Alex Rivers

“Do you fall asleep easily, or does sleep elude you?” For a moment, it strikes me as such a strange question. But I suppose to the dream stalker, sleep is his domain. Taking Meriadec’s advice, I answer honestly. “Lately, I’m awake all the time. I drink herbal teas to help me sleep, but they hardly work. Most of the time, I fall asleep after the sun rises, but it’s a light, dreamless sleep.” “Well, that won’t do at all. I think you have too many responsibilities here. At least when you’re pretending to be my mistress, you’ll be free of them. And free of all your work.” “And you? How do you sleep?” I ask. I actually know a lot of these random details about Talan. I’ve been hearing his thoughts for years. The battles, the sex, the women moaning his name with their fingers threaded into his hair…and the intense loneliness when it’s time to sleep. “I seek company to sleep because I cannot stand to be alone,” he says in a honeyed murmur.”
― Alex Rivers, Vale of Dreams