She halts and slowly turns toward me. Her jaw hangs and her eyes are wide.
I can’t believe you just said that.
Oh, looks like someone finally woke up.
I’ve been up, just giving you privacy.
It’s a big thing to admit, wanting children, especially since we don’t know what’s going to happen. But there’s no way in hell I’m backing down from it.
“You want me to have your babies?”
“Who else would I have do it? We have all this nightmare power. We’ve got to give it to somebody.”
She blinks and repeats, “You want to have babies with me.”
I slide one hand up her cheek, and with the other one, I grab her by the waist and pull her to me until our bodies are touching. “I want so many babies with you that we fill the manor.”
The words hang between us. I'm going to plan for a future. For children. For a life with Chelsea that goes beyond revenge and nightmares.
She pushes up on her tiptoes and kisses me, hard, sweeping her tongue into my mouth. I moan and kiss her back just as deeply.
And when we finally break away, she stares up at me and says, “Let’s go home. Right now, and start making babies.”
Chelsea
Something is wrong the moment I step into the dream. Too quiet.
I feel the familiar hum of Eryx’s presence. He’s always present now that our magic combined. In the dream world I feel him even stronger than I would otherwise. Maybe it’s because I’m not awake and distracted by other things—thoughts, smells, sights.
But here, he’s ever present.
And so is something else.
The landscape before me is a carpet of darkness, and the sky above, scattered with stars that shine like pearls.
But that’s not all—in the distance someone is walking toward me.
You need to run,Nightmare whispers.
I don’t even know who it is.
I know who it is. Run. Or call Eryx.
The figure takes shape—small body, round head of brown hair pulled into a bun.
I gasp.It’s Helena.
Yes, and that’s why you need to leave this place. Now. She’s going to trap you.
This is the dream world, Nightmare. It’s my home now.
Please, Chelsea. Listen to me.
Nightmare’s right. I open my mouth to call Eryx, but I can’t speak. The words won’t come out. I touch my throat, and it feels fine, like it should work.
Helena’s smiling like the cat who ate the canary. “Something wrong, Chelsea?”
I can’t call for him, Nightmare!
