Chapter 17

I foundmyself in the castle we used to live in—we being the witches and reapers—before demons attacked and Nova moved us away. It had changed since our departure, the light, airy castle was now dark and gloomy. A mishmash of plywood and two-by-fours covered the windows, while the many electrical wall sconces and dangling chandeliers had been smashed. Only a few smoky candles allowed me to see that the once empty main hall had been transformed into a throne room of sorts. An oversized chair had been erected, comprised of skulls and bones, some of them so fresh bits of flesh clung to them.

The smell would have been atrocious, or so I assumed. The dream thankfully didn't have a scent to it. I might have been more horrified if this were real. I wouldn't deny a part of me feared Moloch had invaded my dreams again, but that couldn't be possible. At dinner, Nova had said they'd put a stop to it. She'd shown me the sigils inscribed with magic placed above each bed to prevent those sleeping within its purview from having their slumber infiltrated.

This current scenario had to be my subconscious, which, knowing I worried about Moloch's location, gave me what it thought would be a likely hideout. Not so far-fetched. After all, hadn't he said something about taking it over?

Thump. Thump.The footsteps had me whirling to see the demon king enter and then do a double take upon seeing me.

"What are you doing here?" he barked. "How did you get in?"

"Calm down, goat breath. Just checking out what you've done with the place. Not crazy about it. Lacks color," I stated with a wrinkle of my nose. "I'm thinking maybe some pale yellow mixed with pink. Ooh, and a touch of baby blue."

"Did you come to visit because you miss me?" Moloch drawled, pacing carefully around me.

"As if. This isn't a visit because this isn't real. You're not really here. This is just my mind fucking with me. I'm in bed, protected by magic."

He snorted. "You are so stupid. Perhaps I shouldn't breed with you. I already have enough mentally deficient princes to deal with."

"Such a loving father," I snorted.

"Love is for the weak."

"Says someone who's too depraved to ever have anyone truly care for him."

His nostrils flared. "It's like you want me to hurt you. Why else would you come here and taunt me?"

"I haven't gone anywhere. Nova put a stop to your dream invasions."

"Did she? Yet here you are."

I grimaced. "Because my subconscious hates me."

"And if I were to advise that your witch queen is too weak to sever the bond between us?"

"We don't have a bond," I hastily stated.

"You freed me with your blood, forming a connection. How else would you have gotten past my wards for a visit?" he countered.

My mouth worked silently as I tried to digest the fact I might have actually been the one to invade Moloch's space for once. "You're lying."

"Am I?" he mocked. "I'm flattered you wanted to see me. Is your pussy itching to feel me tearing it wide open?"

The revulsion led to a spurt of anger. "I'm going to kill you, motherfucker," I baldly stated. "My magic is returning, and I'm going to use it to send your ass back to jail." Somehow, some way, I'd figure it out.

At my claim, Moloch laughed. "Your optimism is misplaced. It will be a while before you're at full capacity, and I plan to have you firmly in my clutches before that happens. I've been preparing a room specially for you. Big bed with manacles. A cross on the wall with more tethers. I've even put together a collection of floggers for when you misbehave, which I hope will be often," he said with a leer.

It hit me at that moment he wanted to scare me. Wanted to destroy my budding confidence. Like hell.

My chin lifted. "First you'll have to find me."

"I know where you are."

"Then why haven't you come for me yet?" I answered before he could. "You haven't, because you're afraid of me."

"Ha," he scoffed. "Why would I fear a weakling female like you?"

"Because I'm your kryptonite." The expression went over his head—er, horns.

"You are nothing," was his harsh retort.

"Bullshit. I scare you because I'm the one with the power to stop you."

"No one can stop me," he growled, his eyes glowing with amber fire.

"Says the demon who is hiding. If you're so fucking brave, then why are you here?" I swept a hand. "Shouldn't you be, like, conquering the world? Showing off to the media? Making threats about world domination?"

"All in due course."

A disparaging noise blew past my lips. "Bullshit. You haven't acted because you're weak and you said it before; the princes left in charge fucked you over. You don't have their support, and your demon minions are morons. Guess that leaves you pretty much alone. No wonder you're cowering where no one can find you."

"I am not cowering," he bellowed.

"Whatever, pussy."

I'd apparently pushed him too much because suddenly a clawed hand gripped me by the throat and lifted. My fingers dug into the back of his hand, trying to loosen his grip.

"You will respect me. You will fear me. You will beg me for mercy," he growled in my face.

A lack of air meant no more smartass replies from me. My mouth opened and shut, unable to take a breath. Spots danced in front of my eyes. How was it I had to breathe in a dream?

"I am regretting my choice to let you live," he stated as he yanked me toward him. "Perhaps it's time I rectified that. I wonder what your precious witches and reapers will think when you never wake up."

With that, his fingers squeezed. Tighter and tighter. I couldn't cry for aid or pry him loose. The only thing I could do? Yell with my mind.

Help.

As I felt myself grow faint, suddenly the pressure vanished!

I woke, choking and heaving for air, bucking in my bed, utterly confused as I got pulled in opposing directions. Before I could blink and figure things out, Nova snapped, "Would you both stop tugging at Sadie? She's awake and doesn't need the pair of you splitting her in two."

It took a second to realize she meant Vance and Cain, one on each side of my bed, looking anxious, clasping me. The men ducked their heads at the rebuke and released my arms. Their antics might have been funnier if my throat didn't hurt from the lingering effects of my nightmare.

