Chapter 7
Gabriel had never been more scared in his life than when he woke to Ana, seeming to be in a trance but also screaming and thrashing wildly. Her eyes were open, but she was clearly still asleep.
She hadn’t said his name, but he’d felt her calling him.
When he couldn’t wake her, he did the only thing he could think of and bit her neck.
That sure as hell woke her up.
He dressed quickly as she called her family, but she didn’t get any answers until she reached Sandman, who told her Nightmare had come for her family while they slept. Her aunt and young cousins had been hit hard, but her uncle had nearly died in his sleep from terror.
Sandman put her on the phone with her parents, who were safe but shaken, and Gabriel could relate to that feeling.
“He told me he’d go after the people I cared about if I didn’t join him,” she said. “I caused this.”
“You didn’t,” her dad said. “You’re powerful, and that’s not your fault. It’s Nightmare who is to blame because he’s trying to turn you evil.”
“Dad, what if he’d killed Uncle Gus? Or you or Mom?”
“You turning evil wouldn’t save anyone, honey,” her mom chimed in.
She looked at Gabriel, and he saw her resolve harden.
He was about to tell her not to do anything foolish like put herself in harm’s way, when she said, “I’m coming to you.”
“No,” Sandman said, getting on the phone. “He knows you’re powerful in a way that he can utilize for whatever his and Frost’s end game is. If you leave Northernmost, you’ll put yourself in danger.”
“Your power is different from mine,” she said. “But it’s similar. We should be combining forces instead of leaving me here while you fight a battle he’s trying to drag me into. We should take the battle to him.”
Sandman frowned, but didn’t say anything.
Ana met Gabriel’s gaze and he could see the determination in her eyes. “Not alone, Ana,” he said.
She nodded. “Gabriel should come with me.”
“Your mate can’t fight Nightmare. This will be magic against magic.”
“But he’s my mate and I’m not going anywhere without him.”
Gabriel’s heart swelled.
“As you wish,” Sandman said. “Get to Santa now. I’ll reach out to him.”
The call ended and they stared at each other for a long, quiet moment.
“I thought I wouldn’t be able to get to you,” she said. “Nightmare had me trapped, and I was so scared.”
“I will always come for you,” Gabriel said. “You’re mine.”
“It might get really bad.”
“I’m by your side no matter what.”
“I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you too.”
Gabriel opened the door to Santa’s office and nearly collided with two males.
“Shit, sorry,” Marcus, one of the security team elves, said.
“Sorry, man,” the other male said.
Gabriel recognized him as Seth, though they hadn’t officially met. He’d worry about introductions later. Right now, he had to focus on his mate.
He held the door for Ana and strode in behind her to find Santa at his desk, two dark gold chains dangling from his clasped hands. “I just spoke to Sandman,” Santa said gravely. “I was already working on this because I knew you might need it.”
“What is it?” Gabriel asked.
“These are sigils,” Santa said, handing one chain to Ana and one to Gabriel. A heavy medallion hung from each. They looked old, with a blue gemstone in the center of a complicated mass of golden metal filigree.
“What are they for?” Ana asked. They both put the sigils on, and Gabriel felt a low hum of connection to her through his.
“These sigils are not like armor,” Santa cautioned.
“They can’t keep you from getting hurt. They offer some protection, but their main purpose is to act as a conduit between the two of you.
” He looked at Gabriel. “If her magic falters, hold the medallion and lend her your strength. She’ll feel you. ”
Gabriel reached for Ana and squeezed her hand. “Whatever Nightmare brings, we’ll face it together. Even if I won’t be able to fight him myself, our bond is strong.”
“I agree,” Santa said. “You can also watch her back. I wouldn’t put it past Nightmare or my brother to try anything and everything they can to get Ana to ally herself with their cause. Protect her at all costs.”
“With my life,” Gabriel said.
Santa clapped him on the shoulder. “Pixie is waiting in the subbasement to take you to Sandman. Good luck.”
They nodded and left the office. Gabriel had never been to the subbasement, but Hunter, Pixie’s mate, was waiting at the stairwell to escort them down.
“When you need to come home, just text me,” Hunter said. “Pixie will drop you off and then go on for her shift, but she can open a portal here anytime.”
“Thank you,” Ana said.
They reached the subbasement and the ancient portal only Pixie could activate. She smiled in greeting, asked for Ana’s dream walker guild location, and opened the portal.
When the portal cleared, it revealed a quiet street blanketed in early morning sunlight.
“Be safe, you two,” Pixie said.
“Thanks, take care,” Gabriel said.
Sandman stood on the sidewalk in front of a small cottage, staring at the sky. He lowered his head and nodded to them.
“Have you seen him?” Ana asked as they crossed the yard to him.
“Yes. Gus is awake and in good shape now. Your parents are inside.”
“How did he do it?” she asked quietly. “How did he target me so specifically, and my family and our people here in the guild?”
“He shared his power with several of his followers,” her dad said as he joined them with her mom, both giving her a hug. “I saw them use his power as if it were their own. It was like they were channeling him.”
Her mom shuddered. “They layered dread magic over the whole area, so everything looked normal, and I couldn’t see that he was attacking people in their sleep.
He isolated our family, and he fed so much from your uncle’s fear that he nearly took his life.
Sandman helped us break through the magic, and then we were able to shield our people. ”
“I’m glad you’re all okay,” Ana said.
“What is that?” her mom asked, pointing to Ana’s medallion.
“A sigil from Santa,” she said, touching it with her fingertips. “Gabriel has one too. Santa said it will help.”
“Unfortunately, if Nightmare comes at us again with his dread magic, we’ll be obscured from Gabriel’s view,” her dad said.
“True,” Gabriel said. “But I can still feel her. When she was covered in her slumber magic while she worked, I could sense where she was. I might not be able to see everything, but I’ve got her back – and yours – if Frost shows up with his followers or any of Nightmare’s people try anything tricky. ”
“Good plan,” Sandman said. He lifted his head and looked up at the sky as it started to darken as if the sun was setting and not rising. “He’s coming.”
Gabriel pulled Ana to him and kissed her. “Me and my wolf have your back, sweetheart. I swear.”
“Keep yourself safe, okay? I just got you, I don’t want to lose you.”
“I’m not going anywhere. You keep yourself safe too.”
“I’m scared,” she whispered, looking up at the darkening sky and then back at him. “But that’s what he wants. So I’m going to be afraid, but I won’t let it control me. I’ll let it fuel me.”
“Fear as fuel?”
She nodded. “Because I don’t want to live in fear forever. I want to fight back with all the love I have for you and my family in my heart. He’s not allowed to mess with us anymore.”
His wolf let out a howl of agreement.
Giving her another swift kiss, he nodded. “Go get him, sweetheart.”
Then he extended his claws and fangs and lifted his head to the sky as the dream walkers wrapped their magic around themselves and disappeared. The air turned cold as purple and black plumes of magic swirled in the sky overhead.
“Come on, you fucker!” Gabriel yelled. “Tuck your tail between your legs and run, Nightmare. You won’t get my mate or her family today or any other day.”
Brandishing his claws, he tensed, his ears attuned for danger, his wolf ready for whatever might come.
Hell or high water, he was going to keep Ana safe.