IV. Into His Mind
He sat and silently watched the raven- haired beauty peacefully sleeping in the queen size bed. The lamplight on the bedside table cast a gentle glow on her sleeping face, illuminating her lovely features. He smiled as she smiled a small, genuine smile that accompanied her serene slumber. It was a rarity to see her smile, especially when she was in his presence or in the presence of her father.
He felt envious… He envied her ability to easily drift to sleep. It was something not many thought about; something many considered mundane but it was never mundane to him. No, it was a task even greater than trying to delve into her mind. Demons constantly plagued his sleep. All the minds he's read, their secrets, all their lies… it was fun. But everything comes with a price. There are always consequences for everything; he knew it all too well. For every mind, every exposed secret came the nightmares. Their fear was his fear, their nightmare, his.
Once… Only once could he remember dreamless sleep. When he had her in his arms. When he had been lucky enough to find her downtrodden. It started out simply… She needed comfort, he offered her his. Soon, things escalated- he let himself get carried away. He slept by her side that night and not once did the nightmares come to him. Solace. That was what she called it. She was right. She was his solace, his refuge, the only person who kept him tethered to his sanity. But never again- never again will he find that same solace. She hated him and he knew it… She hated him for her innocence lost, for taking advantage and for apparently ruining her life.
If he had been a gentleman, he would have let her go. Only, he wouldn't, he couldn't afford to loose her. It was like tasting the forbidden fruit. One could never get enough. For that reason, he never stopped, even if she incessantly denied him. She was an enigma. The lure of the unknown. He tried hard to find 'solace' elsewhere. There was no comfort in other women; they were all merely distractions. Nothing like her.
Gently, he reached for her, his callous fingers deftly stroking her velvety skin. She turned away from his hand and continued to sleep. He closed his eyes and tried, though a part of him knew it was futile… Still nothing. Even in sleep, her thoughts were guarded.
"What secrets do you hide, Leibchen?"
