Chapter 17

The Dream Walker

Ihave many regrets in my life. Too many to count or recall. But not stopping Sathick sooner is one of my greatest. Neve had such a hold on me. Her blood and all it offered.

The peace and the power.

The euphoria and strength.

If there were any sign of weakness or disobedience, she would take away her blood. She would make me suffer more than any child Sathick would devour. I hid a child from him once. Placed it in a carriage and sent it to a village far from where we were.

Neve starved me for six months and held me captive in a cell with a curse placed on me. A curse that broke every one of my bones, one by one. They would heal, and when the sun rose, they would break again. Over and over.

Snap. Snap. Snap.

Then she opened the door. She fed me. She fucked me harder than she had ever fucked me before.

And all was forgiven.

All would be well if I didn't betray her again.

When I stood in the light for the first time after my imprisonment, she made me watch as Sathick consumed the very child I had saved. She had kept him all those months just so he would die in front of me.

‘My queen wants her daughter back. And she wants your head. There are no requirements for it to be attached to the rest of you, but she has expressed a deep interest in keeping you alive long enough to watch her destroy your little friends. Just as you made her watch her sisters perish.'

‘Then she'll have to come out of hiding and face me herself.'

‘Who says she is hiding?' he grins.

Well. That doesn't bode well.

Sathick's grin widens, those teeth already dripping with saliva.

I attack before he can, swiping my sword three times, aiming for the most vulnerable parts of him.

Throat. Gut. Face.

But he's quick and dodges each blow. His long arm sweeps out. I duck, feeling the air pass me as it soars overhead. I shove my sword into his foot, burying the tip into the floors. As he screams and tries to pull it free, I take my chance and blow a cloud of sleep dust into his face. His eyes roll into the back of his head, and I catch him before he goes down.

Fucker.

I'm full of Pixie's blood and in no mood to fuck about with a child-killing shit like this.

I bite his neck, taking in a mouthful of his blood.

It's vile, and it takes all I have to swallow without gagging.

I walk his dreams. I know I need to be quick. He won't stay down for long, and I'm vulnerable when I walk. But there's no faster way to see into his mind and get the answers I need.

He's sat at a large table. Severed limbs lie on plates as if a great banquet has been prepared. A banquet a monster like him would relish.

No. He doesn't get to dream. He gets to scream.

The limbs roll across the table, and all join together, reforming into the infants they once were. And they swarm Sathick, bundling on top of him as they tear and rip with their teeth. I leave him to be devoured by his victims and go in search of his other dreams. Walking is a dangerous and, at times, a difficult gift. The mind is an endless vortex of hopes, wishes, fears, thoughts and dreams. But once made, every one of those things is never lost. I can navigate the mind. A skill honed over decades of practice.

I manage a couple of minutes before I know I'm no longer alone in the outside world. Something has entered the room.

Blinking, I return to the mortal world and roll out of the way of a swarm of fire pixies that fly straight at me.

Fucking pixies.

They all attack, scratching and clawing at me. They spit molten saliva, which burns through my clothes and chars my flesh. They're small and quick, making them tricky to get a grip of and their screeches and laughing are torture, reaching a pitch so high it makes my ears bleed.

I grab one in my hand and crush it. I stomp on another close to the floor. Another prepares to throw its lava-like spit right in my face, but I dodge it and punch it so hard the thing explodes.

Then, a hand wraps around the back of my neck, and I'm tossed clear across the room, slamming into the old fireplace. I grip the fire poker left in its holder and spin, slamming it into Sathick's face, being sure to catch him in his grotesque mouth. Bloody teeth skitter across the floor as he roars in a fiery rage.

I can't help but laugh as I stand and happily use the poker to take out as many fire pixie fucks as I can.

Sathick kicks me in the gut, and I crash through the same broken window Archie fled through, landing outside. I wait for the monster to follow.

But he doesn't.

There's an explosion, and a plume of black smoke rises into the air. The screaming starts. The coven is under attack by the fire. I have to make a choice. Stay and fight Sathick, or go and face Neve. When I hear Archie's roar, I'm on my feet and running towards the coven.

