and gloomy, not like the abode of wish-granting sirens. She gulped and thought about what Theresa had said about the trio being ominous and demanding heavy sacrifice. "Reaver, what have you gotten yourself into?" she said under her breath as she carefully entered the darkly-carved entrance.
The walls seemed to exude evil, and the halls seemed to breath and beat on their own. She could hear footsteps ahead of her and hastened to catch up to the man she was following. "God damn, this place is creepy."
"Why have you come to us, mortal?"
Lily stopped at the sound of the booming, grating voice and began sneakily creeping through the hallways. She came to a flight of stairs and crouched at the top of them, trying to see what was at the bottom. All she could see was young Reaver standing nervously, looking up at something.
"I- I have a wish to make."
"Tell us what you are wishing for."
"I'm getting married tonight, and I'm afraid I won't be able to always be there for her," Reaver stuttered. "I- I can't die and leave her behind. I'm terrified of dying and leaving her alone. I-" he gulped and stood up straight. "I want to be able to live forever!"
Lily put a hand over her mouth. "Reaver... what are you doing?"
"Be quiet, little one," Theresa chided softly.
The harsh voice rang through the tomb-like structure again. "Very well, young Rory, but for all your years to come, you must pay a price. Every ten years you must bring us a sacrifice to pay for your immortality. If you do not, we will come for you, and take your body and soul to be tormented for eternity."
"Wait, no-!"
"Too late! Even now our minions are on their way to extract the initial price for our services to you!"
"Wait! What about my wife? What about Lily?"
The girl at the top of the stairs shivered.
"Go back to your home now, Rory. We are finished with you. At least until ten years from now."
"No! No, don't hurt Lily! Don't you dare touch her! Please!"
Lily watched him fall to his knees and fell back as he let out a scream that made her blood run cold. She then scampered back and started sprinted out of the place as he stood and charged up the stairs.
"Oh god..." she gasped, turning another hallway and being faced with another long stretch of stone and stairs. "I can't let him see me! I've got to get out!" She spotted a glimmer of silver light and charged towards it, bursting out of the stone entrance, charging through the iron gates and diving behind a bush for cover. She watched through a hole in the bushes as the young Reaver came charging out at full speed, his face as pale as she knew it to be in waking life and tears streaming down his face.
"Follow him," Theresa said hurriedly. "You must see what is about to unfold."
Lily nodded and watched for a moment as he charged down a road arching to the left of the iron gates, then quickly jumped out and followed him.
Young Reaver sprinted up a small incline and practically flew down the hill toward a small town that might have once been quaint and charming, but was now filled with darkness, flames and screams. Lily stopped at the top and covered her mouth with her hands, watching him run into the town screaming her name, or the name of his wife-to-be. The black-haired girl shakily moved a bit further down the path before collapsing on what worked as a vantage point and watched in horror.
Faceless shadows moved everywhere, chasing terrified villagers as they tried to escape. When they were caught the creatures would envelop them and rip the life out of them until they turned to dust and scattered in the breeze. Even women and children were being caught up by the shadows, no one being spared.
"LILY!" young Reaver shrieked as he ran wildly through the town.
"RORY!" The blond girl burst out of a house, stumbling in her long white dress and holding out her arms toward the young man. "Rory, help!"
He dashed toward her, but was seized and thrown back by two of the shadow minions. "NO!" he screamed, trying to struggle back up.
"RORY!" The blond girl shrieked as three shadows enveloped her.
"NOOO!"
"So this is the woman you mentioned."
Young Reaver looked up at a reddish shadow figure, this one much larger and more stable than the minions.
Lily wanted to cry out, to help, to do something... but she couldn't move her legs to rise, much less run to the assistance of the young man. "Reaver..." she choked. A black hand suddenly landed on her shoulder, making her gasp and whirl around.
Reaver as she knew him was standing there, looking down at her with a mask of fury and tragedy covering his face. "What are you doing here?"
"I- I..."
"Please!" young Reaver cried, rolling onto his knees. "Please don't kill her! Don't take her away from me!"
The shadow figure stared at him, then moved closer. "Very well, young Rory. We won't take her soul, but her body will come with us."
"No-!"
"RORY!"
Lily watched as the blond woman was ripped to shreds, her body flying into hundreds of pieces before turning to ash and scattering on the ground like snow. "Oh my god..." She yelped as she was suddenly pulled back and pinned to the ground by older Reaver.
"I asked you what you were doing here?" he hissed, holding her down firmly. His face was red and there were tear stains on his cheeks, his normally clear black eyes red and bleary.
"I- I don't know," she gasped. "I just..."
"Tell me, girl!"
