Page 48 of The Nightmare's Kiss

“And what does that mean for us?” I ask. I reach back for the Nightmare, and he squeezes my hand. When I glance sideways, he’s fully formed his humanoid body again and is waiting at my side, his eyes on Dr. Wright.

“That depends on what you want,” she says. “I plan on framing today’s events as a security breach. I will say that the Siren, Minotaur, and Alien were able to escape their cells. That the first was recaptured, the second killed in self-defense, and the latter disappeared into the night. Given his shapeshifting nature, it will likely be impossible to track him down.” She studies the Nightmare. “I could say the same about your subject if you like. Of course, there will be intense scrutiny and suspicion placed on you. I cannot save you from that if I wish to hide my own involvement. You will have to hide the Nightmare carefully. You may wish to flee the country.”

There’s a lump in my throat at the thought. I was prepared to do what I had to do, for the sake of freeing the Nightmare…but she’s right, I doubt I could stay here in Ash Valley with Somnus at my side. Someone would catch onto us eventually. And now that the time has come, I find myself reluctant to abandon my hometown. For all that I’ve complained about it, I’ve come to know a new side of the town since I moved back here. My parents, my friends, my work here… I’d have to abandon it all if I were to flee. “Or?” I prompt, because it seems like more coming.

She smiles. “Or you could stay here. Assist us in changing this place, and helping to rehabilitate the subjects who reside here.” She glances at Somnus and inclines her head slightly. “Both of you, I suspect, would be useful in this endeavor. And both of you, of course, would be treated as valuable employees, not test subjects. Never again.”

29

Chapter Twenty-Nine

I stumble down an endless, twisting hallway, with a Nightmare close behind. No matter how fast I run, or how many corners I turn, he is always just behind me. Closer and closer with every thump of my heart, his claws extending toward me.

Finally, he catches me, one huge hand wrapping around my waist and lifting me off the floor. I only have time for one desperate cry of surprise before he shoves me to the ground. He rips my panties off with one claw and holds me down as he pushes into me from behind. I cry out with mingled pain and pleasure that soon turn entirely to the latter.

Afterward, he carries me back to bed. I nuzzle into his velvety-soft chest, sore and exhausted and thoroughly sated. “My Nightmare,” I murmur.

He grips me tighter. “My dreamer.” He keeps me in his arms as he settles onto the bed, and we both curl up together. His shadowy tendrils flicker over my body, soothing the spots that ache.

“It’s almost morning,” he says.

“What?” It feels impossible, but when I peel my eyes open and look at the window, he’s right. “Ugh,” I grumble. “Can’t we stay here forever?”

I feel him smile against the back of my neck. “Wake, my love. We have work to do.”

I wake up alone, sunlight streaming through the window…and my panties lying in a shredded heap of fabric at the bottom of the bed.

I sigh. “These things are expensive, you know,” I grumble to the empty room.

I stand and stretch, luxuriating in the feeling of freedom that comes with my new studio apartment. My mattress rests on the floor, and most of my stuff is still in boxes. But the view of the desert landscape is gorgeous, I already put up a few horror movie posters, and it’s starting to feel like home.

Smiling, I head to the shower to get ready for the day.

I walk into the Facility on time. Unlike past mornings, the atmosphere in the front lobby is relaxed, and a few of my coworkers are hanging around and chatting amiably. No more secrecy, no more isolation.

“Good morning, Mara,” Ezra calls, as bright-eyed as usual. He peels away from the rest of the group and deposits a brown butter maple latte from Cup o’ Happy into my hand.

“You’re a lifesaver,” I groan, and take a nice long sip that scalds my tongue and fills my belly with warmth and sweetness. His morning coffee runs are a small but certainly enjoyable perk of thenewway things work around here.

“Late night?” he asks, and winks.

I grin back, mime zipping my lips, and approach the others waiting.

Dr. Wright is in the midst of an argument with Belle. She and Ezra were among the few employees that our new director didn’t purge from the facility, on my recommendation.

“It’s eaten all of its other handlers,” Dr. Wright is saying.

“She,” Belle retorts, eyes flashing with an energy I rarely see from her, “has eaten all of themenshe’s been forced to work with, yes. But I’ll be different.”

I slip past them so I won’t disturb their conversation but give Belle a thumbs-up behind Dr. Wright’s back. She smiles at me, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, and then returns to making her case. I suspect she’s going to win in the end.

I carry on past security, which currently sits empty. We had to fire most of the guards, along with the vast majority of the researchers, ostensibly for the disaster of the Minotaur’s escape and murder spree.

I am concerned that one of them may come back to bite us later, but there’s no better way. We can’t know who might notice that the director is acting differently; X-11 is good, but he’s not perfect, and his speech especially is noticeably different. Plus, most of them are too used to the way this placeusedto be, with all of its restrictions and cruelties. Dr. Wright has been slowly filling the empty roles with new faces. She’s been talking about figuring out ways to do more local outreach for security work, too, and maybe sponsoring some young Ash Valleyans’ college degrees in return for a contract to work here for a few years. It’s clear she really has been thinking of this for a long, long time—she has a lot of great ideas, and so far everything is being implemented quickly and efficiently.

Ethan, of course, was fired along with the rest. I wasn’t there to witness the firing itself, but I did see him walking out that day, with his hand bandaged. The moment he saw me, he went pale and hurried away, which felt pretty good. I’m still a little worried that I haven’t seen the last of him yet, but at least he has a strict NDA restraining him from retaliating publicly.

I’m excited to watch this place transform and, hopefully, blossom. If things go well, it will be good for everyone: the employees, the locals, and most of all, the subjects.

Speaking of which… There is one more perk I’m particularly pleased about.

I head to my office to set down my coffee and then knock at the adjoining door. It slides open a moment later, revealing a dark, windowless room.

I step inside without fear, letting my eyes adjust to the lack of light until I find the spot of darkness that’s more solid than the rest. A shadowy figure coalesces in the center of the room.

Good morning, Mara,he signs.

“Good morning, Somnus,” I say, and smile. “Ready to get to work?”

I reach out and take his clawed hand in mine.

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