As Eros snaked his hands around her waist her body unintentionally stiffened. His gaze was hazy as though clouded by something she couldn't see. She could feel her erratic pulse, even hear it pounding in her ears. There was no hiding that she felt afraid, she knew there would be pain and yet she somehow felt oddly excited at the same time. She couldn't believe she was brave enough to stand here like this and offer herself freely. It was exhilarating to have that choice, something she'd long since lost in her life.

Her eyes were trained on his lips, which were slightly parted as he appeared to be breathing heavily, almost as though he were panting. She recognised the longing for sustenance and understood it all too well. It had been the reason her parents had sold her and her brother in the first place. Her heart hurt for this man, he needed her.

And yet, under all the pressure of her offer, her blood-splattered clothes and skin as well as her racing heart, he still hesitated. All fear within her evaporated, even in this beast-like state of hunger he was still putting others above himself. He'd helped her, freed her and for no reason at all. She envied that side of him, wanted to know that side of him more. Even strive to become like him, given the chance.

Her trembling ceased and her heart rate began to calm. Reaching forward with her free head, the other still holding her hair to one side, her fingers gently found the nape of his neck. She stepped forward lightly pulling his head down closer to her collarbone. Soon she could feel the warmth of his breath float over her skin.

"It's okay." Her voice didn't shake when she spoke.

He gave in.

It was hard to describe what she felt next. As he sank his teeth into her flesh it did hurt, but only for a moment. A sharp intense jolt of pain flared as the skin on her neck was broken. It vanished as quickly as it came as though her body went into shock, numbing the pain from her sensors. Her hand slid from the nape of his neck to the short strands of hair at the back of his head, holding him steadily to her.

His hands found her waist and he gently pulled their bodies closer together. 

Her hand slipped from the strands of hair she held at bay only to find itself on his firm chest. She was glad she'd seen it fit to dress in more clothing after the last 'customer' she had to entertain, or this would have been rather embarrassing. She was beginning to feel light-headed as the seconds passed by, not even a minute had passed and her legs began to feel weak beneath her.

His hands slid up the crevasse of her back, his grasp more stern and forceful as he pressed her firmly into him.

Only now could she tell that he had grabbed hold of her so that he could keep her standing while he drank his fill. She didn't try to stop him as dots appeared in her vision. A chill began to spread through her and she welcomed the odd sensation, it was calming, unsettlingly so.

If this was to be the end, so be it. She thought as a sense of peace filled her.

She'd been so naive then, thinking that her life was worthless and she'd be better off falling asleep forever in his arms. So young and immature, she knew better now, thankfully.

It was just as she was about to lose consciousness that he pulled back, much to her surprise. He clamped a hand to her neck as he lowered them both to the ground, nestling her into his lap. With a small amount of pressure and a little time the wounds would clot closed.

"Elaina?" His voice filled her ears, so full of worry and regret.

She giggled, perhaps from the fact that she was mostly elevated and full of brain fog due to blood loss, but it took Eos by surprise. He was back to his normal self, his blue-grey eyes looked down at her and she could feel her heart skip a beat. He was utterly beautiful. An odd way to describe a man she knew, but it's what she saw.

"You look much better." She commented drowsily.

"But at what cost." His words made her heart sink, instantly pulling her back to a more serious state of mind.

"Nothing a little rest and water can't help replenish." She tried to smile but the action was quite weak.

"Why, why would you do this?" He wasn't angry with her but she could tell he was most certainly upset. "I could have killed you!"

"I was always safe, your friend said he would stop you if he needed to." She confessed. "That you needed to know that you could do it yourself was more important."

"What am I gonna do with you." He muttered more to himself.

"Well... you could take me to my brother, I... I want to see him with my own eyes."

He raised a brow. "Making demands of me already?" He half-joked.

"Hmmm, more like payment for my services." She regretted her choice of words as he cringed. "F-for the blood." She added hastily with a like flush on her cheeks. Though it didn;t make the statement any better.

He sighed deeply looking disjected. "Don't I frighten you?"

This was the moment she had been waiting for, the one she would be able to hopefully get her message across. As in the memory, she reached up a hand gently cupping the side of his face. His gaze shifted to look her directly in the eyes. She lifted her chin raising her lips to be mere inches from his ear.

