Chapter 45

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE

DEATH

T he library was dark enough that I had to blink a film of magic over my eyes to see as Miz and I made our way quietly through the main room. Solid oak bookshelves rose all the way to the ceiling, neatly packed with leather-bound classics, modern paperbacks, and heavy reference books that could probably double as a weapon.

I itched just under my skin, needing to return to Cat's side where I belonged, where I could be sure she was safe. But her friend was in danger, and if Nightmare really was mobilising some gruesome plan tonight, I wouldn't let it involve Honey. Cat had already lost enough. I wouldn't let her lose Honey, too.

"Okay?" I whispered to Miz, who was silent beside me. I felt the tension radiating from him, and I knew if he hadn't bound his magic, ripples of misery would be fanning from his fingertips.

I didn't want to think about what it meant for his magic to be bound, not just for Miz to be unable to defend himself against a magical attack, but binding had only been done successfully twice in the past. Every other time, the god had died. He might seem healthy now, but he could drop dead at any moment. Our existence was inherently tied to the traits we inflicted on the world. Without the power to sow misery to the world, the magic keeping him from true death would wane. Another Misery would be chosen.

"I'm fine," he replied, his voice low as he scanned the aisles of bookcases around us, tipping his head back to look at the moulded ceiling.

"Still sense Nightmare?"

He locked his body against a flinch and I could have kicked myself. I wrapped my fingers around his wrist, stroking his pulse in apology. "It's weaker here," he replied. "The sensation of ice crawling across my skin."

"That's good," I pointed out. "She's left."

His mouth pressed into a thin line, his eyebrows a harsh V. "Nothing's ever good when it comes to that woman."

"It won't be like last time," I said gently, swivelling my head to scan the aisles we passed, the dense smell of old books and fresh ink covering up any trace I might have found of Honey's scent. I couldn't even be sure she'd come this way; she might have gone upstairs. But why come here at all? Was she running from something?

"It's going to be exactly like last time," Miz answered with a low, twisted laugh. "She's taunting me; you saw those dolls. Every one of them looked like the Fords, like my family, and I—"

He cut off with an abrupt shake of his head, his voice tight. I stopped us in the middle of a study area and pulled him into my arms for a moment. The bookshelves were shorter here, tables strewn around the space before the high windows at the back of the building, so there were fewer hiding places. I wasn't worried about Honey hiding, but Nightmare and her disciples could be lurking anywhere.

"You've got me now, and Tor, and Cat. We're not leaving your side."

"That's what I'm worried about," he muttered, but he rested his cheek on my shoulder. "Staying close to me will get you killed."

I bit my tongue, wanting to say that us staying close would keep him safe, but I knew he already believed he was safe with his power bound. I just didn't know how he was so sure Nightmare controlled him through his magic; her influence had always been mental, like a slow creep of poison through his mind. As much as I wanted to believe he was beyond her control, I wouldn't let my guard down. Miz's conscience wouldn't survive hurting anyone else. Killing Byron had nearly broken him. We'd nearly lost him. Only Cat calling for us after her therapist's murder had brought him back, a lifeline in the storm.

I pressed a hard kiss to his temple. All I needed was a few minutes alone with Nightmare and I could rip her apart like I did before. But this time I'd make sure there wasn't enough left of her to resurrect.

And when I got my hands on whoever brought her back, they were going to wish they were dead.

"Do you have the knife Tor gave you?" I asked, running my fingers through Miz's long hair.

He nodded. "In my pocket."

"Good. Stick close to me." I kissed him quickly and let go. "We need to find Honey and get back to Tor and Cat."

"I don't like being away from them for so long," he agreed, keeping pace as I checked under the study tables.

"Neither do I," I murmured, a sense of unease tightening my stomach. Cat hadn't called my name like she would if there was an issue, but I couldn't shake the feeling of unease. The faster we found Honey and discovered why she'd vanished from the memorial, the sooner we could get back to Cat and Tor.

"She's not down here," Miz said with clear frustration. "She must be upstairs."

