Page 104 of Wicked Little Nightmare

I watched Rose closely, ready to intervene if she showed any sign of distress. But to my surprise, she gave a small nod.

"Okay," she whispered. "I'll try."

As Sarah began to guide Rose through the process, her voice low and soothing, I found myself caught between wariness and hope. Maybe we'd found some allies worth keeping around. Or maybe they were gonna activate some hidden words in Rose and turn her into a psychotic killing machine.

It was a toss-up, so all we could do is sit and wait.

Kyle moved silently; his hulking frame somehow graceful as he positioned himself behind Sarah. His presence radiated a quiet strength, like a goddamn mountain ready to shield her from whatever shit might come her way. I couldn't help but admire the way he operated — all business, no bullshit. He reminded me of a more polished Cam, actually.

Rose's eyes darted between Sarah and Kyle; her body coiled tight like a spring. But as Kyle gave her a subtle nod, I saw something shift in her expression. The fear didn't vanish, but it softened around the edges.

"It's okay, Rose," Sarah murmured, her voice gentle. "Kyle's here to make sure you're safe. We all are."

I snorted internally. Safe? We’d proven ourselves to her, but they hadn’t. Safe, my ass. But I kept my mouth shut, curiosity winning out over my urge to stir shit up.

Rose took a shaky breath, her shoulders dropping a fraction. "I... I don't know where to start," she whispered.

"Just close your eyes," Sarah instructed. "Take a deep breath. We're going to create a safe space in your mind."

I watched, fascinated, as Rose's eyes fluttered shut. Her chest rose and fell, each breath a little steadier than the last.

This is bullshit.No way some new-age crap is gonna fix what those Chimera fuckers did.

But as Sarah's words washed over us, I saw Rose's face change. The lines of tension smoothed out, replaced by something almost... peaceful.

What the hell?I glanced at Cam, but his eyes were fixed on Rose, his expression unreadable.

"Now," Sarah continued, "I want you to picture a place where you feel completely safe. Somewhere no one can hurt you."

Rose's lips parted slightly, and I swear I saw the ghost of a smile. "I'm... I'm in a garden," she whispered. "My grandmother's garden. The roses are blooming."

Something twisted in my chest. She’d had a grandmother. So, she wasn’t… born into it? I'd never had a safe place like that. Never even known what it felt like. I thought I had glimmers of memories involving a mother, but they were vague. Almost as if they weren’t my true memories, but something put inside me. A fake.

"Good," Sarah encouraged. "Now, I want you to remember that this place is always inside you. No matter what happens, you can come back here."

Rose nodded, her body relaxing further as her face softened, her shoulders dropping as she sunk deeper into her garden.

I couldn't tear my eyes away from Sarah. There was something about her that pulled at me. She had this... softness, but not the weak kind. The kind that could wrap around you and keep all the sharp edges at bay. It brought back a wave of memories. The first time Cam and I sat in her office, I was barely six and Cam wasturning eight. Sarah had given us each a fuzzy blanket and some hot chocolate while she talked to someone in the background.

Who was she talking to? Why can’t I see their face?

I snuck a glance at Cam, half-expecting him to read my mind like he always did. But he was watching Kyle, his dark eyes narrowed. Sizing him up. Playing out scenarios, just in case he needed to subdue this mountain of a man.

"So," Cam murmured to Kyle quietly so as not to distract Rose. "You seem to know your way around trauma. Personal experience?"

Kyle's jaw tightened. "You could say that."

I leaned forward. "Oh, do tell. We're all friends here, right?"

Sarah met my gaze, and for a second, I saw a flash of annoyance, but it passed as she went back to talking to Rose in that hypnotic voice of hers.

No one said anything else until Sarah sighed and looked up at me.

"We've been through some shit," she said simply. "Figured out how to survive it. Now we help others do the same. Kyle, I told them what you used to do and how you’ve been decommissioned but still have access to things that could help them. I also let them know about untraining your mind and unlocking it."

Kyle nodded before stepping around and leaning against a wall, watching us with a hard scowl.

I felt a grudging respect blooming in my chest. These two weren't just some do-gooders stumbling into our mess. They had become adaptable.

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