Chapter 9 #3
Well, that sounded…dangerous. It was also only the very top page, followed by a thick file that I had to assume included far more detailed information. I didn’t understand why he was just telling me about this class level now—why not while I was growing up?
“Because there are so few that actually exist under that category,” Amun explained from the doorway, and I snapped my head up.
His eyes were dark as he took the papers from my hand.
“It’s odd to see nightmares classified. I am assuming that this occurred at the institute and ended up transferring into the culture? ”
“Yes… How did you guys classify nightmares back then?”
“We didn’t. There was no reason to because all it would take is a fight to determine dominance level and who was more powerful.”
I nodded slowly and looked back down at the file folders underneath this one, promising myself that I would read through the Class 0 information when I had more free time.
While shifting through a few more, Amun sitting next to me and filling the space with his amazing body heat, I came across some more recent articles that my dad had paper-clipped to the file about nightmare types.
Now, I was aware there were many types I wasn’t familiar with, as well as subsets, but the main ones that seemed to pop up were legend terrors, night terrors, and creature terrors. God terrors and apocalyptic terrors were far more rare but still known.
The attached file had me realizing that my father believed there was a new type.
Neo Terror
“New terror?” Amun asked quietly. So…not a type as much as a group he was currently still sorting through.
I scanned through the article and frowned, realizing it was about a series of technological mishaps throughout the same circuit grid for a big corporation.
Interesting. Before I could answer, the RV went over a bump and the space turned dark as I realized we had just driven into an underground garage.
“We’re here!” Damian called out.
I organized the satchel and put it in the cabinet under the bed, then grabbed the small backpack I planned to bring with me and met my team in the main part of the cabin. Amun’s hand pressed to my lower back gently, guiding me from the room and making me want to lean back more into his touch.
“How do we know this is where he’ll be?” I asked. “It’s the middle of the day, and it’s a nightclub.”
“He lives here, he’ll be here,” Saint grunted. Man, he was not excited about this.
I leaned towards the dash and armed the security system as we all got out of the RV, and instantly I felt a bit swarmed by the men around me. I normally noticed how tall they were, but there was something about being outside of the institute that made them seem just that much larger.
I liked it. Way too much.
The garage was empty and silent as we traveled to an elevator bank.
The dark doors opened immediately, and when we all squeezed into the space, I felt a bit of nervousness fill my chest. Not at what we would face, but at all the ways that this could go wrong.
I didn’t want anyone to get hurt, even the other nightmares.
“If there is any danger at all, we are leaving,” Razar declared.
I actually was surprised he hadn’t tried to keep me in the RV to begin with, but I also knew things were a bit odd between us.
I didn’t like it at all, but I also knew that it was important to be honest with him so he could be honest with himself.
I just hoped our conversation had made some type of impact on him.
“If there is something wrong, we all leave,” I replied before turning to face all of them. “Also, no fighting, guys. Looking at you, Saint and Amun.”
“Well, as long as no one offends me,” Saint drew out.
“You are so fucking petty it’s impossible not to.” Zain chuckled as Saint smirked, not denying it. Yeah, I had a feeling the ‘offend’ rule only applied to some people.
Honestly, I loved so much about Saint, especially how lighthearted he could be…
but I think if he suddenly went super serious, I would be more than a bit freaked out.
It would either be because something really bad was going on, or…
No, it was pretty much just that. I hoped we were never in that situation.
The elevator doors opened to a gorgeous foyer. In the distance you could hear music blasting that didn’t match the timeless elegance of the space we were walking through. Was Eros part of a hotel?
I looked around and didn’t notice any check-in counter, or even anyone besides us. Just gorgeous marble covering every surface, lit by diamond chandeliers and accented with velvet seating sporadically spread throughout.
“Where do we go?” I asked curiously.
Saint walked a couple of steps ahead, pausing and seeming to evaluate something, before smirking and motioning towards a group of velvet couches. “Nowhere. He knows we are here. We aren’t going into that damn place.”
“We need help from him,” I pointed out.
“We don’t need it. We would like it, but the pompous asshole is not needed.”
A chuckle filled the foyer, and I was immediately wrapped up in Razar’s grip, Zain standing nearby as the rest of the team surrounded us.
