Chapter 15 #2
Chase straightens, the strange blade disappearing into a sheath. “I’m a Nightmare Hunter. I track down creatures like Vexarin when they slip through the cracks between realms.” He nods toward Whistler. “He’s a Hunter too, and he helps coordinate our protection efforts.”
“Protection efforts,” I repeat slowly.
“In this realm,” Chase says. “And you.”
“Because I’m the Bride.”
Chase nods. “We won’t let him claim you. Keeping you away from him is my first priority.”
“It’s not only you we protect,” Whistler says. “We protect all in this realm from the creatures who’ve crossed over.”
“So this is a common thing?” Tia asks. “Critters like that Vex creature hopping into our world?”
“It is,” Whistler says.
“The barriers between realms have been weakening,” Chase explains.
I glance at Tia, registering that she’d caught the weakening barriers comment too. Just like Vance had said.
“Creatures like Vexarin are searching out the weak spots,” Chase continues. “Then slipping through. Becoming bolder.”
“I thought you were the threat,” I admit to Whistler. “I noticed you watching me the other night and then just now.”
A ghost of a smile crosses Whistler’s sharp features. “An understandable mistake. I wasn’t exactly being subtle.”
“Speaking of subtle,” Chase says, “someone tried to channel magic during the attack.”
Whistler frowns. “I didn’t sense it. Are you certain?”
“Shielded,” Chase says. “But strong.” He turns his attention to Tia, who takes a step backward. “You.”
“What?” I look between Tia and Chase. “Don’t be absurd.”
“That was you,” he says gently. “Wasn’t it?”
I watch, aghast, as Tia’s face goes pale. “I—yes. I wanted to help Cora, but…” She trails off into a shrug. “I knew it probably wouldn’t work.” Her voice is soft, maybe even a little broken. But then she flips on a dime and lashes out, kicking a rock off the path and sending it flying.
“Magic?” I frown, more flummoxed by this than by Vex. I mean, I see monsters every night. But this? “You can actually do magicky magic? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I can’t,” Tia snaps. “I could when I was little. But when I was five, I—well, let’s just say it wasn’t good, and my parents freaked. They put a binding spell on me until I was old enough to have more control.”
“And nineteen isn’t old enough?”
She drags her fingers through her hair. “They lifted it when I was eleven, but then I got angry and lost control, and so they slapped it back on again.”
“They should have taught you,” Chase says, his voice harsh. “Not punished you for what you are.”
She hunches up her shoulders. “Yeah, well, they finally told me pretty much that. They said they’d talked to their mentor and that he suggested sixteen. Past puberty, more mature, able to drive, yada yada.”
“But the car wreck,” I say, my heart twisting.
She nods. “They died two weeks before the date they’d picked for the unbinding ritual.”
“Can’t someone else lift the spell?”
“Not that I can find,” she says. “And believe me, I’ve looked.
My parents were strong. And arrogant. And distrustful.
They were certain I was spending every waking moment trying to break the binding.
So they made sure only they could. They didn’t factor in them being dead.
” She shrugs like it’s no big deal. But clearly it’s a huge freaking deal.
I think about what I’ve been through with my dreams. It’s horrible and terrifying, but as far as I know, I’ve never stopped being me. On the contrary, all this is happening because I am me. But Tia’s parents took away part of who she is, and I hate them a little for that.
“We’ll do research,” I say. “Maybe we’ll think of something you haven’t tried.” I look up at Chase. “There must be a way, right?”
“We’ll look,” he says, but from his tone and Tia’s expression, I can tell they both think it’s a fool’s errand.
“Right now, it doesn’t matter,” she says. “Fixing me would be great, but it’s too much of a long shot to waste time on. Not when freakish creatures like that Vex thing are trying to kill Cora.”
“Not kill her,” Chase says. “Take her.”
“Where?” Tia asks, looking at Chase.
But it’s me who answers.
“The Nightmare King,” I say, my words soft, but whether with fear or desire, I don’t know, and I keep my head down so that Chase can’t see my face. Because although I’m sure he would see genuine fear in my eyes, he might also see curiosity.
Worse, he might see desire.
“Why does he want Cora?” Tia asks.
“That’s a much longer conversation,” Chase says. “And not one we should have out in the open.” He glances around, scanning the shadows. “There could be others.”
That decides it for me. Whatever’s happening, I need answers—real ones, not the cryptic half-truths the Oneiroi offered.
“Okay,” I say, meeting Chase’s gaze. “Where do we go?”
Relief flashes across his face, quickly masked by determination. “My place. It’s warded—protected,” he clarifies. “No one can disturb us there. Not easily, anyway.”
Whistler nods. “The safest option at this point.”
Tia glances at me, silently asking if I trust them enough to go to this strange man’s home—especially a home that must be a fortress if it can keep out the likes of Vex.
But despite everything—the secrecy, the warnings, the frustrating evasions—I do trust him. After all, hasn’t Chase rescued me from the freakish sand monsters time and again? That’s got to be worth something.
“Your place it is,” I tell Chase. “But I want the whole truth. Not some patchwork quilt. Everything you know about what’s happening to me.”
He nods. “Everything I can tell you, I will. I promise.”
I turn to Tia. “And you too. No more secrets about magic or anything else.”
She holds up her hands. “I don’t have any other secrets, I swear. And I didn’t hold that one back from you—honest. I just don’t talk about it because it pisses me off. I mean, I can’t do magic. Done. End of story.”
“Maybe,” Chase says, his brow furrowing as he looks at her. “Or maybe not.”
Tia looks at me, and I see hope flare in her eyes. Mentally, I cross my fingers. As far as I’m concerned, the more friends I have around me, the better. And if they have superpowers? Well, I’m all for that too.
I’m on full alert as we follow Chase and Whistler through the moonlit gardens. Once we reach the street, Whistler moves ahead to scout while Chase stays close to us.
We walk in silence, but my head is full of Vex’s words—The Hunter cannot protect you forever. King Adric will claim what is his.
A shiver trills up my spine as I think about those words and the king’s kiss.
He’s playing games, of course. And my biggest fear is that he’s playing a game that I might want to lose.