“You know what this means?”
A twinkle of delight fills her eyes. “We can devour nightmares together.”
She says it like it's the most natural thing in the world. Like being bonded to darkness and nightmares is a gift, not a curse.
Maybe it is. Maybe Nightmare was right all along.
And for the life of me, I laugh, and then I stand up and kiss her into oblivion.
Chelsea
“Let’s try again,” Eryx says.
My knees give out, and I slump onto the floor in his dream room. My hand shakes as I lift it. “We’ve tried ten times, and we’ve failed all ten. I can’t even stand, Eryx. I need a break.”
“I’ll hold you.”
“No.” I sigh and drop onto my back, looking like a starfish. “I can’t do it again.”
“We’ve got to find a way to stay together and make the magic work.”
“I need a break.”
He appears in my field of vision. “Helena could attack at any moment, and we’re not ready.” His jaw tightens. "She's tried twice.”
“And if we can't combine our magic?—"
"We're vulnerable. Separately we're targets. Together…" He trails off.
“Together we might stand a chance.”
He pinches the bridge of his nose. “I hate how hard this is, but I can’t do it alone, and neither can you—thanks to a certain nightmare who will remain nameless.”
He just said my name.
“Nightmare said?—”
He flicks his hand. “I know what it said. It said the same thing to me.”
No, I didn’t.
Eryx drops to his knees. “I know this is hard?—”
“This isn’t hard.” My voice rises an octave. “It’s torture! Every time we try to work together, the magic snaps back. I’m tired of being hit by it.”
“Do you think I like it?”
“You’re not the one who gets smacked.”
“I don’t like seeing you get hurt, but I’ve been in control of this power for a long time. That’s why I’m not getting hit by it.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better.”
He smirks. “Does it make you feel better when I say you’re holding back?”
Now he’s asking for it,Nightmare murmurs.
I sit up and yell, “I’m trying as hard as I can. I can’t try any harder. If I do, I’ll explode.”
