Free Forbidden Drink by Nicola Claire

that this mark was just between me and Michel, no one else. No one else at all.
    “Thank you.” It just came out.
    “I would give you the world, ma douce , this” - his fingers still tracing his mark -  “is only my heart.”

Chapter 6
Lambton Quay
    We managed to make it back to Michel's chamber without coming across any wayward vamps - well, aside from Erika, who had been guarding the door, unbeknown to me. I had covered myself up in Michel's white shirt - it was almost long enough to be a dress - all of my clothes were ruined. Michel really did owe me a new wardrobe. So, I was at least clothed, but even that couldn't stop the blush flowing up my cheeks when she smirked at us as we passed.
    At least she'd managed to grab another top, but she was still barefoot and the blood had dried on her face from our fight. The nose did look healed though.
    “Sorry about your nose,” I mumbled when I spotted her.
    “Don't worry, chica , I'll take it out of your hide at first training tomorrow. That is of course, if you're feeling up to it. It sounded like quite a sparring session in there. You must be real tired.” She exaggerated the tired .
    Michel just growled, but it wasn't his usual scare tactics, more for my benefit than hers and it just made Erika smile more.
    Back in his chambers I realised I was tired. Once again, it had been a long night. First Rick and Jerome, followed by exerting my Light all over the club. Then the faux fighting of Erika and Michel, and of course the rest, you know, the horizontal mumbo jumbo, so I was yawning by the time we'd shut the door. It was only 2am, according to the bedside clock, normally I would have stayed up longer on a Friday. You never know when I'd feel the pull, that evil-lurks-in-my-city pull, but I was shattered.
    Michel kissed me on the forehead and suggested a bath and early night. I would have gone back to my place, but that would have meant taking the car and considering how tired I was, I just couldn't face that hurdle. I would honour our deal, he had won fair and square, the car was now mine, but despite that mental acknowledgement, I wasn't quite ready to physically drive it. That seemed to be the final step in accepting Michel and I had more than just a joined kindred relationship.
    So, Michel left me to it and I dutifully ran a mandarin bubble overload bath and settled in to soak away the aches and pains and bumps and bruises. Normally, Michel would have healed me, but we both seemed to just forget at that moment, I was sure he'd be able to attend to it later, when he also retired for the day.
    I must have fallen asleep, not a good thing to do whilst in the bath, but my head was resting back on one of those padded pillows on the edge of the bath and I was floating so comfortably, that I managed to relax enough, to feel safe enough, to fall asleep, because the next thing I knew, I was Dream Walking.
    Usually when I Dream Walk it's a conscious thing, a controlled thing. I lay myself down with the intention of Dream Walking to someone or something and I allow my mind to fall into that black nothingness I seem to be able to find and I simply appear where ever it is I am wanting to be. I appear as I lay myself down, so usually in hunter gear with stake in hand, but I am invisible to those around me. They can't see me or sense me or even hear me, unless I talk, so it's a nifty little power, one I have utilised when needed to take out the bad guys and hit them totally unawares.
    I don't abuse it, it's usually for a life and death type situation and the bad guys are usually reeking evil, so my conscience is clear on the they can't see me front. They are vampires and they are evil. It's a war. End of story.
    But, there has been a couple of occasions where I have not been in control of the Dream Walk. Those times have been controlled by another. Gregor. He had sworn he would not call me in a Dream Walk again, for fear I had already Walked once that night. Two Dream Walks in one