Night Pleasures

The water on the lake was like glass. Elina had never been on it, or even on the dock around it. She found it was peaceful and gorgeous.

All of her life she’d been drawn to the night – until she’d gone into that underground city and realized that monsters were lurking in every shadow.

Walking hand in hand with Damonq gave her back a sense of peace and serenity to the night. He kept her tucked in close to him, her fingers threaded through his, and he took her straight to the lake.

She loved the way the moon appeared silver in the dark sky. Stars were scattered overhead as if thrown haphazardly, yet they formed unique patterns. The sounds of insects and frogs added to the beauty of the place.

“I can understand why Tensel chose this place to build,” she said. “He has everything. The lake and the woods, yet he’s close to the city.”

“It’s also easily defensible. Max owns the property to the south, and I told him we’d buy up as much of the property toward his east as possible.”

“You need