“Well,” Nightmare said, turning for a brief second.
Darkness took a step back as if something magical were about to happen. Storm’s eyelids fluttered, dancing with excitement.
“Nothing,” I said, sighing. “I’m sorry. It’s not like I didn’t try to tell you all that I wasn’t who you were looking for.”
“This doesn’t make any sense,” Storm said, her brows knitting together in a perplexed frown. “She specifically said you were Balance reborn, right?”
I chewed on the inside of my cheek as I twisted the ring around my finger. “I told you all I wasn’t anything special.”
“Not true. The medallion has bound to you. That means something, as it wouldn’t do that to just anyone,” Darkness said, rubbing the back of his neck. “We will go see The Oracle. Perhaps she can now provide further guidance.”
Honor clicked his tongue.
“What?” Darkness asked, raising a brow.
“She mustn’t go out like that,” Honor said, shaking his head.
Storm’s head bounced in agreement. “Darkness can escort her to The Oracle while we stay here and guard the house and artifacts in case those things come back.”
“Yes,” Darkness agreed.
I carefully removed everything, putting it back into the exact box I’d taken the item out of. After everything except for the medallion was put away, Honor locked the chest and slid it out of view.
“Be fast, brother,” Nightmare said, smacking his palm against Darkness’s back.
“Why? Will you worry about me?” Darkness asked, his brow wrinkling. “Like I did when I thought you were sick.”
“Will you ever let that go?” Nightmare asked.
Darkness shook his head. “It will take time.”
“So you’re saying it will happen?” Nightmare asked, grinning as he offered me a quick wink. “After all, if we hadn’t done that, we might not have ever opened Remy’s eyes to who she really is.”
I groaned. “You still believe all that nonsense, huh?”
“Most definitely,” Nightmare said, meeting my gaze. “You just simply need to learn what to do with the artifacts. If only Calista would have told you.”
“Maybe she doesn’t know either,” Storm said, wrapping her arms around her middle.
Darkness stuck out his hand toward me. “Are you ready?”
“Sure,” I said, taking his hand.
We took two steps toward the door before Darkness turned around. “Protect it with your life.”
“You do the same,” Nightmare replied, his eyes flashing at me for a brief moment.
“Always,” Darkness replied as he squeezed my hand.
As he was about to turn, a bone-rattling knock at the door silenced us. My heart thudded with such force that it felt as though it might burst from my chest.
I couldn’t turn away from the door. “Are you expecting someone?”
Chapter
Twenty-Seven
Nightmare tentatively drew the curtain aside, releasing a sharp breath of relief as he lowered his head. “It’s just Ruin.”
“Who is Ruin?” I asked.
“Our sister,” Darkness replied, his tone somber.
“She hardly ever leaves her home,” Storm added, her nose wrinkling as if she’d caught a whiff of a passing skunk.
Darkness clicked his tongue impatiently. “We can’t afford to waste any more time.”
“We can get her up to speed,” Nightmare declared, stepping in front of Darkness to fling open the door. “Welcome.”
“Um,” Ruin said, her high-pitched voice tinged with confusion. “A party, and no one bothered to invite me?”
“It is not a party,” Darkness snapped, rushing past her and pulling me along with him.
Ruin seized my hand and yanked me to the side. “Is this her?”
She scrutinized me, looking up and down several times while I observed her in return. Ruin’s figure was astonishingly slender, her physique a marvel of grace and enchantment. Her features were sharp but also extremely captivating. Her ears were subtly tapered to delicate points, and her cheekbones were sharp and high on her face, giving her an elven-like look.
Ruin was dressed in sequined pants and a silvery cropped shirt that daringly revealed her sunken abdomen. There were at least ten glitzy necklaces twisted around her fragile neck.
