Page 97 of Snatched By the Sandman

Zenya, here and now, gasps in a measure of wonder, dark and sacred, as she looks upon herself who ended up in the hospital. She denied the need for any kits. She clung to the sterile smell of antiseptic filling her senses.

She never wondered what happened to her transgressors. She moved, attacking every mountain possible. Those monsters embedded within her blood until they’d fused with her father. She attacked them with every mountain she climbed and conquered.

Scars remain, invisible and visceral. Present Zenya stands nearby, a silent guardian. She turns to me, her eyes filled with tears.

My heart aches from her sorrow, yet fulfillment from the closure, this shared memory of their survival.

So, you believe you made the world a better place? Nyxion had tested her.

“Zenya’s world, yes,”Beastie had said, the truth evident in every word.“That is what I care about most.”

And so she does.

His little killer.

A monster. Not safe. But good. So utterly good, the wolves accepted the offering she gave them, leaving no trace of the drunken assholes.

I curve my lips into a twisted smirk…because I ensured those wolves came to feast.

Beastie traded the trauma, her fears for her own teeth, claws, and shield—and saved Zenya’s life.

Now Zenya.NewZenya rises, turns away from that hospital bed, and approaches us. That’s when I notice she’s still clutching the blood-stained stone. I beam at her—for she has found the last artifact…

Chapter 35

“You must return your soul to your comatose body.”

ZENYA

“We Go Down Together” by Dove Cameron and Khalid

“What now?” I whisper in the stillness, bordering on the very first precipice where we began.

My heart still thunders in my chest, but it’s warmer and fuller than ever. Until now, I’ve always sworn off love. Maybe this is what it feels like when it’s rising, becoming.

“The next step is up to you,” Hecate informs me with Morpheus and Nyxion on either side of her. “You collected the artifacts and conquered the Trials. Regardless of what you choose, you will expel the Eye of Morpheus and the hyoid bone of Nyxion.”

Morpheus unfurls his wings with a soft smile, his shadows tender and stroking my bare feet. Nyxion remains at his side, his body language stoic.

I gaze down at the three items in my hand, clutching them tighter as I take in the weight of all this. “I don’t suppose I can keep them, can I?”

Hecate shakes her head and cups my shoulder. “No, Zenya. It’s time to return the power. You will retain a small amount until you leave.”

“Leave?” My throat tightens, and I narrow my eyes in defiance.

The Goddess exchanges glances with the daemons and sighs heavily. “Perhaps we should return to the throne room and have supper together. Zenya deserves a final feast. But this time,Iwill be the host.”

Her wisdom quells us all for now, but the thought of leaving shudders my very heart. I pieced the organ back together in this place. I can’t lose this. I can’t lose them. All of them.

Hecate’s castle lair is as impressive as Nyxion’s and Morpheus’s.

By now, I’ve tucked the three objects into the pocket of my dress since I’m still wearing the same gothic white gown.

The entrance hall is majestic but dark and imposing. Eldritch symbols, including the triple moon, decorate the high vaulted ceilings. The arches seem to shimmer in the dim light. Arcane runes seem to form on the iron fixings—fixings that move at random.

I smile at the countless hounds that rush to the entryway at Hecate’s mere presence.

“Puppies!” I practically squeal, certain I’ve found a bit of heaven when several adorable fluff balls scramble around me and knock me to the ground, yipping and licking my face.

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