Page 109 of Snatched By the Sandman

A cold thrill races up my spine, and I launch into a run.

The crystalline branches reach out like skeletal fingers, tearing at my hair and clawing at my coat as I go deeper until the moon is but thin, splintered light cutting through the canopy. Fur needles shimmer with frost, magically catching the light—as if the woods are alive. My fur coat flutters behind me.

Another laugh, deeper, closer, with a nightmarish edge signals that Nyxion is closer. I run, heart ricocheting, breath panting as I sense my pursuers getting closer, herding me like prey. All my extra layers seem to weigh me down, and I want to take them off. Sweat trickles down the back of my neck.

Keep going, Zenya,Eclipse urges me.I know the perfect place for you.

I don’t ask Eclipse how she can know these woods when I’ve never been here, but I’ve learned not to second guess my guardian angel.

Mist swirls around my feet, moving like spirits whispering in soprano tones. The ethereal voices seem to follow me, lured by the humanity of my soul as Nyxion had said.

The whispers grow louder, the mist thicker. It feels like the woods are leading me somewhere, calling to me. Silvered branches seem to part, creating a path that winds and twists, always just out of reach of my pursuers.

I stumble, catching myself against a tree, the bark cold beneath my fingertips. Ragged gasps escape my lungs, burning on their way out.

I sense Nyxion’s presence on my right, the rattling of bones with a silhouette in my left peripheral vision—Morpheus with his shadows. They are closing in. Determination grips my heart, tightening my spine.

Through the gap in the trees just ahead of you, fall down, then slide!

I don’t hesitate. I sprint forward, my white fur coat billowing behind me until I plunge through the opening of the trees. Without a second thought, I throw myself down, letting gravity take hold.

An icy slope catches me, and I slide, thrilled by the cold wind tearing through my hair. The smooth, glassy surface sends me speeding down the high hill as I shout and laugh the whole way.

The hill seems endless, a pure sheet of ice glistening under the moonlight. My laughter echoes through the night as I slide faster and faster, the adrenaline surging through my veins and heating my blood.

Finally, the slope levels out, and I gasp at the breathtaking sight before me. The wintry trees form a cathedral-like canopy above me, their branches interwoven as if in prayer. Frost flowers and soft, snow-like moss blankets the ground, creating a serene, magical carpet beneath me.

To my right, a frozen waterfall cascades into a small, icy pool, its surface shimmering like glass. The entire grove glows with an ethereal light, leaving me awestruck.

I pause, lying here to catch my breath, my heart still thumping in my ears. The grove is like a sanctuary, a hidden gem in the enchanted woods, and a deep sense of wonder and enchantment washes over me.

Suddenly, I feel a shift. The mist thickens, twisting through the grove, almost tangible now, and the whispers chant a haunting melody that seems to seep into my very bones. Fairy lights flicker in the air, the frost-flowers glow with a transcendent light.

A dark silhouette moves through the trees at an alarming rate, targeting me head-on. Black diamond eyes lock onto mine with a predatory intensity.

Breath quaking, I get up and start to run but crash right into the arms of a dark shadow—one who swallows the light around him and surrounds me with a haven of lustrous, black feathers.

“Caught you, little wonder,” Morpheus purrs in my ear, his body like a cage I won’t escape.

His face manifests from the shadows. Liquid heat fills me as I take in his beauty, the bronze skin of his muscular chest, the column of his neck, corded with muscle. And those wild dark curls falling down his cheeks and curling beneath his ears. His chiseled jaw nuzzles my cheek, the barest hint of stubble brushing.

I breathe in his scent. Lavender and ancient incense, nocturnal flowers, and warm amber.

For once, Morpheus does not seem playful or mischievous. He still bears the aura of confidence and charisma, but there is more power tonight. More possession and control.

His gaze hardens, dominance staking a claim to my soul. “You’re ours now,” he says, his voice a dark, velvet caress that shivers down my spine.

The pull of his shadow power is undeniable. Their allure and magnetism is irresistible.

Morpheus unfurls his wings, permitting Nyxion to close in on me from behind. “Well played, brother,” Nyxion says.

Did Nyxion pay Morpheus a genuine compliment? For the first time?

The hands of the God of Dreams strengthen around my waist. “I have won the first marking rights.”

I part my lips and widen my eyes. “The what?”

Chapter 40

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