Archie. I choose him.

I emerge through the treeline and skid to a stop in their sacred clearing. The fire is burning black and wild, and dozens of creatures are attacking the robed witches. They reach up from the ground or dive from above.

Unseelie. So so many unseelie.

A gathered force. An army.

The earth witches are slow and untrained. They're a far cry from when these creatures last walked so freely. But the elders manage to use their magic to attack and defend.

Half of these witches have no idea how to use their gifts, and the other half are overfed politicians with a title and not much else.

Some of them have gathered together and knelt in the dirt. A small wave of mud sweeps towards the flames.

It's a pathetic attempt, not a patch on what my Pixie did all alone.

I attack, using my sword and sleep dust. Archie is hacking and tearing his way through the unseelie. We fight. We kill.

But I don't see Neve.

Archie stops beside me, breathing heavily and clutching his side. Ahead of us, the unseelie are gathering. At my back, the earth witches have re-grouped.

Us. Against them.

We're outnumbered and outpowered. No way these little witches fight off these monsters.

‘Archie. I think you may need to shift.'

‘I just got dressed!'

I flick my sword clear of blood and prepare.

The last time we faced this many, we had a well-trained army of humans and powerful earth, water, air and fire witches at our side.

Arch and I both look at each other. The only comfort we have is that our girl, wherever she is, isn't here to die or be taken. That Dorian is with her.

My feet dig into the dirt, and I grip my sword firmly. Every muscle in my body becomes rigid as, from the crowd, Sathick emerges.

Sathick grins deeply, his eyes on me and mine on him.

‘The Dream Walker is mine,' he snarls. ‘The rest… you know what to do.

He attacks, sprinting forward with incredible speed. The ground shakes as the unseelie follow suit, charging at us with their teeth bared and roaring their grotesque battle cries.

This coven is done.

We're cornered.

We're fucked.

But I'll take as many of them as possible before I go.

Archie shifts, his great wolf form making the witches at our back gasp and scream.

But he stands at their side, his head low and shoulders high.

We charge.

I raise my sword and ready it to bring it down on Sathick. He dodges and punches me in the gut, tossing me back. When I land, he's already on top of me, his jaws wide and going for my face. The points of his teeth sink into my skin, and the stench of his breath may very well be the last thing I experience in this life.

But he's whipped off me. Sitting, I see him on the ground, clawing at his throat as a great red vine encircles him like a snake.

I look back, but all the earth witches are staring at it in much the same way as I am.

The earth beneath us splinters and cracks, and more great thick roots of deep red shoot upwards. They wrap around the unseelie, twisting around their legs, waists, necks and arms. They tighten, and the air fills with screaming in seconds. Many of the unseelie look on in horror as their limbs go flying, torn from their bodies by these throbbing roots that whip around and seek them out.

Archie and I stop dead in our tracks as the unseelie are literally ripped apart by roots.

Then, we follow the cracks.

And smile.

‘There she is,' I whisper.

Pixie. A fucking goddess in her own right. Kneeling there with a smirk, her palms in the dirt and her eyes on the monsters before her. Similar roots are entangled around her wrist, and she looks unbelievably smug.

An arm lands at my feet, and blood splatters my face on its rough impact. But fuck, I cannot, and will not, take my eyes off her.

She rises. The roots remain attached to her but offer no resistance when she walks towards the army of unseelie. They grow with her, letting her move freely as they enhance her strength. If any unseelie get close, they're ripped apart by her roots. They protect her.

The fact that I get a raging erection watching her slam her fist into monster after monster should be concerning. Seeing her use her strength to beat the living shit out of her enemy should not make me so turned on I have to adjust myself. And yet, here I am. On a battlefield, rock hard and thoughts far from decapitation and disembowelling.

I love that crazy little witch.

Archie bites my sleeve and pulls me left, avoiding a winged monstrosity from colliding with me.

I look at him, and even in his wolf form, I know he's smiling.

