ADAM HAD SIX scars which marred his torso.

I ran my fingers over each one, more feeling than seeing how they snaked around from his chest to his lower back. Maybe another time I would ask about them. It was not that easy to see in the dark of night —but that made it easier. Perhaps because I could not see his face clearly, it made me more susceptible to accepting this.

This.

What in the world was this; the burning that consumed me, that could only be extinguished by Adam's touch. Everywhere he had his hands, my body rippled with sensations I had never felt before. No Dreamcatcher alive had ever been allowed to feel these weightless, addictive reverberations.

I could not help the sounds that escaped my lips; the gasps of air I drew, and the grip of my fingers on this human that dug so deep as if he would disappear if I let go. It certainly felt that way.

The last time I had tried to hold onto him, he had erupted into colourful shards.

Now he was real —he was here. I could feel his burning body temperature rising, and his deft fingers felt too good to be a dream. And he did not let them stay in one place for too long; he wanted me to experience everything as quickly as possible.

I was unsure if I could keep up.

Especially when his hand ran over my chest, and his mouth moved from mine to latch onto the side of my neck. A low, blissful moan ripped from me. He echoed the sound, and I felt him stiffen beneath me.

A sudden thought then occurred to me. If I could not satisfy him in the way which he was used to, then I would have to get creative.

I pressed my lips into a line, before experimentally rolling my hips. Adam's grip on me tightened and he hissed, his whole body tensing. I blinked at his reaction; surprised that it effected him that intensely.

"It's been a while," he choked out, before smiling weakly. "If you do that, I may not last long."

I wanted to test that theory.

I resumed moving, and listened to his unsteady breathing in turn. Even the sound of his voice did something to me. His back arched, but he had nothing but the wall to lean on. I studied him, noting the pauses between his breathing lessen. His muscles flexed, straining to withstand the sensations coursing along his nerves.

"Purple," he rasped, leaning upwards and forward. He gripped my waist and kissed my lips, pulling me close. I took hold of his shoulders for balance, and completely lost myself in the embrace.

Then I felt it —he inhaled sharply before his muscles quivered. His completion rippled through him, and I felt the echoes of it. As he panted softly and his body loosened up afterwards, I ran my hands over his skin to feel the difference. He was warm, and a little weak.

"Is that what happens?" I whispered, more to myself.

I then glanced downwards. The sheets would need washing, beyond the act of courtesy.

Adam paused cautiously. "...Do you want to try?" he murmured, his lips tickling my skin. "It's an unforgettable feeling; to find release."

"Enticing," I breathed. He ran a hand all the way up my spine, curving it, and my head was thrown back with the movement. It then took a few seconds to give him an answer. "...I do not know what to expect, but go ahead. Do your best," I encouraged.

His hands hovered, indecisive. Only for a moment.

The bed creaked and protested before I found myself on my back, staring upwards at Adam's chest and the wooden beams that supported the roof. I reached out to run my hands over his arms, feeling the muscles. He indulged me for a moment longer, before he lowered himself down enough to face my chest.

I could see his eyes in the moonlight, almost luminous. Light enough to mesmerise; dark enough to frighten. "Beautiful," I murmured on impulse.

An eyebrow raised in mild amusement. "It took you that long to say it back?" he taunted.

My own brows furrowed. "I was talking about your eyes, not about all of you," I grumbled.

"Is that so?" he whispered. "Because I seem to recall you mentioning how distractingly attractive I am."

I hummed mockingly. "Modest, too."

He chuckled softly and kissed my collarbones. "All jokes aside, I hope that you know that I meant what I said before. You are beautiful."

My lips parted but I did not know what to say.

Maybe he did not wish for me to say anything at all.

He held my gaze, until his eyes closed when his mouth latched onto one of my breasts. I gasped; moaned or cried out —I could not accurately place the pleasure. And as though that were not enough, one of his fingers began drawing patterns on my inner thighs.

"Stars above," I groaned.

I trembled at every suck; every graze of teeth; every flick of his tongue; and every soft bite. I could not think beyond it —beyond him. Then he moved to the other one, and I forgot about where we were; for what we had come. The only thought in my mind was disbelief: how had I gone on for so long without this?

Adam then groaned softly, causing me to shudder.

I definitely felt something building up within me. I felt my muscles tighten and loosen, knot and ache —but not out of pain. My back arched at the realisation. It was happening to me as well. My eyelids fluttered closed.

"Adam," I whispered, "I think I might..."

It happened before I could get the words out. It began at my toes; through my legs; pooled in the pit of my stomach, before barrelling upwards along my spine —all as a damned satisfied sound came out of my mouth. It was astonishing. Was this what we Dreamcatchers had been deprived of all of these years?

