19. How to annex someone's bed.

“You know, Grant, as a matter of principle, I'm not going to sleep in the same bed with you.”

“Don't worry, I'm not attracted to you at all.”

“Still. I can't sleep with another person on the same plane. I just won't be able to sleep.”

I was telling the truth, I'd been having trouble sleeping since I was a kid, and it was rare for me to fall asleep in the same place twice in a row. Not to mention the strange creatures breathing next to my ear. I felt a shiver of disgust run through my body at the image in my head.

The Circul gave me a cheerful look, smiled, and very hospitably said, “Alright, you'll sleep on the floor.”

“Why me?”

“This is my bed,” the guy said, patting the bedspread affectionately, its tassels playing with the pile of the carpet.

A killer argument. I had nothing to say. If a stranger came to my house and asked to sleep on my bed, I would throw him out of the window onto the briar bushes in the garden.

“Fine.”

The president's son was surprised at my quick surrender, but I really decided to forget about comfort and cosiness. I was going to die anyway, and now I didn't need any pleasure from life. With iron determination I pulled a blanket from the wardrobe, snatched a second pillow from the bed and lay down on the carpet, covering my head.

But politeness took its toll, and like an obedient girl, I bade my enemy goodnight, “Sweet dreams.”

Grant stood around for a few more heartbeats, then turned off the light and climbed onto the bed. It was dark and quiet.

After a minute I realized that it was too hard to sleep on the floor, my shoulder blades were aching so I tried turning on my side but it only got worse, my right hip was now uncomfortable.

“Are you sleeping?”

Only after about twenty seconds did he deign to reply, “Yes.”

Satisfied that I'd had a chance to annoy this nasty guy, I put my hands under my head, sighed, and said in a philosophical tone that only comes out at night or after three shots of hard liquor, “Grant, do you think we'll ever get Virtul back?”

“We?”

“Well, the people who want to play it.”

I even pulled away from the pillow to look into his eyes, but Circul Junior turned his back to me.

“Let's sleep,” he said muffled after a while.

Clenched my eyes shut to keep the tears from filling my lids. I'd spent half the night chasing away any thoughts of the game, but the memories of Virtul kept my mind busy, preventing me from falling into the void.

But tiredness had taken its toll, and I drifted off to sleep, but the fragile dream was cut short when I rolled over onto my other side. I shuddered and reality came flooding back. A shiver ran down my bare feet, across my stomach and up my back.

I was desperate to sleep, but my body was aching from the hardness of the floor, so I decided to defy my principles and move to a warmer, softer place. I walked silently around the bed, climbed quietly onto the sheet on the other side of Grant, tugged at the edge of the blanket and sighed with pleasure.

Who knew the guy would wake up immediately.

“Get out of here.”

“I'm freezing to death!”

“I don't care. You agreed to sleep on the floor. So shoo. I'm uncomfortable.”

He was already reaching for my hand to throw me back down to the unfriendly floor.

“Ouch, what are you doing?!” Grant pulled his forearm up to his chest, cradling it after my bite.

“Keep your paws off me, you bloody bed emperor. Where does it say it's yours? Let me sleep on a decent mattress for once in my life! My body hurts and I'm cold.” I kicked Circul Jr in the stomach, sending him to the carpet ticks, freezing goosebumps, and soon-to-be dust sneezes.

“You...” his face showed at the level of the sheet.

Without a moment's hesitation, I threw the bedspread and pillow over him. “Be thankful I warmed up that spot on the floor for you. It's warmer now.”

And while he floundered in the streams of fabric, I crawled to the other side of the bed, buried my head under the covers and squirmed, as I used to do as a child when I was very scared or bad or wanted to disappear.

But there was no revenge, for Grant seemed dumbfounded by my insolence and probably sat there all night staring at the outline of my back in utter amazement. At least I hoped it was him, and that his eyes were filled with shock and not with the devil's petals of fire preparing for retribution.

Nevertheless, I woke up the next morning embraced by Circul's arms.

I should have been outraged, but his warm palm pressed the fabric of my T-shirt against my stomach in warning, and a low voice whispered, echoing its master's magic, “Calm down. Sleep.”