As the balmy sun touched my skin, it shimmered the strands of hair framing my face that were not shaded by the orange table umbrella Kai and I were sitting under.
Kai stood up from the small black metal table on the patio and kissed me.
"I'll be back," he uttered, smiling winsomely at me, and then he walked inside the cozy, brightly lit restaurant.
"I'll be here," I giggled, opening the menu to decide what to order.
It was the middle of summer, and he surprised me with an afternoon lunch date at a charming gourmet Italian bistro nearby the heart of the Po River. Inside the restaurant, elegant tables were ornately carved with intricate floral designs, while the outside patio featured cute black multicolor stained glass tables with colorful umbrellas to shield us from the overbearing sunshine.
Amidst the lively chatter of the diners, the air filled with their voices as they enjoyed lunch. Then, all of a sudden, the chattering gradually died down until all that remained was a hushed silence. I looked up from the menu and noticed the food on the tables was left untouched, and the diners had vanished. To my left, the bustling traffic disappeared from the roadway, and the once-busy sidewalk became eerily empty, leaving no trace of a single person or dog in sight. Silence deafened the atmosphere so that not even a dog's bark could be heard, nor did a bird's chirping song sing. Beyond that, the only movement came from the empty boats drifting on the Po River as stillness filled the air.
My heart skipped a beat as the metal chair scraped across the patio, and I looked up to see Orlando is taking a seat in Kai's chair.
"Is this seat taken?" he smirked, making himself comfortable as he leaned back.
"I'm dreaming," I murmured to myself.
"You are," Orlando snickered, "And now I entered your dream."
"Get out of my dream!" I snapped at him, and he laughed.
"You are powerless against me," Orlando mocked.
"You wanna bet!" I retorted.
With tenacious concentration, I envisioned a sword materializing on the table. As the blade took substantial form, it scintillated with brilliance. Once it solidified, I gripped the hilt tightly, standing from the chair as I braced my feet in a sturdy defensive stance. Ready to protect myself against him, my muscles tensed, and my heartbeat steadied as I raised the blade.
Orlando roared mockingly, his eyes narrowed in amusement and fixed on my fury as I firmly held the sword, unwavering in determination to strike him.
"Look at you, my little Knightness!" he sneered, taunting me.
Unfazed, he took a step closer, so I swung the sword, striking him on his cheekbone, and his face whipped to the side upon impact. After a moment of stunned silence, he wiped the trickle of blood from his cheek, and he darkly grinned as his face veered towards me.
"You've been practicing," Orlando mused, marveling over me, and then he sucked the blood clean from his fingertips.
"I was in a coma for five weeks. During those five weeks, Kai taught me how to defend myself against you in my dreams. I've had plenty of practice," I dauntlessly revealed, which had him grinning wildly. Being mates, Kai was able to enter my mind while I was in a coma, so we were hardly apart.
"He taught you well for a mere mortal. Too bad he couldn't claim your full heart, though," Orlando snickered. "I know you still love me."
"Only the man because you snared my heart," I retorted. "That's not real love."
"It's real enough," Orlando softly replied as he came closer, brushing my face.
Upon the tender contact of his hand, I felt my defenses crumble as his touch softened me, and I lowered the sword. I couldn't resist the magnetic pull to his lips as he held my nape. Our lips locked in a passionate dance of perfect harmony until my mind snapped back to reality.
"Keep your filthy mouth off of me!" I exclaimed, backing away as I swung the sword, striking his hand with the edge of it.
"Be careful, baby," Orlando warned, his sneer evident because I nailed him with the blade again. "That sword isn't real. Anytime you strike me, you'll inflict harm on yourself as well." As he spoke and shook his bloody injured hand, the outdoor background withered, and the scenery stained white.
Suddenly, I found myself trapped in a doorless white room with no windows or any way of escape. Orlando flew at me, his claws striking the sword from my hands.
"Ahh!" I shrieked as he pinned me against the wall with my wrists above my head.
"As tempting as it is to wanna play with you to my heart's desire, unfortunately, I can't because I came bearing a message," Orlando claimed, whispering into my ear, then he sucked on my earlobe.
I jerked my head to the side, getting him off my ear. "Release me!" I cried out as he squeezed my wrist tighter.
"Listen!" Orlando exclaimed, raising his tone. "Tell Kai to meet me on neutral human-owned grounds."
"He'll never meet you!" I spat in his face, and he growled at me.
"Say the word rebellion. Tell him to add seven more to the four. Say no more than twenty, or else it's the end," Orlando riddles me a message.
"What does that even mean?" I glared at him.
"Give Kai the message, and he'll understand," Orlando proclaimed as he released my wrists, stepping back.
"I won't!" I snapped. "You won't trick him into meeting you!"
"It's not a trick," Orlando retorted. "It's time for you to wake up."
With the snap of his fingers, the background changed to a deep forest as Orlando stood unmoved.
"Caw! Caw!" Crows cawed in the high trees, and a shrill whistling wind cracked the bare overlapped tree branches they perched on.
"You better watch out," Orlando warned.
"Caw! Caw!"
Thousands of crows cawed and flew off the branches, swooping down to attack me. With the sword lying at my feet, I quickly grabbed it and swung at the cloud of dark feathers. Feathers flapped in my face, and their sharp beaks pecked at my skin, drawing blood. Despite their relentless assault, I continued to swing at the crows as they swarmed my body. Suddenly, I stumbled over a raised tree root and fell to the ground, completely swamped by the crows.
"Aah!" I screamed, still striking the ones in the air while the rest encased my body, tearing their beaks into my flesh.
"Allow yourself to wake up," Orlando's voice cut through the cawing as I merely caught a glimpse of him before a crow gouged out my eyeballs.
Drenched in sweat, I jolted up from the bed, heaving in horror. I patted my face and reassured myself that my eyes were unharmed. Examining my arms, I found no marks, indicating that Orlando didn't use the full strength of his gift while he was in my dream. Only my fingernails were bleeding from when I struck him twice.
"Victoria!" in full panic, Kai burst through the bathroom door and dashed to my bedside.
"I'm ok. Orlando had me, but he released me to tell you a message." I calmed him as he touched my swollen, bloody hand.
Worry washed over Kai's complexion as he asked me whenever he checked me over, "What did he want?"
"He wants to meet with you on neutral property... " I explained, recalling the riddle Orlando had given me. However, I chose not to mention the kiss, as I didn't want to cause him any pain. I already felt disgusted and violated by Orlando, so I didn't want to burden him with how I felt as well.
Kai sat there, appearing lost in his thoughts.
"Do you know what Orlando meant?"
"Pay him no attention." Kai curtly replied. "It's likely a trap. Let's get ready for the party and forget about what he said."
I nodded since he seemed adamant about dropping it. Although, the little voice in my conscience told me he was hiding something. But there would be no way to dig it out of him.
Kai helped me out of bed and draped my black-colored silk robe over my naked body. After I was showered and dressed, Zoey healed my hand. Afterward, I assisted the vampiresses with setting up the dishes and desserts for the party.