"You were having a nightmare and I wanted to comfort you but Theresa said it would be better to leave you alone and I asked her why and she said you had experienced things I couldn't even imagine then said if we were going to be working together I should see and then she brought me here and I was curious so I went along with it and- and..." she blinked rapidly as she felt her eyes burn. "I'm sorry Reaver."
He stared at her, then rolled off and put his head in his hands, staring at the scene in front of them. "I didn't want you to know."
Lily turned to watch. Young Reaver was kneeling on the ground curled up in a ball of anguish as destruction roared all around him, the shadows turning the town into a circus of darkness and death. "Why did you do it?"
"I was afraid," he said resignedly. "I was afraid to die. I convinced myself it was because I didn't want to leave her behind but..." he looked down at his younger self and shook his head. "I was selfish and didn't want to face death. Once I got the idea in my head I couldn't shake it out, and getting married didn't help either." He smiled painfully. "Ah, I was so young and naive back then."
Lily stared at him, then bowed her head. "I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault." He frowned at the town, the whirlwind of shadows and death subsiding suddenly and leaving a rank stillness behind it. "That always startles me, no matter how many times I see it. They left so fast it took me a while to realize it was over." He stood and stretched distractedly. "Would you like to go see the destruction I wrought on this town?"
Lily looked up at him. "I- I don't think I should even be here."
"Hush," he said quietly, pulling her to her feet. "You're here, aren't you? You may as well take it all in." He put an arm around her and began stumbling down the path toward the blackened, smoking town.
"What about your younger self? Can't he see us?"
"No," Reaver shook his head. "He cannot. I know because I have tried hundreds of times to stop him, to keep him from going to that wretched place and making that deal, but no matter what I do he will not see or hear me."
Lily walked over to where young Reaver was crouched and stood a few feet away from him, staring at the despairing man. The boy was curled up in as small a ball he could fold into, sobbing loudly and saying "Lily," over and over again. The black-haired Lily knelt and stared at the man for a few moments, then shook her head and covered her face with her hands.
Older Reaver sighed and walked over to a nearby building, leaning against it and folding both hands into fists so tight blood seeped out between his fingers. A thin, black rain began to fall over the town, swirling the ashes of the villagers into a macabre pool in the center of the town.
Lily looked up and let the rain run down her face. "The rain is warm."
"It is," Reaver said without moving. "It's as warm as blood, and it will last for several weeks, eventually turning this place into what will be known as the Wraithmarsh."
Lily closed her eyes against the stinging warm rain and let out a heavy sigh.
"Well... what have we here?"
Lily and the older Reaver whirled around to face the large, red shadow figure that suddenly appeared in the midst of the town, their surroundings freezing and melting into ash and marshy ground.
Reaver pressed his back against the building he had been leaning against, stumbling when it crumbled away from his weight. "W-what are you doing here? How can you see us?"
"I am not bound by the rules of the subconscious, Reaver," the shadow snarled, it's formless mouth cracking into a large smile.
Lily scrambled up and stood, facing the shadow creature boldly. "I assume this isn't typically part of the dream," she quipped, narrowing her eyes in righteous anger. "What do you want with him?"
"Oh, my dear girl, he is not the one I want," the shadow chortled, swooping close to her. "You, however, are quite the rare find. I had not expected you to return here."
"You're fucking crazy," Lily spat. "I've never been here before. Now go back to your hole and leave us alone." She made to ignore the creature and took a step toward Reaver, but three shadow minions swarmed out of the ground and seized her, dragging her to her knees. "What the fuck are you doing?"
"Stop!" Reaver shouted and moved to help her, but the red shadow form swept in front of him and stopped him with a gesture of a twisted limb.
"You want to help her?"
"She has no part in this!"
"That may be so, but it's not every day we find such a creature wandering our world." The thing turned its head to look at her with red eyes. "A tiny little soul that was not meant to return to this world. I sense something has meddled with our affairs." It turned to look at Reaver again. "You know that is a violation of our contract, Reaver."
"I don't know what you're talking about!"
"She does not belong in this world!" the shadow roared, growing suddenly to twice it's size. "She was born in another world and was meant to stay there and-"
"I was told to come here!" Lily cried, struggling hard against the twisting shadows that held her. She gulped as the thing turned around and moved so it's face was right in front of hers.
"Were you? Who was the one who told you to come here? Was it him?" It gestured at Reaver.
"No!" she said firmly, ripping an arm free. "It was an old woman who told me I belonged here, that I no longer had a purpose in my world."
"So you are from another world," the shadow hissed, pulling itself upright with a pleased expression. "We don't see very many visitors from other worlds..."
"Leave her be!" Reaver demanded, flaring up in anger. "You have no use of her!"
"Perhaps..." it sighed, gliding back so it could look at both of them. "Maybe we just want her for our collection..."
