“Boyfriend? Please.” Val scoffed. “Hell, killing him would be doing him a favor.”
Khent’s eyes narrowed.
Morpheus watched as if enthralled. “Vastly entertaining. We really should be discussing the danger, but this issomuch more fun. Continue.”
Khent’s glare felt like daggers piercing her brain.
An eagle-owl attacked her out of nowhere, and she snapped her fingers again.
The bird turned into butterflies.
“Very pretty, human,” Khent said in a low voice. “But we won’t be in this dreamworld forever.” His smile showedverysharp fangs. “You have to wake up sometime, and I’ll be right there waiting for you.”
“Oh please. If you’re in my dream, it’s daytime. I just need to wake up, find you, and stake you. And you’re done.”
Khent’s low chortle was both evil and for some reason turning her on. Bizarre, because Khent wasn’t Val’s type. Shedidn’t go for the bad boy, and especially not the boogeyman of the magir world. Hell, of the human world too.
Morpheus chuckled. “Yes, but they’re so much more fun when they’re naughty.”
She flushed, wishing he would stay out of her thoughts.
“Ha. Forget it. You’re too much fun.” The god batted his lashes at her, and she couldn’t help smiling.
“Hey, human.” Khent’s words were icy. “I’m talking to you.”
“I have a name, fanger.”
Khenthissedat her.
She forced a yawn, enjoying herself. In reality, she’d never get the nerve to taunt a vampire. But her dreams had to be good for something besides nightmares.
“Well,Tina,I have a few ideas of how we’ll share our time once we’re both awake.”
“My name isn’t Tina.”
“You don’t say.” He obviously hadn’t believed her before. “Then what is it?”
“Nice try. But?—”
Morpheus interrupted, “It’s Valentine Darkmore. Isn’t that a great name for a necromancer?” He gushed over her. “I swear, your kind gets more creative every century.”
She flushed. “You had to tell him my name? I thought you were on my side. After all, humans worship gods. Vampires don’t.”
Khent snorted and crossed his arms, as if being on his knees didn’t matter in the slightest. “We don’t worship anything. When you’re this superior, you can only venerate yourself.”
She and Morpheus shared a look.
Khent scowled. “Your jealousy does you a great disservice, god of sleep.”
“It’s god of dreams, Khent.” Morpheus huffed and waved his hand. “But I’ll allow it since she’s kicking your ass.”
Khent suddenly leaped to his feet and grabbed Val by her shoulders, holding her up on her tiptoes. “Try to lock me down again, female, and Iwilldrink you dry.”
She deliberately projected an air of calm, refusing to show the vampire how much he scared her. Too close, too powerful, and too tantalizing with that thick dark hair, those ripe lips, those dark eyes blazing with hints of red…
The bastard growled again, the rumble of his wrath vibrating through her. He opened his mouth, his fangs out.
Then he kissed her.
