For a moment, as Juliet turned in Brannick’s direction and started crossing the patio, he felt as though something grabbed his heart and squeezed hard. She was kind and thoughtful, a loving woman, the kind he wished he could have in his life, a woman like his wife had been.
He shifted to look up into the sky, anywhere but at Juliet. He didn’t want to be feeling like this, like if given the chance, he could fall for her.
He’d made a promise to himself the night he’d watched the dark coven witches burn his sister alive that he’d never allow himself to care for anyone ever again. He couldn’t risk it. Not in Five Bridges. Caring had fueled his rage, which had set him on a vigilante course that ended with the death of the rest of his family, including Tracy.
He’d spent thirteen years atoning for something that he could never make right. But he had no intention of getting involved at this late hour with Juliet, even if he had been engaged in a serious affair with her.
When she drew close, he held out his arm and his right boot. “Have you flown much?”
“A couple of times. But, yes, I’m a nervous flyer.”
“I’ll take it slow.”
She stepped up onto his boot, then settled her arm across his shoulders. Oh, God, she smelled so good. She smelled familiar. He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her close.
She leaned into him in a way that told him exactly how comfortable she was with him physically, as though she’d always been flying with him. Of course, it was another reminder that they’d been having dreamglide sex.
His whole body felt flushed. He needed to take her back to Revel, drop her off and make sure that within the structure of his tunnel rescue network he never saw her again.
He also needed to make it clear that there would be no more dreamgliding. Not now. Not ever.
***
As Brannick rose slowly into the sky, Juliet felt his special vampire disguise flow in a soft whirl around her. Even this unique power had the feel of Brannick as she’d come to know him in their shared dreamglide.
She felt safe in his arms and much less nervous than if she’d flown with anyone else. She could even look around.
Brann, I didn’t realize we were this far north. She probably shouldn’t use his nickname. She’d have to work on that.
Only a half mile from the Loop 101.
As she took in the terrain of Crescent Territory, she clucked her tongue. Most of Five Bridges really has the look of a warzone, doesn’t it?
Yes, it does. Want to have a good look?
You mean as in take in more of the land?
Yep.
Honestly, I’d love it. And she meant it.
He turned slightly to face due north, then slowly moved in the direction of what they called the U.S. Border, even though it was in the middle of Phoenix. The entire outer boundary of Five Bridges was locked down tight with more barbed wire than she’d ever thought to see in her entire life.
Searchlights also rimmed the border area, hunting for drug-runners who foolishly tried to make their way across the pitted landscape. The same lights tracked the skies constantly, hunting for those with the ability to levitate. The shoot-on-sight outside of Five Bridges was a real deterrent.
She still couldn’t believe that she lived in a geographical area that used to be the north central part of Phoenix. But after the alter species had been segregated into a ghetto some time ago, the U.S. finally resolved a lot of governing issues by cordoning off large areas in the major cities across the country, complete with tens of thousands of linear feet of barbed wire. Formal U.S borders were created in order to keep the alter species from being part of the normal human population.
Can you take me up higher?
His husky masculine voice rolled through her mind. You sure you’re up for it?
I am. I think because I’m with you.
Holding her secure, he rose swiftly, then stopped to hover in the air. Before we move forward, I need to check the airspace.
She understood why. Many species could levitate, and he would need to know who was out and about in Crescent right now.
He slowly spun in a circle, but the air was clear. She could see other species in the far distance, small dots moving across the night like unmarked aircraft. She had the odd thought that the Tribunal government should establish a law requiring identification lights on anyone levitating.
The thought made her smile, not just because it would be out-of-place to see flashing lights on Brannick’s head or his boots. But the Tribunal could barely enforce its most basic laws so she’d love to see them try to regulate what happened during levitated flight. It was a cynical thought, of course, but then she’d lived in the province for four long difficult years. As for the U.S. Government, Five Bridges was a no-fly zone for human aircraft and easily seen from the air because of all the searchlights surrounding the area.
He drew close to Del Muerto Bridge, which connected Crescent to the dead-talkers of Shadow Territory. A lot of superstition ran rampant about Del Muerto Bridge, and as a result, it saw the least amount of traffic. Shadow Territory also described the land in this section of Five Bridges pretty well. Shadow had the fewest street lights of any of the territories and a fairly low number of raunchy sex clubs. Humans who came to shadow were looking for a connection to loved ones who’d passed. Of course, this meant that a lot of businesses thrived by playing on the grief of unsuspecting visitors. Juliet had often thought there was absolutely nothing sacred in Five Bridges.
She felt a measure of relief when Brannick reached the border between her fae territory of Revel and the dead-talker land. Ventana Bridge was also one of the five main bridges that gave their province its name.
Brannick flew over the bridge and into Revel. He’d been to her home in their dreamglide world, but she had no idea how much he remembered. Do you know where you’re going?
I gave up following landmarks a mile ago and have been using my instincts since. Everything is oddly familiar.
