Page 37 of The Nightmare Queen

“Good.” Her stare is as pained as mine. “Next time, don’t push me for information. Or I might grow to enjoy your fears.” She threatens.

She takes off towards camp. Dread was already pooling in my stomach, like it does every time I think about my time in that room.

I’m going to have to build better mental blocks if she is going to continue sending me into that nightmare. I already killed the man once, I don’t need him coming back to life.

Eveera

The nightmares keep getting worse.

And to add more kindling to the fire, the blood seal allowshimto experience them with me.

Every day I look at him it’s like I am looking at her killer. I suppose it’s a healthy reminder. My eyes apparentlylikelooking at him.

You should remove them and get new ones,I think.

I am consistently having to redirect my thoughts to spend most of their time combing through old memories, pushing on the recesses of my mind in an attempt to get back to when we first noticed the creatures.It was right after they died.The voice in my head supplies. The whispers around court said it was like Obsidian was revolting against the loss of it’s King and Queen. The harsher rumors whispered that maybe Obsidian wasn’t just mourning the loss butrejectingit’s new Queen.

From the start the creatures appearances have had variation among them. The humanoid and the non. How appropriate that the kingdom whose sovereign held such an unsavory Wield was surrounded by the most foul of beasts. The one tonight, however, superseded humanoid.It waspresent - sentientas it locked eyes with Rorin and I. Thank the useless gods for the one mercy that none of the other men noticed. We don’t have the time to diffuse panic.

Once we made camp, I commanded Armond to Void himself to the army again. We needed to warn them of the hot spot. It was easy for the prince and I to ignore what happened and resume what little activities we can while waiting for morning to come. Making me a culprit of avoiding two things tonight as my mind refuses sleep. I’m not the only one wide awake though. Ezra is off to the side of camp, standing guard and doing a poor job of it as he stares into the fire.

“You should go talk to him.”The voice startles me at first.“

Vada?”I ask. She grunts into my mind, confirming. “You’re snooping.”

“I do not care enough to snoop, little demon. I can feel his toxic masculinity all the way here, in Oriya. Deal with it.”As quickly as she came she was gone again from my mind.She’s right, the little voice in my head sings.Fucking annoying conscience. My shoulders sag as I make my way to him, leaning up against his tree. “You’re angry with me.” I say.

He chuffs at the statement. “I am frustrated, there is a difference.”

“Is there, Ezra? With you?” My head lolls to the right. Not close enough to touch his arm but enough that when I look up I see his blonde hair loosely falling from the bun it’s twisted in.

His blue eyes look sideways at me through the rogue strands. “Withme?”

“Yes, with you Ez. You’ve been acting insecure since right before we left.” I state, picking at my fingernails.

He lets out something between a growl and a chuckle, “Insecure.” He repeats.

“Did I stutter?”

He holds his hand up, cutting off any further reply from me. “No, let me speak now. As your Commander, your Head of Guard, as your…whatever I am, I have a role to uphold.” Ohbrother. “But since dickhead princeling showed up, you have completely disrespected that role.” His expression warns me from opening my mouth to argue. “Which means not only have you disrespected the significance of my job but you’ve disrespected me.Humiliatedme. More so than you have before.” His body moves so that he is standing almost chest to chest with me, one arm placed above my head. “Imaginemypanic, when I get word you’re beingcarried, YOU of all people,into your own bedroom byhim.”

His teeth are clenched, the vein in his neck bulging. “You were hurt. You neededMarjoriefor gods sake, twenty fucking minutes before we’re supposed to leave. You’ve enlisted all of us in essentially a suicide mission for the kingdom that murdered your parents - and that fucking blood seal?! You. Are.QUEEN.Eveera. You can always tell Marjorie no. No matter how many times she swats at you because of it.” He breaks eye contact with me, instead choosing to look at the sky. His body is rigid, tense. “He doesn’t even give you the space to Wield out here so that maybe we can travel safely. But that’s not the worst part. No, no, no. The worst part is youallow him to be there.You would never let me do something like that, hell, you don’t even let Mecham go with you and he’s your best fucking friend. Buthim?”His face screws up in disgust. “I know you don’t owe me anything for whatever we are, Eveera. But it’s extra salt in the wound when you won’t even lay by me at night. You choose to be over there. And if it were just Axel, I might understand. But it’s not - it’s Axel plus the princeling and his rat.”

“Mouse.” I correct, drawing an eye roll out of him.

“It’s disgusting. I’m only entertaining this mission for your sake. Because I’m obligated to keep you safe.” He growls the last bit.

“OBLIGATED?!” I snap. “Let’s get one thing straight here,Ez.You are not obligatedto do anything. Last I checkedwedon’t share a blood seal that ties you to this. You don’t want to be here? Go. Home. You don’t want to serve as Head of Guard? Quit. You’re angry with me over the fact that Rorin doesn’t know how to respect personal boundaries. I’m notallowinghim to do anything, I just don’t care enough to put up an argument with him. It’s not like my powers are a secret. They certainly wouldn’t be one after helping the Vellarans.” I spit, pressing my chest up against him. “Find a way to deal with this or go home.” My palms flatten, shoving him off of me.

“That’s right, go storm back to the princeling.” He mumbles.

My fist tightens around cool metal before I have time to think about what I’m doing. “AGH! YOU INSOLENT BASTARD.”Schwoop!The hilt of my dagger shakes by Ezra’s head where it sinks into the bark of the tree I just stood against. I feel my power leaking from my fingertips as I struggle for control. He shakes his head walking away from the tantrum he coaxed.

Axel’s familiar scent fills my nostrils before I feel his hand clasp my shoulder. “Evie? We okay there?” He asks tentatively. I take a deep breath regaining my composure.

“Just…I need to go.” I say storming off into the dark woods. This time no one followed.

When dawn crept up I made my way back to camp. Everyone was just barely waking up when I walked over to the mats. Ezra’s stare burning a hole in me the entire time, but I refuse to look at him. His accusation that I’ve forgotten our roles is laughable. I will neverforget what and who weare. He doesn’t get to put the prince’s annoying and invasive behaviors or Marjorie’s desperation on me.

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