I found myself in the courtyard of the castle, but it wasn't quite right there was a softness to everything, the colors more vibrant, the air warm and heavy with the scent of night-blooming flowers.
The moon hung low in the sky, casting a silver glow over the stone walls, making everything shimmer like it was bathed in starlight.
I was alone, or at least I thought I was. The stillness of the night was almost unnerving, the silence so complete that I could hear the soft rustle of my clothes as I moved, the faintest whisper of the wind as it stirred the leaves in the trees.
It was peaceful, almost too peaceful, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something or someone was watching me.
A flicker of movement caught my eye, and I turned, my heart skipping a beat. Ciara stood there, leaning casually against one of the columns, her posture relaxed but her eyes fixed on me with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine.
She looked different somehow there was a confidence in the way she held herself, an aura of control that seemed to draw all the light in the courtyard towards her.
I couldn't move, couldn't look away from her. My breath caught in my throat as she pushed off the column and began to walk towards me, her steps slow and deliberate, like a predator stalking its prey. There was a hunger in her eyes, something dark and dangerous, but also thrilling in a way that made my pulse race.
"Ciara…" I whispered, but my voice didn't sound like my own. It was breathy, laced with something I didn't want to name.
She didn't respond, didn't need to. The look in her eyes said everything. As she came closer, I could feel the heat radiating off her, the air between us growing thick with tension, charged with an electricity that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
She stopped just inches from me, close enough that I could feel her breath on my skin, could see the way her eyes darkened as they raked over me, taking in every detail.
My heart was pounding so hard I was sure she could hear it, and I swallowed hard, trying to steady myself, trying to remember how to breathe.
But then she reached out, her hand cupping the back of my neck, and all coherent thought fled my mind.
Her touch was firm, almost possessive, and it sent a jolt of heat through me that pooled low in my belly, setting my nerves alight with a fire I didn't know how to control.
"Ciara, what are you—" My words were cut off as she pulled me closer, her lips brushing against my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.
"Shh…" she murmured, her voice low and husky, filled with a promise that made my knees go weak. "Just let go, Aeliana. Don't think. Just feel."
And I did. Gods, I did.
I felt her lips on my neck, soft and insistent, as she trailed kisses down to my collarbone, each one leaving a burning imprint on my skin. My hands, which had been hanging limply at my sides, moved of their own accord, sliding up her arms, feeling the strength beneath the smooth skin, the way her muscles tensed and flexed under my touch.
She was in control, completely, and I was powerless to resist. I didn't want to resist. I wanted to give in, to let her take me, to lose myself in the sensation of her hands on me, her mouth on me. The thought of it sent another wave of heat through me, and I arched into her touch, a soft gasp escaping my lips.
Ciara's hand slipped under my shirt, her fingers grazing my skin, and I couldn't hold back the moan that bubbled up from my throat. She smirked against my neck, clearly pleased with my reaction, and the sound of it, the feel of it, only made the fire burning inside me blaze hotter.
I was drowning in her, in the sensations she was pulling from me, the pleasure so intense it was almost painful. My world had narrowed down to just the two of us, the night air, the moonlight, all of it fading away until there was nothing but her touch, her scent, the heat of her body pressed against mine.
She pulled back slightly, just enough to look into my eyes, and the intensity in her gaze made my breath hitch. There was something almost predatory in the way she looked at me, like she was devouring me with her eyes, and I couldn't help the way my body responded, arching towards her, craving more of her touch, more of her.
Without breaking eye contact, she leaned in and captured my lips with hers, and it was like nothing I had ever felt before. The kiss was demanding, her lips moving against mine with a fervor that took my breath away. I kissed her back with everything I had, my hands tangling in her hair, pulling her closer, needing to feel every inch of her against me.
Our bodies pressed together, her hands roaming over my skin, leaving trails of fire in their wake. My mind was a blur, lost in the sensation, in the taste of her, the way she claimed me with every touch, every kiss.
There was no room for doubt, no space for second thoughts there was only the here and now, and the way she made me feel like I was burning alive in the best possible way.
She pushed me back against the cold stone wall, her body pinning mine, and I gasped into her mouth, the contrast between the chill of the stone and the heat of her sending another wave of pleasure through me.
She took advantage of my parted lips, deepening the kiss, her tongue sliding against mine in a way that made my toes curl, my breath coming in short, desperate gasps.
I was lost, completely at her mercy, and I loved it. The way she touched me, the way she kissed me, it was like she was marking me, claiming me as hers, and I reveled in it, my body responding to her every move with a need that I had never felt before.
When she finally pulled back, we were both breathing heavily, our chests rising and falling in sync. Her eyes were dark, filled with a hunger that mirrored my own, and the sight of it made my knees weak. She leaned in close, her lips brushing against mine as she whispered, "You're mine, Aeliana. No one else's. Just mine."
The possessiveness in her voice sent a thrill through me, and I nodded, unable to form words, too overwhelmed by the intensity of the emotions coursing through me. I was hers, completely, and in that moment, I didn't care about anything else.
But before I could respond, before I could reach out and pull her back to me, everything shifted. The courtyard, the warmth, the moonlight—it all began to fade, melting away like mist in the morning sun, leaving me standing alone in the darkness.
"No…" I whispered, reaching out for her, but she was gone, the dream slipping away from me, leaving me with nothing but the memory of her touch, the feel of her lips on mine.
And then I was awake.
I bolted upright in bed, my breath coming in short, ragged gasps, my heart racing so fast I thought it might burst out of my chest. The room was dark, the only light coming from the dying embers in the fireplace, but it felt suffocating, too small, too confining after the vividness of the dream.
My skin was still tingling, the sensation of Ciara's hands on me lingering, and I couldn't shake the feeling of loss, of disappointment that it had all been just a dream. It had felt so real, so intense, and now that I was awake, I didn't know what to do with the emotions that were still swirling inside me.
I buried my face in my hands, trying to steady my breathing, to calm the storm that was raging inside me. It had just been a dream, I told myself. Just a dream.
But no matter how many times I repeated it, I couldn't shake the feeling that it had been something more, something deeper, something that I wasn't ready to face.
I laid back down, pulling the covers up to my chin, but sleep was a long time coming. My mind wouldn't stop replaying the dream, wouldn't stop thinking about Ciara, about the way she had made me feel, and I couldn't help but wonder what it all meant. But as I finally drifted off, one thought echoed in my mind, over and over again.
I wanted her. Gods, I wanted her.