Darkness was significantly bigger than I was, so I wasn’t sure how much help I could provide. Still, I couldn’t leave him alone when he had managed to ask for assistance.
“Where is your room?” I asked, biting my lip as I attempted to support as much of his weight as I could.
“Down the hall,” Darkness said, taking in a breath. He exhaled slowly, reluctantly relying on me more to keep him upright. “Then up the stairs, and first door on the right.”
Darkness controlled his breathing as we made our way down the short corridor. The path was illuminated by feeble candles that flickered as they worked to light the obsidian void. Each step we took on the unforgiving stone floor echoed around us.
The air was heavy with an enchanting blend of lavender and vanilla. We climbed the stairs, taking each step one by one as the candle lights flickered their ethereal flames.
At the bedroom’s entrance, I pushed open an ebony door with an ornate silver handle, revealing an alluring sanctuary. The room was draped in rich, velvety curtains of deep purple, a sleek contrast to the black lacquered furniture that adorned the massive space. An opulent canopied bed was in the middle of the room, shrouded in layers of satin and embellished with plush, amethyst-hued pillows. On each wall, there hung beautiful paintings in decorative silver frames.
“Wow,” I whispered. “Your room is beautiful. Why is it so empty downstairs?”
“This is where I spend my time when I’m home,” Darkness said, grunting as he sat on the edge of the bed.
“I can see why. Can I get you anything?” I asked, watching him as he slid further onto the bed, laying his head back on the pillow.
His eyes closed as if he had very little control over them. “Just rest.”
“Okay,” I said, shifting my weight as I stared at him.
I pressed my hand against his shoulder, feeling the gentle rise and fall of his body with each slow breath. Yet, relentless worry gnawed at my heart.
He was weak because of me.
If he would have had the medallion, he wouldn’t have been taken and tortured. I was the one that had to do something to make things better for him.
The medallion needed to be around his wrist because it would help him get stronger. Again, I desperately tried to remove it, but I could feel the band tighten around my wrist.
“Dammit,” I muttered.
My eyes remained locked on his every movement, as though my gaze alone could shield him from anything and everything that might cause him trouble. The dim light bathed his sculpted, masculine features in an otherworldly radiance. At that moment, my world revolved around him, each of my thoughts ensnared within an inescapable web of worry that only I could unravel.
And I knew exactly where to start. He didn’t want it, but I knew what I needed to do.
I lay down on the bed and closed my eyes. It felt as though it had taken forever, but eventually, sleep found me.
My eyes shifted around the dark city, searching for him. “Nightmare?” I called, even though I wasn’t sure if my lips had moved.
“What?” Nightmare growled, stepping into view.
I looked into his eyes. “I need to go back home.”
Chapter
Fourteen
Nightmare’s eyes narrowed. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“I can’t get the damn thing off my wrist to give it to him,” I said, my brow wrinkling. “It’s the only way I can help him. Please let me do this for him.”
“He’s going to kill me for letting you go,” Nightmare said, running his hands through his hair.
“Do you have a better idea?” I asked.
Nightmare shook his head. “Just… just be safe and smart. And definitely don’t get caught.”
“I won’t.”
“Those Light Beings can be dangerous if they think they’re protecting good,” Nightmare said.
I nodded. “I’ve seen them in action.” My eyes narrowed. “Did The Oracle tell you anything else about where the artifact might be kept? Noah has a very large house.”
“No, sorry,” Nightmare said with a sigh. “If you need to come back here, just close your eyes and find me. I can get you back in a heartbeat, okay?”
“Okay,” I said.
“Don’t do anything stupid.” Nightmare smirked.
I let out a sharp breath. “I’ll try not to.”
Nightmare sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Okay. Good luck.”
“Thanks,” I said.
With my next blink, I woke up in my bed at Noah’s house.
The bed enveloped me in an embrace of unparalleled softness, and the blankets cocooned me in a warmth that felt like an affectionate hug from my Aunt Joyce. It was a comfort, unlike anything I’d experienced in a long time, momentarily blurring the lines between dreams and reality.
