Page 10 of Lady of the Nightmares

I floated in the water, unable to move, for what felt like a very long time, and finally, slowly,slowly, the agony started to subside. The burning sensation turned into a dull ache that dissipated with every breath.

I inhaled deeply and raised my arm for one stroke, propelling myself toward the shore. A second stroke, then another. It certainly wasn’t the worst pain I’d endured in the last year—it wasn’t even the worst pain I’d endured while living in Elsewhere. No, that honor might belong to the long months I’d sat hungry and cold in the dungeon beneath the castle, courtesy of Prince Scion himself. There was a reason they called him the “Royal Executioner” and the “Prince of Pain,” and it wasn’t only because of his magic.

I fixed my gaze on a point on the shore and swam slowly on, pushing my way through the frigid waters, considering my options.

Distantly, I knew that as soon as I got out of the water, I’d need to find a way to dry off, or the cold would kill me faster than anything else. During the first hunt, the cold and the rain had been a far greater obstacle than any of the Fae, something that Prince Bael hadn’t thought of when trying to protect me.

My chest constricted slightly at the thought of the prince, and I immediately shook myself, sucking in a sharp breath. That was not something I needed to think about right now. Possibly not something I needed to think aboutever. Clearly, he was not thinking about me.

I supposed the word “mate” didn’t mean all that much to him, or he would be here right now protecting me, regardless of our argument.

The shore grew closer, and I swam faster. Great mounds of seaweed or some sort of reeds floated on the surface of the water ahead, and I winced, realizing I’d be not only freezing but filthy when I finally emerged from the water.

I was so focused on the task at hand that I almost didn’t notice when my foot touched something slimy just beneath the surface. Then, my fingers brushed the same slippery surface, and I recoiled in shock, my heart leaping into my throat. Fear shot up my spine before I whipped around again.Nothing there.

I squeezed my eyes shut. It was probably just a fish, and I needed to calm down and focus on getting to the edge of this lake before I could worry about the strange things that lurked beneath its surface. But it wasn’t easy—the icy-cold water had sapped away most of my strength by now, and the few remaining strokes seemed never-ending.

Opening my eyes again, I blinked several times.What…

My vision blurred as every muscle in my body tensed with fear as I realized what lay ahead of me—not seaweed or reeds, but something far more sinister. My stomach churned, and my eyes widened at the sight of the decaying corpse, facedown in the murky quarry.

I opened my mouth in a silent scream, and I splashed, flailing as far away from the motionless bodies as physically possible. My hands brushed into other bodies, hair, floating limbs. My stomach roiled, and I retched, panic rising in my chest. My heart raced, and my legs pumped beneath me, propelling me forward at breakneck speed while my mind begged me to go faster.

Something splashed in the water behind me, and my heartbeat swelled in my ears.

Most monsters didn’t hunt this way—leaving meat, uneaten and abandoned. Most creatures killed for food and would consume entire bodies before moving on to their next target. This looked like the battlefield after some war, which could only mean two things: either this monster was sentient and an intentional obstacle in the hunts, picking off players one by one, or it was playing with its food. I was betting on the latter.

A louder splash crashed behind me, and I didn’t bother to stifle my scream as I struggled toward the shore. With sudden relief, my feet hit mud, my toes kicking into the bottom of the man-made lake rather than into dark, fathomless water. I struggled to stand, water pouring from my clothing and hair as I scrambled out onto the bank.Thank the Source.

The pebbles crunched beneath my feet as I took a few steps away from the lake, even as a thunderous sound rose behind me, shaking the ground and making the trees wave overhead.

I turned slowly on the spot, dread pooling in my stomach.

An enormous blue-black snake rose out of the water. At least twelve feet tall and still half-obscured, it towered over me, poised to strike.

I screamed loudly enough to shake the entire forest and stumbled backward into the underbrush.

Panic clamped me in its jaws as the snake looked down at me with intense, menacing eyes. Its tongue flicked out of its mouth, tasting the air between us, and its scales shimmered like diamonds in the moonlight as it swayed this way and that, as if dancing to some unheard music.

Oh no. Oh no, no, no.“Bael, where the hell are you?”

Before I could think anything other than, “Run!” the monster’s immense jaws unfurled, flashing rows of jagged, yellow teeth that glinted in the twilight.

My sore muscles came to life, and I dodged quickly to the side as it lunged, letting out a hiss that smelled of decay. Pulling my dagger from my belt, I turned and sprinted into the darkness, giving little care to where I was going. Branches and thorns clawed at my skin as I blindly pressed forward, but I paid no attention to the stinging sensation that followed in my wake. My only focus was the sound of scales on leaves growing closer and closer by the second.

I stumbled as I fled, my back hitting the ground with a force that knocked the breath from my lungs. Spots filled my vision, like sparks flying free of a bonfire into the darkness.

My dagger shook in my trembling fingers, and an icy chill of dread crawled up my spine, and the blue-white flames that had danced in Prince Bael’s hand filled my mind.

I’d never done it—not really. Not since I was too young to recall if it was real or a half-remembered dream.

I’d wondered, certainly.

I’d guessed and agonized over what-ifs and maybes, but I’d never intentionally called on those flames as Bael had. The only time I’d even thought about it, it hadn’t worked.

My mother had always warned me never to draw attention to myself. Never, ever to use the power, or terrible things would happen, beyond my wildest comprehension.

But perhaps it didn’t matter anymore. Perhaps, if Bael had used them already…if I was to die, anyway…

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