When he made a turn to head east, she huffed a sigh. This is definitely the right direction.
Wait a minute. I’m remembering something from one of the dreamglides. You live in the Lotus Tree development, don’t you?
I do. But I may have told you where I lived the night we met at the White Flame.
Maybe. I don’t know. But I definitely feel like I’ve been here before. He made his descent.
In many ways, it was like flying in a plane since the streetlights suddenly grew brighter and she could see the form of people moving on the sidewalks. The cars had stopped looking like something she could buy in a toy store.
He flew without hesitation, heading straight toward Lotus Bridge.
When it came into view, she asked him to fly north to where the main canal branched off to Lotus Stream. She’d often wanted to take a helicopter ride just to see this particular view.
Reaching the ‘T’ where the canal intersected with Lotus Stream, she asked him to drop even lower but to go slow. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to see this from a point of levitation. I think it’s one of the prettiest places in all of Five Bridges. She laughed. Of course, that isn’t saying much.
No, it really isn’t. We have a lot of work to do.
Brannick made a wide, slow turn, and his arm kept her secure the entire time. Her feet were perched on his right boot, which helped.
Brannick said, I’ve never been to this part of Revel before, but my God it’s beautiful. He flew even lower, just ten feet above the mini-canal.
Along both sides was a park-like setting with a meandering sidewalk and dozens of trees fit for the coming summer desert heat. But there were green-belts as well, a lot of grass. Because it was spring, there were burgeoning flowerbeds scattered here and there.
Small footbridges, many of them made of stone, crisscrossed the canal with cottage-sized homes along either side.
A much larger stone bridge, over which vehicles could travel, kept traffic moving through the area
. Where does everyone park?
How easily she could communicate with him telepathically. We have long alleys here and the garages come off the alleys.
This is fairly new construction.
The development was laid out ten years ago. My husband bought a home for me here when we divorced. She’d already told him everything in the dreamglide, but she doubted he remembered it.
That was big of him. I approve. It’s a lot more than some have experienced.
I know.
He began to slow, another indication he knew where he was headed. He began his final descent toward one of the smaller stone footbridges. This is Talisman Bridge, isn’t it?
Yes. She wondered why he was stopping here and not taking her to her canal home.
We’ve been here before, haven’t we, in a dreamglide, I mean.
Oh, God, he was recalling another memory. Yes, we have.
Tears burned her eyes as he touched down on the stone path. No one was around, and they had the bridge to themselves.
When he released her, she stepped off his boot, slowly sliding her arm from around his neck.
She watched him. He frowned as he turned in another slow circle, taking in the entire area. “It’s beautiful.” He then shifted to face her. “You must love it here.”
“I do. When I’ve finished with my night’s work at the Board of Sages, I often come here, sometimes with my camera.”
He frowned slightly. “That’s right. You were a photographer before you became an alter fae.”
She had to smile. During one dreamglide, he’d asked her a dozen questions about how she’d gotten interested in photography.
He rolled his eyes. “I take it we’ve talked about this before.”
“I didn’t mean to smile, but you were so curious. You don’t remember our conversation?”
He shook his head. “No. Not about photography. Christ, this is bugging the shit out of me, that you hold this over my head.”
She drew close. “Brann, never. I would never.”
He scrubbed both hands through his hair, afterward pushing it straight back. She loved the look on him. “I didn’t mean that you hold anything over my head, not exactly. I hate not knowing, when you know everything. It’s an unfair advantage.”
She took a moment before answering him. “You, especially, would feel that way.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“Only that you like control. You even dictated what you allowed yourself to know about our dreamglide relationship. But you can have complete access right now if you want it. I have a block in place, and I can remove it, something I learned as an apprentice sage.”
She didn’t tell him the rest, that she’d been compelled to learn the skills because Neal Roche had attempted to hijack her once in a dreamglide. She’d barely escaped. If he’d gained control of her, she would have been lost to him for a good long time, possibly forever.
Brannick frowned hard, a pit between his brows. “You can remove the block right now, and I can see everything?”
She dipped her chin.
“Have you been edging the block out of place? Is that why I’ve suddenly been remembering?”
“No, of course not. I would never violate our dreamglide agreement.” She cringed slightly. She might not disrupt their current agreement, but she’d had no problem violating his dreamspace and seducing him within her dreamglide. In many ways, Roche had done the exact same thing to her. He just hadn’t been as successful. If Brannick ever figured out exactly what had happened, she doubted he’d ever be able to forgive her.
In that sense, Brannick was a conundrum because during their first time together, his dreamglide self had engaged in their affair without the smallest hesitation. He’d also told her he didn’t care that she’d seduced him.
“But I would never know if you broke an agreement, would I?” He ground his jaw.
She could tell the situation was getting to him, but that wasn’t exactly her problem. He was the one who’d instigated the gag order.
What she found intriguing right now, however, was that he didn’t automatically ask her to remove the block. Apparently, he didn’t really want to know all that had happened between them.