‘She's magnificent,' I admire before we both return to watch her.

Pixie turns, her hair sweeping through the air and sweat building on her brow as she lifts her arm in a vast swiping motion. A great wave of soil ripples upwards and crashes into the unseelie. And she laughs, several rocks hovering before her. Her fingers move, and they roll in the air. Then she tosses them, and they go through the foreheads of six dark creatures, coming out the other side of their skulls dripping blood.

It's only when Sathick tears the vines from his neck and charges at her that I snap out of this daze.

I run towards them both. Archie too. But a wall of dark shadows slams into Sathick, forcing him backwards as he tries to fight the impossible.

Dorian stops beside Pixie, his black eyes murderous as he attacks them and protects her.

Seeing us charge, the earth witches join the fight. Steel meets talons, and it's a battle to be proud of.

Sathick. The baby skinner. He's broken free of the shadows and is heading straight for our girl!

Her head snaps straight in his direction, and her hand reaches out to him. Her fist clenches, and his feet get dragged into the dirt. He pulls against her, but she's strong.

Her roots lash themselves around him as he slams his fists into the dirt. Archie bounds past me, heading straight for her. He leaps over her and sinks his teeth into the unseelie running at her from behind. She didn't even flinch as he jumped. She didn't even look.

She trusted him completely to protect her.

A group of unseelie go to attack the huddled earth witches cowering by the water. The children. The women. The elderly.

Pixie plants herself between them and slams her palms into the soil. I stagger back as the ground trembles.

She releases a violent scream, and every one of her thick red roots diverts to the incoming unseelie. They look left and yell before getting slammed by them all. When she's done, there's not much left.

Whatever is left alive of Neve's army runs to the treeline, clutching their stumps, broken bones and gaping wounds. They look back in terror at our girl as a wall of thick brambles and thorns begin to grow around the clearing.

The battle has ended, and the silence left in its wake has my ears ringing.

Pixie looks at me with a condescending smirk. She warned me it was a trap. She said nothing good would come from going to the palace. And she said we needed to come here.

‘Don't say it,' I groan.

‘I fucking told you so,' she says.

‘And you said it.'

Pixie's eyes flutter, and she sways. Before her legs buckle, I have her in my arms, and I hold her weight as she lets out a shaky breath.

Her hands grip my shirt as she catches her breath, and I hold her until she's ready to stand on her own. Her legs regain their strength, and she rises with my help.

Like hell I let anyone see her fall. I'll be damned if, after that incredible show of skill and power, she falls in front of her coven.

‘You okay, Pix?' Archie asks, appearing at our side.

She starts to giggle. A tired, exhausted laugh that ends in a heavy sigh.

‘I am fucking perfect,' she beams.

Stepping back, I find myself reluctant to let her go. But she remains on her feet and faces the coven.

‘Did we seriously just get saved by an earth witch?' Archie says quietly as she turns her back to us, with nothing but shock in his voice. ‘Us?'

‘We got saved by something, alright.'

He's naked and back in his human form, and his focus is on Pixie. She just saved the life of the coven that tried to kill her. Every survivor looks at her, eyes almost as wide as they were when they were faced with Sathick.

She turns to face them. I can hear her heart pounding. It's anger in her blood. Hatred. Not at the monsters, but at the coven.

And we wait. Wait to see what she does next.

If she slaughters them, I won't stop her. I wouldn't blame her. Their fate belongs to her and no one else.

Bensen. The snivelling creep. He is shoved from the group and forced to face her on the coven's behalf. He stumbles over his feet, unable to look at anything but her. And she stands tall. Her back straight. Every muscle is primed and ready. Her fists are clenched, and she has a look of formidable power and grit.

My girl.

My fucking witch.

Bensen, shaking and pale, falls to his knees and bows his head. The toad starts to grovel, stuttering over his words as the rest of his coven looks on in a mixture of disappointment and confusion.

‘Thank you. Thank you for saving-'

She spits on him. He doesn't dare make a move to wipe it off his face, but I know he's enraged.

