Chapter 15
Sabrina
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“Let him get struckby lightning, let him get struck by lightning,” I mumble with my fingers crossed. Peeking one eyelid open, I look out the window to clear night skies and sigh.
Reid doesn’t even bother looking up from where he’s stretched out on his stomach across the king-sized bed, reading a book. “If it didn't work the last three days, I’m pretty sure you can hang it up. Time to try something else.”
Abandoning my post beside the window, I flop onto my back beside him in frustration. “It was worth a shot.” Lifting my hands in front of me, I extend my nails into claws and back with barely even a thought. But when I try to manipulate some of the surplus of energy thrumming through my veins to make it dance on my skin like Ash does, nothing happens. “I swear, the Nightmare stuff only works if I'm not actively trying to use it. The more directly I look at it, the farther out of reach it becomes.”
“And therein lies why Ash wants the abilities of the other demons. Manipulatory power only goes so far compared to a fireball to the face, as you’ve so clearly displayed.”
Across the room, Cinjin and Kaige are sitting at the small table cleaning guns and sharpening knives. May not be useful in our current situation, but whatever makes them feel better and more prepared for a situation that doesn’t give a shit if we’re ready or not.
With another drag of the blade across the whetstone, Kaige says, “Maybe we’ll get lucky and the demons will gnaw his face off.”
Cinjin begins reassembling the pieces strewn out in front of him. “Or one of us can sneak up behind him and Sparta kick him straight to Hell before you close the ground up again.”
I thump my head back on the mattress. “In a perfect world. More likely after yesterday’s epic failure that took out a chunk of the woods in a blaze of shame instead of glory, he’s going to start killing everybody I love one by one until I hurry up and magically get over my performance anxiety. Why do villains always think people workbetterunder pressure?”
“Not just villains, bosses do too for some stupid reason,” Hunter adds, walking into the room with Bo and Slade on his heels.
“As I said; villains.” Pushing myself upright, I cross my legs, leaning my elbows on my knees. "Find anything useful?"
By Boden's expression, it's a hard no.
Slade strides over to retrieve his gun back from where Cin's just finished reassembling it. "Computer in his office, but it was laid out so perfectly it was obviously a trap so we didn't bother touching it. There's a safe under the floorboards, but without knowing how long until he comes back, I was leery of getting caught with our hands in the proverbial cookie jar." Tucking his gun away, he glares out the window.
Bo scrubs a palm over his face, absolutely exhausted. Ever since we’ve been brought literally into the demon’s lair, most of them have barely slept more than an occasional five minutes here or there. "In case he's able to trace our calls, I got a hold of our lawyer. Terra will get in contact with Nate at the police station so it looks like it's to do with our previous arrests, thenhecan reach out to Emmy through Maddox. Enough steps in the chain that all have a normal reason for communicating so it's less obvious."
Kaige stabs the tip of his knife into the table for the hundredth time, mutilating Ash's furniture in lieu of his face while our hands are tied. "I’m still going to hold out hope my plan will work and we’ll be able to look back on this ten years from now and laugh.”
“What plan?”
Reid gives up on reading, closing his book. “Subliminal messaging.” Though he rolls his eyes, he can’t hide the amusement, and I might even say a little bit of hope in them. “You said it yourself; a Nightmare’s abilities aren’t something you can typically wield, it’s an indirect, subconscious thing.”
Unabashedly, Kaige grins. “Might not end up working, but since I started whispering ideas into your ear while you’re passed out, you haven’t been talking in your sleep. It’s a win regardless.”
