Page 84 of All Hallows Game

I gritted my teeth as I took a step, slashing my arm through the air to drive the creature back with another stream of magic. It whimpered, lowering its head in a show of submission. I frowned as sympathy bloomed in my chest, a useless emotion when this thing had dragged me away from Cat. But I didn’t like how familiar the look in the creature’s eyes was, or the obvious fact that it answered to Nightmare’s commands instead of acting on its own autonomy.

“Just stay away from my family, and I won’t hurt you,” I muttered, taking a step backwards, readying myself to run.

My heart froze when the animal’s luminous eyes flicked to something behind me. I spun on instinct, magic streaming from me like ribbons of shadow, barely visible in the dark. I wanted to inflict the full power of torment, to make whoever thought they could creep up on me scream as their worst memories crystallised before their eyes.

My magic didn’t hit Nightmare, as I expected, or even another person. Dread made my breaths quicken as the arc of magic slammed into a creature identical to the one behind me, taking it down with a scream that turned from bestial to human.

“What the fuck?” I hissed, my eyes shooting from the first creature to this one and then—shit. More emerged from the darkness, converging on the spit of muddy grass where I stood, their eyes as bright as headlights.

I counted quickly. Twenty three of them. Jesus, where had Nightmare found twenty three of these things? And what were they? Every silhouette was equally massive, but some had horns, others had spikes down their back, and two even had fucking wings.

That question was answered when the creature I’d hit with enough magic to take out a goddess screamed louder, tortured by their most traumatic memories, and I saw it was a man. My heart skipped in a moment of unfettered panic that I’d killed Cat’s brother, but this was a man in his thirties, pale-eyed with bronze skin and long hair.

“Who the hell are you?” I demanded, but that was a dumbass move. My voice only succeeded in startling the other creatures into motion. They leapt through the darkness towards me, visible by their gleaming eyes, so huge they dwarfed me. I was vastly outnumbered and injured.

And surrounded by monsters.

Fuck.

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

DEATH

The library was dark enough that I had to blink a film of magic over my eyes to see as Miz and I made our way quietly through the main room. Solid oak bookshelves rose all the way to the ceiling, neatly packed with leather-bound classics, modern paperbacks, and heavy reference books that could probably double as a weapon.

I itched just under my skin, needing to return to Cat’s side where I belonged, where I could be sure she was safe. But her friend was in danger, and if Nightmare really was mobilising some gruesome plan tonight, I wouldn’t let it involve Honey. Cat had already lost enough. I wouldn’t let her lose Honey, too.

“Okay?” I whispered to Miz, who was silent beside me. I felt the tension radiating from him, and I knew if he hadn’t bound his magic, ripples of misery would be fanning from his fingertips.

I didn’t want to think about what it meant for his magic to be bound, not just for Miz to be unable to defend himself against a magical attack, but binding had only been done successfully twice in the past. Every other time, the god had died. He might seem healthy now, but he could drop dead at any moment. Our existence was inherently tied to the traits we inflicted on the world. Without the power to sow misery to the world, the magic keeping him from true death would wane. Another Misery would be chosen.

“I’m fine,” he replied, his voice low as he scanned the aisles of bookcases around us, tipping his head back to look at the moulded ceiling.

“Still sense Nightmare?”

He locked his body against a flinch and I could have kicked myself. I wrapped my fingers around his wrist, stroking his pulse in apology. “It’s weaker here,” he replied. “The sensation of ice crawling across my skin.”

“That’s good,” I pointed out. “She’s left.”

His mouth pressed into a thin line, his eyebrows a harsh V. “Nothing’s ever good when it comes to that woman.”

“It won’t be like last time,” I said gently, swivelling my head to scan the aisles we passed, the dense smell of old books and fresh ink covering up any trace I might have found of Honey’s scent. I couldn’t even be sure she’d come this way; she might have gone upstairs. But why come here at all? Was she running from something?

“It’s going to be exactly like last time,” Miz answered with a low, twisted laugh. “She’s taunting me; you saw those dolls. Every one of them looked like the Fords, like my family, and I—”

He cut off with an abrupt shake of his head, his voice tight. I stopped us in the middle of a study area and pulled him into my arms for a moment. The bookshelves were shorter here, tables strewn around the space before the high windows at the back of the building, so there were fewer hiding places. I wasn’t worried about Honey hiding, but Nightmare and her disciples could be lurking anywhere.

“You’ve got me now, and Tor, and Cat. We’re not leaving your side.”

“That’s what I’m worried about,” he muttered, but he rested his cheek on my shoulder. “Staying close to me will get you killed.”

I bit my tongue, wanting to say that us staying close would keep him safe, but I knew he already believed he was safe with his power bound. I just didn’t know how he was so sure Nightmare controlled him through his magic; her influence had always been mental, like a slow creep of poison through his mind. As much as I wanted to believe he was beyond her control, I wouldn’t let my guard down. Miz’s conscience wouldn’t survive hurting anyone else. Killing Byron had nearly broken him. We’d nearly lost him. Only Cat calling for us after her therapist’s murder had brought him back, a lifeline in the storm.

I pressed a hard kiss to his temple. All I needed was a few minutes alone with Nightmare and I could rip her apart like I did before. But this time I’d make sure there wasn’t enough left of her to resurrect.

And when I got my hands on whoever brought her back, they were going to wish they were dead.

“Do you have the knife Tor gave you?” I asked, running my fingers through Miz’s long hair.

---