Saint looked casual, but I could feel through our bond that he was more than annoyed.
He turned around slowly, drawing my eye to someone walking down the steps. My eyes widened because… Wow. Just wow.
Assuming that this was Love, I was starting to understand what people loved about him. Hint—it wasn’t his personality.
I swallowed, feeling an uncomfortable chill of desire that didn’t match my gut reaction to the terror. I had a feeling it was his magic affecting me, and I tried to counter it with my instant dislike.
I never disliked nightmares off the bat, but this man was an exception. I wasn’t positive what it was about him that I didn’t like—he had done nothing but walk towards us—but being around him left me with an uncomfortable feeling that churned my stomach.
He was, of course, beautiful, currently dressed in tailored dress pants and velvet dress shoes in a dark red that matched his open blazer.
His olive skin was covered in tattoos that were as stark as his dark hair that laid in a braid down his back.
His face was almost feminine it was so pretty, but still masculine enough that I could call him handsome.
His red eyes moved to Saint and then towards me, lighting up with interest that had all of my boys tensing.
This had the potential to be bad.
“Saint, I had no idea you were coming by.” Love smirked. “It’s been a century or two.”
“More than that, luckily,” Saint responded, bored. “I see you are still basking in this superficial bullshit that you consider love.”
“It is love,” he purred, stepping closer.
“Just because it isn’t the heart-wrenching, angst-filled love that I can feel radiating off of all of you—which is delicious, for the record—doesn’t mean it’s not love.
Worshipping me is still very much love. Something you wouldn’t understand because Death is hated by all. ”
“Not all,” I corrected.
Love’s head whipped around towards me, and he stepped closer. Saint moved in front of me, causing the man to chuckle.
“I would just like to talk to the human you have marked up, nothing more. We are practically family, Saint. Surely you don’t mind us talking,” he mused.
“I do,” Razar snarled. “Keep the fuck back.”
Love inhaled sharply and tilted his head. “All of this love, this obsession, over this tiny human? Fascinating. I can’t imagine you would have brought her here if it wasn’t necessary. I mean, she is essentially prey.”
“Hardly.” I felt a little growl bubble up, offended that he would call me that. I didn’t mind if my boys hunted me down, but the idea of this guy doing it made me all types of uncomfortable.
In a blink, Love was in front of me, looming over me with a menacing expression on his face.
I arched a brow. Was that really supposed to scare me? I mean, he was better off using his ‘love’ magic or whatever, because super speed and trying to intimidate me with his height did absolutely nothing.
“Why are you here then?” the man asked, looking annoyed with my lack of a reaction.
“When was the last time you saw Hate?”
Love’s face blanked as he shrugged. “No idea. My brother doesn’t keep me informed of his whereabouts, hateful bastard.” Fairly on the nose insult, but okay.
“I don’t believe you.”
He sneered at me. “I don’t give a shit. It’s the truth.”
“Talk to her like that again and I will rip out your throat.” I jolted, realizing those words had come out of Cy. The man watched Love impassively, but I could see the surprise on everyone’s faces.
Love eyed Cy before smirking. “Now that is something new. Very rarely do I feel that type of devotion unless it’s to a substance or held by some type of fanatic.”
I very much wanted to know what he was talking about, but I also didn’t want to encourage him.
“What do you know about Hate?” I asked again.
His eyes dimmed with boredom as he looked at me. “Are you trying to find him?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“We believe Chaos has possibly recruited Hate and War to bring the humans against nightmares as a whole,” I explained evenly. “We need to know if that’s true, as well as ask for your help controlling Chaos if necessary.”
“If you say no to her, I will level this place,” Saint mused, looking in love with that idea.
Love looked frustrated as he seemed to attempt to gauge the truthfulness of Saint’s words. I believed them fully. I had zero doubt he would do it.
Finally, he looked back at me. “In six hours, meet me on the penthouse floor of this building for dinner and I will tell you what I know, but I won’t guarantee to help. Now, if you will excuse me, I have an orgy to watch.”
I scrunched up my nose as he disappeared, leaving me with my men. I let out a sigh, turning back towards my nightmares, as the pressure from his presence was relieved.
“Well, what do we do now?”
Zain smiled brightly, breaking the tension. “I have an idea.”