Oh my God.
I drag a hand down my face. I’m lying in bed listening for sounds of Chelsea breathing, signaling that she’s fallen asleep.
You are so screwed.
Correction—we are,I point out.
Finally you’re accepting what I’ve known since the beginning. Now either jack off or go to sleep. I’m done with you for tonight.
I close my eyes and tell myself to drift off into a pure, dreamless sleep. Tomorrow I’ll work more. Tomorrow I’ll pull the nightmares from the world. But for tonight I just want to rest.
When I finally hear Chelsea’s breathing deepen, I let go and allow myself to be pulled under.
Expecting darkness, my senses sharpen when I find myself in my dream room, lying atop the chaise.
I’ve been pulled into a dream. Not just any dream—my own dream room.
The place where I process nightmares. The place no one should be able to access but me.
A prickle runs down my spine.
Someone's here.
Standing in front of the window is a hooded figure.
Helena.
A pit opens in my stomach, and I sit up quietly, hoping she doesn’t hear me.
Attack now! Do it before she sees you.
Inside me, Nightmare is charged and ready to destroy. I throw my arm out, shooting dark energy toward her.
And that’s when she steps into a pool of moonlight and lifts her hand. My magic dissolves, splashing to the floor like water.
Impossible. No one can block nightmare magic in a dream. Unless?—
"You stole it," I grind out. "When you killed my father. You took some of his power before it transferred to me."
She laughs. "Just enough to protect myself from his successor. Just enough to hide. Just enough to walk into your dreams whenever I please."
I start to rise, but I’m frozen in place, and all I can do is watch in horror as the figure approaches, tsking in reproach.
“You thought you could curse my home and I wouldn’t notice?” she says.
Oh, shit, Eryx. We might be in trouble.
Fury ignites my blood. “You think you can walk into my own dream and scare me?Me?The king of nightmares? This is my domain.”
There’s a pause. “Then why are you paralyzed?”
I hate it when my enemies are right.“And I didn’t curse your home.”
“No, but you tried. That’s enough.” She makes a wide circle around me so all I can hear is their voice. “You’ve been very busy these past years, Eryx. Looking for me. Finally finding me. Plotting your revenge. But my favorite part of everything you’ve done is…get married.”
The hairs on the back of my neck rise to attention.
Oh no,Nightmare whispers.We’ve got to get out of this, Eryx.
