- RORY -
In sleep, I fall right back into the dark forest where Luciano took all of those insidious, horrible demons, and my feelings slide right back into place. The terror coats every inch of my skin when I realize I'm back in the dream—stuck here now until I wake.
I can still feel them around us—the weight of the darkness in the shadows. Luciano is crumpled on the ground a few yards in front of me. At least, I think it's him. Who else would it be?
"Luci," I call out, swallowing against the thickness in my throat.
My throat is coated with fear, too. Every part of me is. It's lodged deep in my stomach like a boulder, turning over itself and ready to heave up whatever contents are there within it. But it's not fear for myself or for what dangers might await me. For once, it's fear for someone else.
Luciano doesn't respond, so I try again.