"You cannot have her!" Reaver growled, balling his fists furiously.
A tiny smile dimpled Lily's scar as the black-haired girl watched the two banter.
"Well, maybe we can make a deal," the shadow said, laughing darkly.
Reaver blanched. "No..."
"Yes. We will make an arrangement." The shadow smiled at the man. "You will have a choice this time, Reaver, so do not fret."
XxX
Lily blinked, suddenly finding herself at the bottom of a dried up Bower Lake. "What the fuck-" she looked around, registering that no one was around anymore. She tried to stand but found her wrists and ankles were fastened to chains that tethered her to the bottom of the lake. She could stand in a crouching position, but could not straighten any further than that. "Fuck," she grumbled, looking around. A few feet away was a pole with a silver key hanging on it, dangling tantalizingly before her eyes.
"Of course it's too far away," she said angrily, yanking at her bonds until the skin on her wrists tore open. "Theresa! Reaver! Where the hell are you?"
XxX
Reaver found himself in a shapeless gray expanse, kneeling on the smoky ground and looking up at the Shadow Court hovering above him. "What did you do you vile, filthy, wretched tricksters?"
"Gently, Reaver," the shadow on the left cooed.
The shadow on the right chuckled darkly and seemed to wring it's hands in glee.
The largest shadow in the middle smiled and pointed at the man. "This is our arrangement. You have a choice, Reaver. Look."
His eyes followed the gangly arm that pointed to his left and his black eyes widened. He could see his departed wife-to-be sitting in the middle of a half-burnt Oakvale, chained to the ground and terrified. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it again in a stubborn, tight-lipped line.
"... and on your other side..." the shadow chuckled, pointing to Reaver's right.
He stared at the ground for a moment, unwilling to see what was waiting for his eyes, then glanced up and took a peek. He gulped, and his heart sank into his stomach when he saw his black-haired ward chained to the bottom of Bower Lake. "What do you want me to do?" he asked miserably.
"You have a choice, Reaver," said the one in the middle.
"You can either save the love of your life and would-be-wife," said the one on the left.
"Or you can save that girl you've known for barely a week," the one on the right snarled.
The one in the middle spread it's arms. "You can only save one. Neither of them can see you. Whomever you save with be returned to your world, healthy, safe and exactly as they were, but the other will come with us to add to our collection of damned souls."
All three laughed. "Choose wisely, you're time starts to run now."
Reaver jumped up as they began to fade away, and looked at the two girls frantically.
"Reaver!" Theresa's voice broke in urgently. "You must not let the runaway die here. The shadow court cannot have her!"
"Silence, witch!" he roared, putting his hands over his ears. "The choice is mine!"
XxX
Lily struggled violently against the chains, lunging valiantly at the pole, but not being able to rip free. "God damn it!" she shouted, pulling as hard as she could. She stopped, a deep rumbling sound reaching her ears. The chains clinked as she sat back and began looking around frantically, searching for the source of the noise.
Water began to seep into the lake bed, pooling around her legs and turning the sandy lake bottom into slushy mud.
"Oh shit..." She tried to jump up but was yanked back down by the chains, falling back to her knees with a wet thud. "Oh shit!" she yelled, redoubling her efforts to tear away from the chains and reach the key on the pole.
XxX
Reaver tore his eyes away from the struggling black-haired girl and turned his eyes to the scene on his left. Oakvale was once again consumed in flames and his old love was struggling against her own bonds and screaming pitifully... and screaming his old name. Reaver put a hand to his forehead and scraped away his sweat-soaked hair, looking from one Lily to the other.
"Fuck!" he screamed. "I always told myself if I had another chance to save her I would, but..." he looked at the black-haired Lily who was struggling heroically to escape. "But she died so many years ago, and I don't want to take the life from that young girl." He frowned and bit his lip, thinking about all of the things he knew and did not know about the mysterious girl from Los Angeles. "I- I can't choose."
"If you do not, they will both die," Theresa said angrily. "You must choose now, but remember, that runaway has a place and a purpose in Albion right now and your gold-haired woman does not. She left this world more than three-hundred years ago and-"
"Shut it!" Reaver growled, shaking the hair from his eyes. He looked back at his would-be-wife, smiled sadly, then turned and sprinted toward the struggling black-haired girl in the lake.
XxX
"Fuckfuckfuck!" Lily screamed as the water lapped at her collarbone. She lunged again at the key, the manacles around her wrists tearing her skin and turning the water light red. Her feet floated a few inches above the mud beneath them, the water pulling her further up as it rose again.