‘You do not get to speak to me.'

She turns on her heel and walks away, sure to kick up a good amount of mud that finds his face perfectly. She has no interest in his words. No interest in their thanks. He spits out a mouthful of mud, wipes her spit from his face, and glares after her.

She comes towards us.

She stops before me, her head tilted upwards, her eyebrows slightly raised, and a smug little smile tugging at the corners of her sweet little mouth.

‘Anything you want to say?' she asks.

I lean down so my nose is against hers.

‘Thank you, Pixie. We are very grateful. And extremely proud.'

Her smile erupts, and her entire face lights up. I know that's the first time anyone has ever said those words to her, and I mean them with all my heart. She leans in and rises on her tiptoes.

And kisses me.

She actually kisses me!

She pulls back, leaving me stunned and brimming with joy.

‘You are very welcome.'

She looks at Archie and opens her mouth to speak but gets distracted when she sees him naked. Her eyes linger before she drags them back up. Archie offers her a wink. Her change has made her sexual desires far more prevalent. A blood witch always seeks out stimulation, and lust has, and will always be, one of their most fundamental and controlling states. She fights it. But it's clear to see.

And smell.

Her pussy smells divine every time she gets aroused, and right now, seeing Archie naked and after wielding such power and control, I know her carnal needs are surging.

But she wants control. So I won't encourage it.

For now.

She walks to Archie, and her lips find his. They kiss.

I look at Dorian, who holds a satisfied half grin as he watches them both.

‘Well,' Archie breathes as she pulls back. ‘That's a most welcomed development. And thanks for the save, Pix. You're quite the artist.'

‘As are you,' she grins, taking another look at his cock.

He rests his hands on his hips and proudly offers her a little wiggle.

I take off my jacket and hand it to him.

He has no shame. None whatsoever.

‘Where did you go?' Archie asks as he slides it on.

Her smile fades, and a faraway look appears in her eyes. She blinks and looks down at the snake on her wrist.

‘It's a long story,' Dorian says. ‘Not one to tell in front of so many others.' He gives the coven a dry look, slides his hand into hers, and grips it tightly. I'm surprised when she doesn't pull away but instead, gives his hand a firm squeeze.

‘Neve?' she asks.

‘Looks like her work. But no sign of the bitch herself,' Archie replies.

She looks up at the sky. ‘The stars are aligned. If she were to do something to the coven, it would be now.'

‘Well. We stopped her doing whatever she wanted to do. Right? We won?'

There's a low grumble.

‘You had to say it, didn't you, Arch.'

We all surround Pixie as the thorny barrier she put up begins to glow orange.

‘LOOK OUT!' She raises her hand, creating a wall of rock and dirt between us and the streams of fire the witches are about to send our way.

The flames collide with her barrier, and her feet slide in the dirt from the sheer force of it. Archie digs his feet in, keeping her held in place. She screams at the force of it, and he grunts as he grips her waist.

The unseelie return and continue their attack on the coven, who have attempted to turn and flee. Their screams as they run from the dark army are desperate. Through the rippling heat of the fire, I watch them scoop up their children and run, looking over their shoulders as death gives chase.

‘Archie!' she cries out through the strain of holding off the fire witches. ‘The kids in the coven!'

‘Bit busy,' he groans back, still holding onto her.

‘I've got this. Help them!'

‘Fuck your coven!'

On my right, Bensen slams his foot into the ground, and the wall of dirt strengthens. On my left, many of the surviving witches attack the unseelie, giving those fleeing the space they need for an escape.

Bensen looks at her.

‘War?' he asks.

‘War.' She nods.

A blast of red mist slams into her wall and shatters it, sending us all to our backsides. The air fills with blood magic. Its scent and taste surround me, and I watch as the mist retreats, swarming back to where it came from.

Neve stands tall, her crown of bones atop her head. To her left… Sathick. To her right, Cole.

‘My dear daughter,' she grins wickedly. ‘Oh. How I have missed you.'