"Agreed."

I held in the urge to call her name, not wanting spook her or alert Nightmare if she was lurking upstairs. We took the stairs with careful quietness, a blanket of darkness spilling around my feet as my unease grew. But with it came excitement, an eagerness to bludgeon Nightmare with a mace of shadows and rip her to bits.

"Calm down," Miz hissed at me as we neared the top.

"I am calm."

He raised an eyebrow. "That's why you're shaking."

He was right. Rage had filled me until I shook with the force of it, more darkness gathering around my feet, spilling out of me, a death sentence to anyone I attacked with it.

I motioned for Miz to fall silent as we reached the top of the staircase, the second floor dominated by a sloping roof and low-slung bookcases, tables placed sporadically in spare bits of space. At one of those tables, Honey sat with her hands bound behind her, duct tape across her mouth, and a vicious red bruise on her eye and cheek that would turn black.

"Shit," Miz hissed, hurrying over to her with his knife in hand while I scanned the room, pushing out waves of death magic. If anyone else was here, they'd have died screaming, but we were alone. My breathing came faster, the need for violence making blood rush in my ears.

"Easy," Miz soothed, "I'm just gonna cut the ropes. I wouldn't hurt you; you're Cat's."

When I was satisfied we were alone, I turned back to face them and winced at the bruise on Honey's face. "That looks vicious," I murmured, peering closer. No blood or broken skin, though. It would heal in a couple weeks. Urgency bled into her eyes, widening them as she tried to communicate.

"Sorry in advance," I said and ripped the tape off her mouth.

"Fuck!" she yelled, tears welling in her eyes, spilling down her bruised cheek. "That's worse than getting a Brazilian."

"And that's entirely too much information," I said, trying to quell my bloodlust even as my hands shook with it. I pulled my magic back enough that it wouldn't touch Honey but I couldn't entirely smother it.

"Who did this?" Miz demanded, golden eyes sharp.

"Phil," Honey replied, panting as she got unsteadily to her feet, leaning against the table. "She came at me like a madwoman and dragged me into the library. I tried to fight but she's stronger than she looks."

"Phil," I repeated, frowning. "Cat's friend?"

But she'd led us right here, to Honey. That made no sense. I shook my head, missing something. "Why did she want us to find you?"

"To separate us," Miz said, jolting like he'd been hit. He spun, knife in hand, and threw himself at the staircase.

"Fuck," I growled under my breath, every instinct screaming at me to follow him immediately. But I couldn't leave Honey. "Come on, I'll help you down the stairs." I held out my arm as an offering.

"I'll be fine," she disagreed, taking a step—and scrambling for my arm when her knee buckled. "Alright, so maybe I won't be fine." She gave me a wide-eyed look as we headed for the stairs as quickly as she was able, which was torturously slow. "Cat isn't alone, right?"

"No," I replied. "She'll be fine. Tor's with her, they're all waiting outside. Phil, too."

Honey's brow scrunched into a frown. "Why is she doing this?" She answered her own question. "Nightmare got to her, too." A shudder went through her. We carefully descended the dark stairs, lit only by moonlight through tiny windows.

"It seems that way," I agreed calmly, even if blood roared in my ears and I wanted to leave Honey here and run until I had each of them in my sight—Tor, Cat, and Miz, all of them safe, protected.

We were only halfway down the staircase when Miz burst back through the front door, leaving it hanging open. "They're gone," he blurted.

"Oh, god," Honey breathed, rigid beside me.

"Miz, take Honey back to her room and make sure no one else hurts her."

Miz's face was pale, his eyes wide. "Are you sure you can trust—"

"Yes," I bit out, my patience losing a fight with the violence howling inside me. "You'll be fine." I had no guarantee that Nightmare wouldn't seize control of him, but no way in Hell was I taking Miz with me to find Tor and Cat when it was painfully likely that they'd been led to the goddess herself.

Another moonlit rendezvous. Another trap. But who'd be the victim this time?