Page 102 of Snatched By the Sandman

Her composure shatters. She turns back to me, tears streaming down her face, a portrait of raw, unfiltered pain. Without hesitation, she throws herself into my arms, clinging to him with a desperation that mirrors my inner turmoil.

I wrap my arms around her, holding her tightly, feeling her sobs wrack her body. Soon, she will return to the world of the living, remembering nothing of this.

For now, I simply hold her.

“I can’t leave. Not after this. I won’t. I won’t fucking leave you,” she sobs, her voice a broken whisper against my chest. “Not any of you. Not ever.”

My heart swells with this unconditional love. I’d sacrifice my heart if it would keep her soul safe and at my side forever.

As Hypnos departs, the hyoid bone clutched in his grasp, the echoes of his departure fade. For my part, the world outside our embrace ceases to exist. All that matters is the woman in my arms, the fierce and fragile soul I love beyond measure.

My mind storms with conflicting emotions—pain, sorrow, and a profound, unyielding love that binds me to Zenya in ways that transcend the realms of dreams and nightmares.

She will forget me. I will remember and love her for eternity, never regenerating into a new entity—no matter how long I may hold the pain.

Through me, she will awaken. Through her, I will sleep for the first time…at peace in the world of my nightmares.

I hold her tighter, my heart silently promising I will never let her go.

“Phanta?”

We all turn at the little voice, foreign in its fragility, followed by a whimper.

“I don’t feel so good,” Ivy moans at the entrance of the throne room, surrounded by her pups who ramble all around her, their ears low, tails between their legs.

“Ivy!” Zenya cries out at the same time that Phantasos rushes to the little girl’s side and catches her, his eyes welling up with tears.

“What-what is happening?” Zenya whispers, her eyes scanning all of us in a moment before settling on Phantasos.

“Shh…shh, now, Ivy,” his voice breaks with his emotion as he brushes the curls from her eyes and leans down to kiss her forehead.

Hecate turns to Zenya, her eyes filled with remorse and pity as she reveals, “Ivy is…dying.”

Chapter 37

“You will fly away and become a lost dream…”

ZENYA

“It’s Not Over” by Secondhand Serenade

“The Other Side” by Ruelle

“The Offering” by Sleep Token

“Ocean Eyes” by Billie Eilish

“No.”

I shake my head furiously and ball my hands into fists. “This is not happening!” I raise my voice, spinning my head toward all of them.

Rage consumes my blood as I deny the sight of Ivy dying while Phantasos rocks her, singing to her and telling her about his next Drag Queen.

“You’re all just fucking standing around. And I won’t let this happen.” Hot tears of righteous wrath burn through my eyes. “I won’t stand by and watch her die in this nightmare in the Realm of Dreams and Magic when that little girl—whenherheart is bigger than all of ours and allherdreams deserve to come true!”

All their postures are defeated. Their eyes lowered with shame and remorse. Fuck, why aren’t they doing anything?

Thanatos takes one step toward Ivy, slowly, so slowly with his shoulders seeming heavier than ever. When he removes his hood this time, there is no skull. My heart seizes at the sight of the most beautiful man I have ever seen. More beautiful than even Nyxion or Morpheus. His skin, dark, umber, and lustrous, long silver hair swept away from his face, eyes bearing more wisdom and peace and dark power to transcend all of time.

---