In that sense, she was grateful. She was convinced he wouldn’t be able to handle everything they’d been doing for the past five months. Not yet.
He paced away from her a few feet, his gaze skyward, then he spun in another circle. As a footbridge, Talisman was only about seven feet from rail to rail, though it spanned the thirty-foot wide canal stream.
She knew what he was doing. His training as a border patrol officer was always present, even in the dreamglides they shared. He was constantly checking his surroundings, which gave her a feeling of security.
“Let me understand. If you have a block in place, then why have I been remembering anything at all?”
She shrugged. “No one really knows, but it happens. Some say it has to do with the individual involved. You might be overcoming my block because you’re an extremely powerful vampire. Another theory is that proximity will facilitate sudden memory surges.”
“Memory surges?” He echoed the words softly. He drew close once more, his brow still severely pinched. “Like when you wore that red-flowered dress on this very bridge?”
A gasp left her throat. “You remember that?”
“I’ve seen little else since I touched down. I can even smell a fragrance that was in the air, very flowery.”
“I wore perfume.”
“How the hell can I remember a scent from a dreamglide?”
She smiled. “Because this is part of the alter fae world. You might as well ask how you can levitate the way you do. This is what it is to be fae. That’s all.”
He was still frowning. “I get your point.”
She remembered the dreamglide moment he was referring to extremely well, one of her favorites, in fact. She’d wanted to dress up for him, so she’d donned the silk dress with white flowers on a red background. It showed a lot of cleavage and was cut longer in back at the hem. She’d even worn heels so that he had a much shorter distance to travel when he kissed her.
She moved to the side of the bridge. She’d been right here when he’d taken her in his arms. She placed her hand on the warm stone. It was early May and hot during the day. But at night, it was a beautiful balmy time of year in the Valley of the Sun.
All the trees and the water had helped to cool things down as well.
His voice was very low as he asked, “Are you thinking about what happened in the dreamglide?”
She nodded but shifted her gaze to look at the canal water. She saw the moon reflected in the breeze-swept ripples.
He came up next to her and slid his hand along her lower back. “As I recall, you stood here.”
She didn’t look at him. She was afraid to. “I did.”
“You looked so beautiful. You’d dressed up for me.”
“Yes.” Her gaze skated to his face, then got stuck there. “The time we spent together in the dreamglide was like dating.”
His hand was warm through her dress.
“And I kissed you, but not on the lips.”
A shiver ran through her. She felt his interest like a soft jolt of electricity against her skin, and that wasn’t fae at all, just very human. Her intuition told her he was actually thinking about repeating the process.
But should she let him when he was so angry about the situation?
He squeezed her waist then pushed the long curly strands of hair away from her neck. Leaning down, he kissed her neck, his lips warm and moist.
Juliet closed her eyes, her throat tightening. She’d loved her time with Brann in the dreamglide. But this was so much better.
For a moment she couldn’t breathe.
She pressed a hand to her stomach. “We shouldn’t be doing this.”
He stopped kissing her and lifted up to meet her gaze. “Why not?” He moved to stand in front of her, leaning
against the stone rail of the bridge. “You liked it well enough in the dreamglide.”
She heard the edge to his voice and knew he was still angry. “I loved it in the dreamglide.”
“Not right now, when I kissed your neck?”
She intended to be honest. “It was better just now, more real. Don’t you think?”
He looked as though he struggled to make sense of what was going on, and she wasn’t certain what to say to him. The man had just learned he’d been engaging in dreamglide sex with her for the past five months. “Ask me anything, Brann.”
He hissed, then squeezed his eyes shut as though in pain. “Stop calling me that.”
“‘Brann’ you mean?”
“Yes.” When he opened his eyes, he looked haunted.
She sighed. “I’ll try not to. But I’ve been calling you that all this time.”
His brows tightened even more and his voice had an edge. “This is real-time now, real life. You haven’t earned the right to call me by anything other than my full name.”
“Fine. Whatever you say.” She was angry now as well. The man she knew in the dreamglide was so open with her and wanted her calling him by his nickname. Yet, real-time Brannick could barely remember anything about their relationship.
“You’re mad at me?” A cheek muscle twitched.
“Look at it from my point of view. All this time, you’ve welcomed me into your life.”
He all but shouted. “But what happened between us wasn’t real.”
She was taken aback for a moment, then lowered her chin. “That’s where you’re wrong. Everything about the dreamglide is real, and the man in them had no problem connecting with me.”
“Is that what you want? Connection?”
The question surprised her, and for a moment, she couldn’t answer.
His lips curved down. “Oh, I get it. You’re the supreme hypocrite. You liked the connection in the dreamglide because, though it might have a semblance of reality, you didn’t really need to deal with me. Well, now it looks like you’re going to have to.”
Juliet huffed a derisive laugh, but not at Brannick. “You’re right. I just never saw it until this moment. You were safe in the dreamglide.”
Bad Boys of the Night: Eight Sizzling Paranormal Romances: Paranormal Romance Boxed Set Page 147