"The council stripped her of everything. Her title, her property, her standing." He pauses. "She's powerless, Chelsea. Completely."
I think about that. "Good," I say quietly.
Agreed, Nightmare adds.Though personally I would've voted for more creative punishment. Like making her eat her own cooking.
That startles a laugh out of me. Eryx's lips quirk.
"She'll live out her days in prison cell," he continues. "Under watch. She won't hurt anyone again."
I roll onto my side to face him. "Do you feel closure?"
He considers that. "Not closure. But peace, maybe. She can't take anything else from me. From us."
He presses his lips to my ear.
"What about you?" he asks. "How do you feel about it?"
I think about the fear, the anger, the broken bond. "I feel like we won."
Eryx pulls me closer until my head is tucked under his chin. I breathe him in—soap and leather and home.
"I've been thinking," he murmurs into my hair.
"Dangerous," I tease.
Extremely,Nightmare agrees.
"About the future," Eryx continues, ignoring us both. "About what we want."
My heart kicks up. "Okay."
"We're filtering nightmares perfectly. The district is stable."
I pull back to look at him. "Your point?"
His ice-blue eyes search mine. "What do you want, Chelsea? Not what your family wants. Not what the district needs. But you.”
The question lands soft but heavy.
I think about it. Really think.
"I want this," I say slowly. "Being your partner in it.” I pause. "But I also want babies. Someday. Not right now, but…someday."
Oh good,Nightmare says.Tiny humans to terrorize. I'm in.
Eryx's expression softens. "When we're ready."
"What about you?" I ask. "What do you want?"
He's quiet for a moment. When he speaks, his voice is rough with emotion. "I just want to wake up next to you every morning. Everything else is negotiable."
My throat tightens. "That's it? That's all you want?"
"That's everything, Chelsea."
I kiss him then, soft and slow. Eryx's hand slides up my side, his touch leaving trails of heat.
"Nightmare," he murmurs, his lips brushing my jaw. "Give us privacy."