She let out a breath she hadn't meant to hold and landed on the bottom of the lake again, the water now splashing onto her face and chin. She squeezed her eyes shut and let the water rise above her mouth. Well that was the shortest adventure anyone has ever had ever, she thought bitterly, rolling her head from side to side to affirm her lack of an escape. So much for having a purpose. I would have at least lived if I had stayed in that filthy apartment!
A loud splash made her turn her head and roll her eyes to see what was in the water with her. She pushed herself up and took a breath when she saw Reaver swimming toward her. "Reaver!"
He didn't stop, but dove under the water to inspect her manacles. He resurfaced and shook his head, then looked the girl in the eye. "How do I undo these?"
She tried to point with her eyes and a nod. "T-the key- the key on the pole over there."
He turned. "Where?"
"It's underwater now, but it's there."
He nodded and dove under the water, looking about until he saw the rough outline of a pole about five feet away. He was about to swim to it but he stopped when he felt a tap on his shoulder.
Lily was almost fully submerged, barely able to keep her nose above the rising water. She submerged for a moment to tap Reaver on the shoulder and give him a glare that screamed "HURRY!"
He nodded, then turned and struck off through the water, finding the pole and examining it. He found a niche where the key had obviously hung, but was no longer there. Surfacing to take a few gasps of air, he tried looking in the water around him, but the water was too murky. "Damn it," he muttered before diving back into the water. Mud billowed up as he ran his hands through it, searching as fast as he could. His hand struck something smooth and hard and he fumbled to wrap his hand around it. He surfaced to examine the largish silver key in his hand, grinned and turned to see that the girl had vanished from the surface of the lake.
Lily had never opened his eyes underwater when she was a child because she hated having the water in her eyes, but now she stared with wide eyes at the green and brown water surrounding her. Her lungs and throat were burning for air, but she knew better than to oblige them. I've had drowning dreams before, she thought. You can breath in those, but I'd rather not risk it until... Her mouth burst open on it's own to shout a word that was lost when Reaver suddenly appeared before her.
He stared at her face a moment, then surfaced and pulled in a huge breath of air. He forced himself down again and pressed his mouth against hers, forcing the breath into her mouth before surfacing again. He took a moment to compose himself, then dove and found her ankles, shoving the key into the individual manacles shackling them.
Lily watched as he rose past her again, then was pushed back by his mouth shoved against hers. She took in the air, then watched as he quickly unlocked the manacles on her wrists and pulled her roughly to the surface.
They both gasped for breath as they broke through the surface of the water. Lily tried to hold her own, but fatigue and blood loss threatened to drag her back down into the water.
"Easy, love," Reaver said gently, pulling her up as she began to sink. "Put your arms on my shoulders, that's a good girl."
Lily just glared at him, then sighed and put her head on his shoulder. "Thank you, Reaver."
He smiled and pulled her into a comfortable position in his arms as he slogged out of the lake onto the barren shore. "It was your fault for trying to drown yourself again, my dear. Please try not to do so anymore, it's quite nerve wracking."
Lily shrugged and looked up, noticing three dark creatures hovering in the sky. "Reaver...?"
"What?" he asked grumpily, then followed her eyes skyward. "Oh god..." he muttered, setting Lily onto the ground and fully facing them. "I made my decision, now leave me alone!"
"Very well," they hissed in unison before shimmering out of sight and beginning to take the remainder of the dream with them.
"What?" Lily asked, jumping up as the world began to fall apart.
Reaver ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. "Don't worry about it."
"What choice?"
"It does not concern you."
"It does because I was your choice!"
"And this is a dream," Reaver said , turning on her as the sky turned dark. "You will not remember, or care when you wake so what does it matter?"
"Reaver..." Lily said softly, cupping his cheek in his hand.
At that moment the ground dissolved and the two fell into oblivion as the dream shattered and roughly jolted them back into reality.
Well that was fun! ...and long... But fun! I enjoyed it.
Reaver: My, for someone who doesn't particularly enjoy romantic stories involving me, you seem to be pushing me closer and closer to that girl.
Me: Don't tell me you don't like it.
Reaver: I could tell you so all I like, but would you listen?
Me: Probably not. If you don't like it, then just suck it up.
Reaver: Hmmm, and who shall I suck up for you?
Me: … um, Logan?
Logan: WHAT?
Reaver: Well hello my king! My, you look tense today...
Logan: Augh! Stay away from me!
Me: … nosebleed
Spoiler: The next chapter is the ball! Pretty dresses, dancing, and lots of Lily abuse! I might even introduce the younger sibling of Logan next chapter... but I'm torn between whether it should be the prince or princess. It was be the same story, just a little more sexual tension between prince and Lily, and I never get tired of emotionally raping her... hahaha.
So hey, lemme know if you guys want prince or princess, okay? Feel free to suggest names as well, and I will give a disclaimer to whom the name belongs to. ^_^