I opened my eyes to see the stunned face of Adam.

"Wow," I whispered, giddy.

Something else though, had exploded with me. I could feel a coat of energy lingering on the surface of my skin, and fading outwards.

The soldier's gaze flickered back and forth as he lifted himself up. I glanced around —and gasped. Hundreds of little pink and purple and blue crystals were embedded in the walls and on the roof; jagged, pointed and as if they had been thrown with intent.

"Oh," I said, moving to sit up. "I did that?"

"When you...when you shattered," Adam stumbled over, "some of your magic sort of...emanated from you. I don't think that they are dangerous —they passed right through me. But they did startle me."

I pictured it. How inconvenient.

"I suppose, since I am not like you," I murmured, "the physical release had to escape somehow."

Adam chuckled softly. "Sure, let's look at it that way."

It did make me wonder though, how it would be for other Dreamcatchers —who were without magic. Was this the bigger reason why no intimacy existed between our kind? Although that would be trivial. Not that it concerned me, since I had discovered pleasure. Perhaps this would be one of the only blessings from my abilities.

"It would be problematic to leave them where they are," I then quipped. I raised my hand, and pictured the shards disintegrating. To my pleasant surprise, the pieces did then melt into multicoloured mist.

"At least they're easy to get rid of," Adam commented.

"True."

"So," he then smirked, likely pleased about what he had accomplished. "What did you think?"

I shook my head, smiling involuntarily. "I do not have the words. All I can say, was that it was magic."

"No shit," he snorted, glancing around the room. He then looked back at me, and brushed my hair away from my cheek. I inhaled softly, leaning into the touch. "...I think there is a certain honour," he went on, "in being your first —in one way or another."

"Do not let that head of yours get any larger," I scoffed, then leaning away from him.

"So it was large before?"

I nodded curtly.

"Oh, you wound me," Adam chuckled, running his hand downwards from my neck to my tailbone. I gasped rather loudly, and shuddered at the stimulus.

He smiled in approval, before meeting my gaze as I bowed my head. I could feel his every movement, his every breath. My heartbeat had never raced so wildly until now —since we had set foot in this small room. There was probably so much we needed to say, but neither of us felt like speaking. The soldier then tangled his fingers in my hair, before grunting roughly.

"Adam," I whispered, as he leaned in.

"Yes?"

"Nothing. I just like saying your name," I chuckled.

He smirked. "Hm. Purple," was the return.

I could not help myself —I leaned in and closed the distance between us. Initially, I had wondered if kissing the human was a good idea —but since the first time our lips touched I was reduced to putty in his hands. I enjoyed it a lot more than I should.

"...I wonder," I then mused when I pulled away slightly to allow him to breathe, "if that explosion of crystal will really happen every time. I mean, what if it changes...what if it is ice next time?"

Depending on the material of it, the magic might prove to be a danger.

"Well, there is only one way to find out," Adam murmured, running a hand down to my lower stomach.

My skin quivered at the touch, and in anticipation of being able to ride that high again. Everything in me wanted to —if I could, I would let myself get lost in him; in this. Yet I knew what would happen if we were to get carried further away than we already had. I gently pushed against his chest, and shook my head.

"Not tonight," I whispered. "You still need to drink that Icen blood."

As though he had just remembered, he flinched in realisation. He rummaged beneath the blanket, before inhaling sharply as he produced the vile. The blood still glowed, dully illuminating the darkness.

Adam swallowed nervously, his breath becoming heavy.

"Do not worry," I assured him. "I am right here."

"This is blood, Purple," he hissed. "Humans don't usually drink that. Not to mention that no human before me has ever consumed this. What if something goes awfully wrong? What if...this kills me?"

My brows rose as I realised that I hoped desperately he would not react to that extreme.

"Creatures of magic have similar organs to yours," I breathed. "We would have known if it was poison."

It did little to reassure him, but he stopped being so afraid. It turned into justified apprehension, as he removed the stopper and hesitantly brought it to his lips. And before he could change his mind, he threw his head back and downed half of the vile in one swig.

His expression did not change that much —but at least he did not retch in disgust.

"Well?" I said. "How is it?"

"It tastes like ice and wind."

That was understandable.

Adam then fell forward onto me, his muscles loosening. Was it just meant to lull him? I did not want to dwell on it, but I could not help thinking that the Icen blood was acting as a sedative at best.

"...Will you stay all night?" he then murmured. "Not just until I possibly fall asleep?"

I leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth, and wrapped my arms around his neck. "I will be here," I whispered.

