At first, Darque thought he was drowning. He seemed to be floating in the ocean, and little waves were washing over his face so rapidly he could barely catch his breath. He began fighting the sensation, and suddenly awoke in what felt like a cold sweat, only to find himself staring into Bill’s large, dark, eyes. The dog stood next to the bed with his nose resting against Darque, probably preparing to apply some more saliva to his face if he didn’t get up. Darque could make out the sound of Penny laughing in the background, and moved so he could glare at her without having his view blocked by Bill’s head.
“Don’t look at me like that,” she said. “It was his idea. I had nothing to do with it.”
“Except to enjoy my reaction,” he said.
“Well,” she said, “maybe a little.”
He glanced at the cl
