Page 101 of Snatched By the Sandman

Her eyes widen with confusion and hurt. Her body stiffens, and her breath catches in her throat. She looks at me, searching for an explanation, for anything that might make sense of this. Gods, I knew her tears would be the worst torment.

I touch those tears. Her lashes flutter closed as I catch them, silent words of her pain. I lower my skull head to hers, silently begging her to understand.

“Why?” she asks, her voice breaking, and it feels like my heart is being torn apart. In some ways, it is. She held it in her hands. From that moment, I knew it belonged to her.

Morpheus approaches, body language tentative, wings calmly folded behind him. His shadows seek her as always.“Zenya,” he begins, glancing at Hecate, who nods. “Nyxion left the campground that night as you?—”

“Don’t,” she warns.

He sighs heavily, combs a hand through his hair, and says, “Shortly after you ran, Nyxion returned. Hecate and I knew what had happened. We didn’t know what he sacrificed, but he held the power of sleep…and hypnosis. He used it on those fuckers so they would black out. And then, he gave you hypnotic dreams, so you would dream sweeter.”

She locks eyes with me, more tears streaming down her face. I long to take her in my arms, to soothe her pain, but she needs my strength now.

“What does this mean? Will you…?” she trails off, panting, struggling for breath as she suspects the gravity of my action.

When my father clicks his talons again, she stiffens. I close the distance between Zenya and me.Give me a moment, Father. One goddamn moment!

I cup her face in my unworthy hands of bone, in awe of this broken and beautiful woman, who followed me into my fortress. This woman who desired me even when I was a corpse.You broke for me, fell for me, and became with me, Zenya, I tell her as she shudders, eyes fixed on mine.Everything happened in reverse for me. I became with you first…when Morpheus embedded my hyoid bone within you. Then, I fell for you, for your tears, and showed you the night of the Abyss.She whimpers, blinking back more tears.Now, it is time for me to break. For you, Zenya, I will break.

“Does this mean…you won’t—that we can’t—after this, oh, god, Nyxion, please don’t tell me…” She shakes her head in denial.

These will be my last words to you, my little killer. Know this, Zenya Alice Myre. You killed me. You killed every rotted scrap of the God of Nightmares who came before. Because ofyou, I remembered what it was to protect within nightmares like…building a blanket fort. How to grieve. How to fight the nightmares, which can require sacrifice.

“This is not fair,” she cries, raising her fist and bringing it down on my chest again and again, unleashing her hurt and fury and pain. I let her. I let her break my collarbone, my rib cage, break whatever she needs as she breaks down.

I strengthen my grip on her face, tilting her jaw back.Zenya, Zenya!I search her eyes, hold her stare, and lean in to whisper,Not even in the Realms of Dreams is life ever fair. Please do not let this be our last moment, the last words we share.

“I love you.”

The world goes still. Those three words hold more power and magic than the Abyss itself.

I bring my skull down and kiss her as best I may. She wraps her desperate arms around me, kissing me harder and stronger than ever.

In the moment she parts, Zenya blinks, her eyes turning black. Beastie screws her brows low, sighs, and lowers her head in a gesture of respect. “Say it back, Nyxion,” she commands, citing my chosen name for the first time.

Aquamarine eyes find mine.I love you, Zenya. Every beautiful, fragmented shard. Please…surrender my bone.I drop my hands, straightening, steadying myself.

Pursing her lips, she reaches into her white gown’s pocket with trembling hands, pulling out the three artifacts.

“Hecate…” She gasps from her emotions, holding the items up helplessly, not knowing what to do.

Hecate shadows to her, touches her palms and the objects, and fuses the objects into the tool she needs. The sand melts into a molten substance to fuse the stone and bone needle into what she needs to cut the hyoid bone from her collarbone.

Due to the nature of this realm and the magic of Hecate, it requires nothing more than a painless clean slice. As soon as it tumbles into her hand, Hecate heals the skin.

Forever voiceless. The only ones I may speak to will be limited in a mental tether to Morpheus and Phantasos. And my father.

My heart aches with every movement Zenya makes, the bone in her hands—this symbol of my sacrifice, my love, and my silent promise to protect her at any cost.

As she steps forward, offering the bone to Hypnos with trembling hands, I feel the bitter sting of my helplessness.

“Can’t you?—”

“No!” Hypnos snarls. She flinches, as stung as me while he ruffles his feathers, scraping his talons across the floor, his indomitable will overthrowing hers with the laws of the gods.

She surrenders it, hugging herself after. The finality of the act sinks deep into my soul.

Hypnos takes the bone, his expression unreadable, and my gaze never leaves Zenya’s face. I read every flicker of emotion that crosses her features.

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