"I dreamt of you," I told Adam the next morning as I leaned in the doorway. I was already bathed and dressed, prepared for the last leg of our journey.

He had been out so coldly that I had managed to tug the sheets out from underneath him to get them washed. He had looked so peaceful, laying there.

He had now just risen from the bed, groggy and disoriented. After a brief stretch, he glanced over, his eyes unapologetically wandering the length of me.

"And I slept," he sighed. I thought that he would have more to say, but he drooped and remained quiet.

"You do not sound very enthused," I observed.

"It...isn't making me feel any different," he admitted. "I thought that after finally getting to sleep in so long, I would be overjoyed. I'm just...relieved."

I twisted my mouth into a shape. I was happy for him. This is what he had wanted —I had fulfilled my purpose. That quest was over.

I offered a slight smile. "You need to get up," I sighed. "We have an entire kingdom to traverse."

"Right, right," he sighed, swinging his legs to the side of the bed. Then he tilted his head to the side. "By the way. What about me did you dream?"

I glanced elsewhere after closing the door a little further. "It was about last night."

"Show me sometime."

There was no chance of me ever letting him see that dream. It was too explicit and untamed —my body had been fully human, and I had imagined what it would be like to be fully joined with him. The short answer: wrecking. When I closed my eyes I still saw flashes of skin; heard the breathy moans, with no holding back. My imagination was going to be the death of me.

I shook my head, awestruck by Adam's audacity to voice such a request. "Get up."

He obediently stood, before walking over to grab his things and pulling on his underwear so he could head to the bathing room. He was stiff; his expression unreadable and contained. I wondered what he was thinking.

It seemed that we were going to let last night breeze past —not let it change us in any way. I was content with that. I felt nothing but lust for him.

I glanced elsewhere as he then walked past, but he paused just short of the door. I turned, curious. He walked back towards me, and looked down with furrowed brows. I stiffened, feeling unnerved.

"I still want you," Adam said with a conviction that was so matter-of-factly, and then met my gaze as I raised my head in response.

A shiver ran down my spine. My lips then parted, but no words made it up from my throat. He looked serious. Completely ruminative. I glanced down at my feet. I had thought that once Adam had gotten his fill of me, we would part ways and return to our old lives.

"As in, a few times more?" I asked.

"I was thinking of something a little more recurring."

I drew a sudden breath.

Say we did that —if we fulfilled the craving that the other felt —would we not become dependent on it? If we were never satisfied, this would become a dangerous, habitual cycle. One of which I could currently see no end.

Though in truth, I was already missing the feel of him.

"I...also have not had enough," I made myself admit. "The dream might have been proof of that."

"Then you concur?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

I dared to look him in the eye. "Very well," I clipped.

He held my gaze, silently challenging me.

I had not realised how close he was again, until he then slipped a hand behind my neck and pulled me forward to crash his lips into mine. I jolted —before abruptly immersing myself in the embrace.

It did not last too long, and I had to blink rapidly to emerge from the wonderfully blissful haze in which kissing the human soldier trapped me. We parted, our foreheads grazing, and his fingers tangled in my hair. Then they lowered to stroke my spine.

My back arched in response as my breath hitched. I softly bit my lip. "This is dangerous," I stated.

"Aren't we both drawn to peril?" he retorted.

For a moment, I wondered how he knew that —then I realised that he had felt what I had felt in my dream when I had first seen him.

"Oh," I breathed, feeling a smile tug at my mouth. I then began leaning in. "This will absolutely ruin me."

"Not if you ruin me first," Adam murmured, before capturing my lips again.

I still could not understand the tugging I experienced towards the soldier, and what we had done —what we were doing, did not help to soothe that want.

"...Okay, you really do need to bathe and dress," I rasped, pulling away and stumbling slightly.

Something wicked glinted in his eyes. "Perhaps you should have waited to join me," he mused.

I shamelessly imagined it —and then scolded myself.

"Maybe another time," I suggested. His response was a smirk. I challenged his gaze in return, willing myself not to crumble under the intensity. And yet, even though I had expressed haste, neither of us moved. "...The longer we stay here, the more likely it is that we will be asked questions," I then sighed.

"Questions will be asked no matter how long we take," he pointed out. "Especially by Georgia."

That was the first time I had heard him say her name.

"Well, if you hurry," I said craftily, "We might make it in time for nightfall on Earth."

"What's so special about nightfall?" he frowned. I patiently waited for him to figure it out. "...Oh," he then said in realisation. "You sure drive a hard bargain," he sighed as I quickly strode for the door.

"I will see you downstairs," I responded curtly, before swiftly disappearing down the stairs.