In Her Dreams

I’m not sure that the ridiculously sexy fairy I’m in love with will ever understand.

11
Reve
“Damn, what happened in the five minutes I was gone? You two fight?” Jerrek sits down in a comfy cloud chair, back in fae form with his long red hair over his shoulder.
I blow out a breath as I pace over the clouds, looking up at the perpetually beautiful blue sky with soft white and pink clouds traveling across.
“You sound almost human now,” I say to Jerrek. “I guess it’s hanging out with Joey?”
Jerrek nods, and I have to admit I’m a bit jealous that he has a head start on getting to know my dream mate’s family. My family. “So what happened?”
I groan, conjuring up a chair so I can fall into it. I lean back, staring up at the sky.
If I were back in the dream realm, I’d be hunting nightmares, applying punishment, helping train other dream warriors, and serving my kingdom.
Here, I spend many hours alone just waiting or doing nothing.
And Jen seems miserable in her world, as does Joey.
They deserve more than the small hovel they live in amongst cruel humans who will do nothing to protect them from men like Mark.
And he’s far from the last who will be interested in a treasure like Jen.
From her gorgeous flame-colored hair to her perfect curves and petite form, she will always draw those who want her. Those who sense her incredible strength also.
She told me to go, and I did. But I hate being away from her.
Already, I want to hold her again.
“So what did you do?” Jerrek asks again, and I’m not even sure.
“If I had to guess, I’d say it’s because I mentioned taking her and Joey back to the dream world.”
Jerrek winces slightly. “Ah, yeah. That’d do it. Why did you say that? Isn’t it a bit soon?”
I shrug. “I never meant to keep it from her. Why wouldn’t I want to take her from her broken world?”
Jerrek sighs. “I mean, the human world isn’t terrible just because it’s not the dream realm.”
“There are wandering, untrained warriors,” I say wryly. “And outright rape that goes unpunished.”
Jerrek rubs the back of his neck. “Yeah, that doesn’t sit right with me.” He stands, pacing around the clouds. “But most of the humans are pretty decent creatures.”
I let out a grunt in response.
“You’re keeping surveillance on Sandra?” Jerrek asks, somewhat nervously.
“Yes. But see? You don’t like your mate being in the human world either.”
“Unprotected,” Jerrek says. “There’s a difference. You know you could stay here with them and protect them.”
“I know that,” I say. “But I’m a warrior of the eighth realm. I don’t want to stay on Earth. Both of them would do better among their own people.”
“Would they?” Jerrek asks. “Dream fae are accepting, but it’s not the world Jen and Joey know. Wouldn’t it be better to let them stay in the human world? At least until they’re both used to all of this a bit more?”
I shake my head. “I never hid my intentions. I still can’t believe she thought I would stay here.”
Jerrek rubs the back of his neck. “So you accept her having a son without a second thought, but her wanting to stay in the human world is the hard part?”
I slant him a look. “As you said, Joey’s a bonus.”
“Yes, but if you were going to be unreasonable, you could be jealous—”
I shake my head. “I’m not. Would you change anything about your dream mate?”
Jerrek shakes his head.
“Me neither,” I say. “But that’s different than this. It’s my job to protect them. To serve them. Why would I give them pollution and wandering rapists in this world instead of perfect happiness in the dream realm?”
Jerrek shrugs one shoulder. “Because it’s not your choice. Don’t you get it? Jen has made choices before you. Joey has a whole life here. You just acting like you could go to a new world, no problem, is kind of egotistical.”
I think for a moment, a tight feeling in my chest. It feels like something non-negotiable, so I don’t know why I shouldn’t speak up and tell her the truth of my intentions.
I don’t know how to negotiate. How to agree to stay in this bleak world.
“You two don’t have to agree right now,” Jerrek says. “Maybe as things go on, both of you will see the other’s side. But I think, mainly, the important thing is the love. As long as you two have that between you, anywhere you go will be heaven.”
“You’re right.” I stand to walk over the clouds to where he’s standing, watching more clouds move across the sky. “We still have time to see each other’s point of view.”
“You have to be at least willing to consider her world if you want her to consider yours.”
I nod. If it’s with Jen, I would at least try to stay here. Even if this world is dark, any world without Jen will be darker.
But with all the danger and her having so little here, I just don’t see why she’s so set on this world.
Jealousy flashes through me at the thought that maybe there’s someone here she doesn’t want to leave.
Maybe another man.
But that’s ridiculous, and I’m usually far from jealous, so I push the thought away.
She wouldn’t keep anything from me like some ex or guy friend she’s attached to.
But she did hide her son.
“Whatever you’re thinking, you’re emanating literal waves of bad magic,” Jerrek says. “I promise, this is not about someone else.”
“Why else would she want to stay here?”
Jerrek throws an arm around my shoulders. “Reve, my boy, you have a lot to learn. The human realm is her world. We all try to do our best in the world we’ve been given. You need to at least try to understand that, despite your displeasure at the state of the human world.”
“It’s not my displeasure,” I say. “Her world is full of literal nightmares. And she wants to stay here when she doesn’t