What she was meant to whisper to him was; You don't scare me, you fascinate me. Instead, however, she whispered as quickly and quietly as she could; "Don't react. You're trapped by two captors in a dream state, we can't wake you-"

Suddenly and violently, she was ripped from the memory. A gut-wrenching blow impacted her abdomen, the powerful force dislodging her from the past version of herself. Her vision clouded as an intense pain consumed her. She cried out, the sound seeming to echo around her as repelled back and away from the scene. She moved so fast that the world appeared to just disappear, the all-consuming white she encountered at the beginning of this journey returning in a rush. She couldn't make sense of direction as the world spun around her and she was pushed further and further away unable to control or stop herself from being pushed away.

She felt her mind straining to hold on, to maintain a connection but she was far from strong enough to contest with the resistance. Her head exploded with blinding pain as the world of blinding white around her was cracking and splintering apart.

With a gasp, her eyes flew open as her body sitting beside Eros's sleeping form was propelled backward. She was forced back into her body as she was abruptly thrown backwards, chair and all. Her back slammed into the wall hard enough to jostle the picture frames hanging as decoration.

Honestly, she'd expected this. She was surprised she managed to get out so many words before they noticed what she was doing. But she'd done it. By the time they had taken action to throw her out, she'd gotten the most important information to him. And now she was back in the real world with a slipping headache as she tried to pick herself up off the floor.

A light groan sounded beside her, Erisena had been thrown alongside her.

The sound of pounding footsteps grew louder by the second. Riku burst through the door, the raven-haired little elf's eyes were wide. Though childlike in appearance the girl was well matured for her race and still growing every day. Just recently she'd been through a growth spout and was now standing at her shoulder.

"Elaina!" She exclaimed as she sidestepped the splinters of wood that once was a chair and headed for her. She checked over her for any injuries in a slight state of panic.

"I'm alright, I'm alright." She remarked cupping her forehead in her hands while wincing. The only thing that hurt was her head.

"That makes one of us." Erisena hissed as she struggled to open her eyes. "What in the bloody hell happened?!"

Elaina had never heard the dark elf speak so forwardly. "Said something I shouldn't have and was removed, painfully."

"Were you able to reach him?" Erisena forced herself up to a sitting position, Riku rushed to the elf and placed a hand over the elf's shoulder which appeared to be lightly bleeding. A soft glow came from her fingertips as she healed the pained-looking dark elf.

Erisena only slightly injured, . She smiled down at the little elf, Riku had come so far under Emerald's tutorage, it was astounding. "I was, though I don't think it will be much help." She paused to look up at Erisena again. "What do you know of dream eaters?"

Esiena gently pushed Riku away nodding a thanks to the young elven druid in training. "Only that they are a myth. Tell me everything, no matter how small the detail, leave nothing out."

It took some time to go over everything she had experienced, often being interrupted by odd questions that she was sure made sense to only the elf. Regardless she answered everything to the best of her knowledge. Finally finished with telling the elf everything she could she sat and watched as the elf's mind mulled over every piece of information she had been given.

"Two powerful beings that are likely ancient, calling themselves dream walkers are probing the Alarian's sleep for information. Of which we don't know what for." She sighed heavily. "With there being two of them and your husband only being trained as a seer, he stands little to no chance of waking up without aid, he's outnumbered and outmatched."

"And I'm sadly of little use, I can't even use essence." Elaina pointed out.

"You've made him aware that it is a dream not memories. That is a feat in itself, don't feel discouraged, you did immensely well."

"What else can we do?" Riku's worried voice joined the conversation, "There must be something."

"There may be a way, though we would need people that have a close bond with him, blood-related would even be better." Erisena pondered allowed.

"What of Aveyon!?" Riku blurted out.

Elaina shook her head. "She can't leave Alarious, and even if she could they aren't actually blood-related. His family were all killed when the King went mad."

"We can use those that are close to him, powerful ones perfurably."

"Vincent, Zeph and Samuel are the closest thing he has to brothers on Earth," Elaina concluded.

"Then we need to gather them."

"But they're so widespread now, it'll take time, even months!" Elaina saddened.

"In the meantime, I could take and train-"

"Don't even think about it, she's too young!" Elaina warned cutting off the elf.

Eriesna cracked a smile. "She is truly extraordinary and growing quickly. If the men can not help she will be our only choice, you must know that."

Eliana held the bridge of her nose. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that, I can't handle losing them both."

"It would only be for a short time."

"We can discuss it if it comes to that, exhaust every other option first." Elaina sighed leaning her back against the wall.

Riku looked up at the two confused.

Behind the three Erosvent lay soundly asleep, unaware of the growing tensions in the room.