"Out." Nova pointed to the door, and the guys left.

I swallowed, painfully, and rasped, "Thank you for saving me."

"I see my ward against dream invasions didn't work." She frowned at the mark placed above my bed.

"Not. Your. Fault." I struggled to speak, and Nova tsked.

"Hold on while I ease some of the discomfort. I'm sure the boys are fetching Devika as we speak. She'll be able to fix any damage I can't."

Her touch eased some of the pain in my throat, and I breathed easier. "Thank you." Then because she had to know, "I saw Moloch."

"So I gathered. Your cry for help roused more than a few of us."

"You heard me?"

Nova's lips held a ghost of a smile. "I don't think anyone in the area could have missed your call."

I'd used magic once more without the slightest clue. I'd be more annoyed if it hadn't saved my life.

"Moloch tried to kill me," I blurted out. "He doesn't want me learning to use my magic."

"Of course not, because he fears you. I'll have to try harder to block him." Nova grimaced at her failed sigil.

"I don't know if anything will work. He said something about us being bound by my blood because it freed him."

The claim pursed her lips. "A possibility I'd not thought of. I'll have to rework the spell for you and see what I can do to sever—or at the very least block—that connection."

"I saw where he was staying," I added. "He's taken over the old castle in the mountains."

Her brow arched. "Well. That's good news. It provides us with a location to concentrate on."

"Are you going to attack?"

"Not quite yet. We will need to ascertain how many legions he's gathered and whether or not he'll be using mechanical weapons or just demons. We still have to figure out how to either banish or kill Moloch, as well."

"He says he'll be putting his plan for world domination in play before I'm fully free of the drug inhibiting my magic."

"I wouldn't listen to him. He's a liar who's trying to sow doubt."

"I figured as much," I replied, but it helped to hear Nova reinforce that.

The door whipped open, and Cain ushered in Devika, closely followed by Vance carrying a water and juice bottle.

"We brought Devika to fix Sadie," Cain announced unnecessarily.

Vance held up his offering. "Thirsty?"

"Water, please." I held out my hand, and Vance couldn't move quick enough to give it, only to have Cain snatch the bottle and twist open the cap.

I drank hungrily while the guys watched. A little too closely, I might add. Their abrupt change in behavior was odd, to say the least.

Devika clapped her hands and barked, "Out. I don't need you crowding and breathing down my neck as I work."

The guys left, heads practically hanging. I almost laughed, but nothing about the situation truly amused. I'd almost been killed in my dream. Would I have to start dreading sleep?

"Let's see what kind of damage we're dealing with." Devika hummed as she ran her hands over me, the palms skimming the length of my body before settling on my throat. "I see Nova took down some of the bruising. There is a slight crack in your hyoid as well. This shouldn't take too long to fix."

My flesh heated as Devika hummed, no words that I could discern, and yet at the same time, I'd have sworn I saw and understood some of the notes. The high lilting soothed my aching flesh, the low timbre rattled the bones in my neck. By the time Devika opened her eyes and leaned away, a sheen of sweat coated her face, but I felt fine.

"Thank you," I murmured.

"You're welcome. I just wish I could remove the poison in your system."

"Can you see it?" Nova's sharp query.

"Yes, but only because it's diminished enough it can now be seen by my ability. It's subtle. Almost like an oily film wrapped around her brain. And before you ask, it won't let my magic touch it. Every time I got close, it slid me away."

"Makes sense given it's meant to subdue power," Nova mused aloud.

"I'll take a peek in some of my books and see if I can't figure out what Emilia used on her. Could be there is a counter remedy that might help," Devika offered.

"That would be great," Nova stated with a bob of her head. "You can go back to bed now."

"As if anyone could sleep after that scream." Devika offered me a rueful smile. "Oily sheen or not, you appear to be starting to break past the block."

"Anything I can do to speed it up?" I asked.

"The usual kinds of things. Lots of fluids and stay active." As she started to leave, I hastened to ask one more question.

"Will I feel it when the residue is gone?"

Devika paused at the door to give me a smile. "Everyone's magic is different. Some feel it as warmth, others cold. Mine likes to tickle. But to your query, yes, you will most likely know."

The healer exited, and I glanced at Nova, who offered me a secretive smile as she said, "Mine just plain feels like power."

Sounded cool. But not as cool as how two dudes rushed back in, jostling and glaring in their attempt to reach my bedside.

Nova's smile widened. "I'll leave you now to your protectors."

She walked out, and Cain jerked a thumb in Vance's direction. "You go. I've got this."

Vance took on a stubborn expression. "I'm awake now. Might as well start my shift early and you can get some sleep."

As if anyone could after my rude awakening. To my surprise, I no sooner thought that than I yawned. My jaw cracked with the intensity.

"She's tired. Stop arguing and go," Cain hissed.

"You go."

I lay down and patted the bed on either side of me. "Shut up and come lie down."

"Both of us?" Cain exclaimed, not sounding all that happy.

"Seems like the best solution given you can't decide who stays. Besides, I could use the protection," I murmured, my eyes closing.

I missed seeing who came to the bed as the mattress to my left dipped.

But then so did my right!

The large king-sized bed shrank considerably with them taking up a lot of space, but I found it comforting. I felt safe.

I whispered, "Good night."

Sleep found me quick, and I woke to a most excellent morning as the little spoon tucked into Cain while I spooned Vance. A sandwich with so many possibilities.

Pity they woke up and ruined it.