You steered me into marriage,I say quietly.
I got you to marry the one person who could challenge you. You’re welcome. Now. Want to hear my idea?
It can’t be worse than being coerced into marriage.Yes, tell me.
It exhales, and I feel its presence expanding inside me.Don’t kill the messenger, but you could combine your power with Chelsea’s and fight her.
No. Out of the question. I won’t drag my wife into this.
But she’s already been dragged, whether you like it or not. You’re too weak to fight the sorceress alone. Let her help.
No. And don’t ever bring this up again.
Eryx—
No! Not again, Nightmare.It’s one thing to be attacked, it’s another to willingly step into a fight, and I won’t do that to Chelsea.
I think you should let her decide that.
I’m about to tell Nightmare where it can shove its idea, when Chelsea’s eyes flutter.
She’s ready!
I’m at her side in an instant. Chelsea sucks in a breath as her lids slowly open. She sees me and takes a step back, like she’s adjusting to the room, the lighting—me.
I reach for her, searching her face, her eyes, every piece of her that I can see. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” She touches her head. “Yeah, I am.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.” Chelsea huffs out a breath and slowly smiles. “It takes some getting used to, having this other being present. But I’m okay. Nightmare showed me how to use him. Now… teach me what you do.”
I check her again, search her face, making sure she’s really okay.
She’s fine,Nightmare murmurs.
She is. I take her hand and gently guide her toward the wall.
I wave my palm over the bricks, and my magic washes across it, creating an inky black cloud. Images slowly surface—nightmares, creatures, dark hallways—everything you could imagine, but more.
Chelsea stiffens. “This is it?”
“This is it. I skim these images and tame the worst ones. Only the worst.”
“How do you tame them?”
“I take them into me.”
Her eyelids flare as if she sees me for the first time. “So you really do eat their nightmares.”
It’s not a question. It’s a firm realization. “You can still say no,” I remind her.
“I won’t.” Her hands curl into fists. “I said I would help you and I will. Show me.”
I study her again, just to give her one more out. She taps her foot impatiently.
Point taken. “We’ll do this one together. I’ll coax you, show you how to use Nightmare’s power to pull it all back into you. You’ll forget the images. They won’t haunt you. But…”
