inflicted, was negligible. “He belongs to your uncle Icelus.” If I remembered my mythology—and my family history—correctly, Icelus was in charge of bad dreams and all things terrifying.
“He is still part of this world,” I stupidly reminded him. “And this world is yours.”
He moved closer. My mother inched between us, as though she might protect me with her tiny, delicate self. I didn’t need her protection. My mother was an ordinary human.
I wasn’t. I was as much a part of this world as Morpheus, even though I had chosen to leave it. I faced him with my shoulders back even though he scared the crap out of me. This mess was his to clean up, not mine.
“You are a Nightmare.” Morpheus’s voice had dropped at least an octave. “You are a guardian of this Realm, born to protect those who traverse it from things such as Karatos.”
“Don’t blame me for this. I haven’t been part of this Realm for years.”
“Whose fault is that?” I was shocked by the naked pain on his face. I had hurt him by turning my back on this world, and being a stupid kid I hadn’t thought of how that would feel to a father. And later, when my mother went into her sleep and abandoned her family, I turned from him even more.
I opened my mouth to speak, and he cut me off. “You should have been able to protect yourself when he came for you, but you never learned how because you ran away.”
“I…”
“And I let you.” Darkness fell across his features. “I should have made you come back. At least then you might have been able to defend yourself.”
My mother left me to go to him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. She would always leave me for him. And not just me—everything. It still hurt.
I didn’t want to be here any longer. I wanted to go home, to my bed. Go back to the world I knew, because in this one…
In this one I remembered good things, and I felt guilty for them. I felt too much a part of that very thing that had destroyed my family—was still destroying them.
“You said you had a condition,” I reminded the quiet couple coldly. “What is it?”
Morpheus raised his head, pinning me with those glacial eyes. “That you learn what it is to be a Nightmare. That you accept what you are.”
Accept it? Not freaking likely. But I could learn about what I was if it would keep me—and Noah—safe.
“It’s what you are to all of us.” Who was “us”?
“All right,” I agreed.
He watched me, suspicion in his gaze. He knew me too well, and my capitulation had been far too quick. “That means spending time in this world. With us.”
I looked from him to her, anger overwhelming me. “That’s a better deal than your other kids get, huh?”
She turned white and looked as though I’d hit her. I wasn’t the least bit satisfied, and the doctor in me was dying to shout out why. I told the doctor to shut up. I was going to be a child abandoned by her mother for just a little while longer.
Morpheus put his arm around her, held her close, but when he looked at me it was with sympathy. “Do we have an agreement, Dawn Marie?”
I nodded. Stiffly. “Yes.” I would learn. I would do my time in their presence, but if he expected me to cave like some love-starved child and forgive them, he was in desperate need of some therapy himself.
He actually smiled. My mother did as well, though she couldn’t meet my gaze. “When would you like to get started?”
I shrugged. “How about now?” The sooner I started learning, the sooner he’d bring Karatos down, and I could get back to my real world.
And who knows? Maybe I’d learn something useful.
Something that might force my mother to wake up and face the family she’d left behind.
Chapter Seven
He kicked my ass.
Not literally, of course, though I’m sure the temptation was there. It was a simple game—one we used to play when I was younger. Morpheus would create something from dream matter, and it was up to me to change it into
“He is still part of this world,” I stupidly reminded him. “And this world is yours.”
He moved closer. My mother inched between us, as though she might protect me with her tiny, delicate self. I didn’t need her protection. My mother was an ordinary human.
I wasn’t. I was as much a part of this world as Morpheus, even though I had chosen to leave it. I faced him with my shoulders back even though he scared the crap out of me. This mess was his to clean up, not mine.
“You are a Nightmare.” Morpheus’s voice had dropped at least an octave. “You are a guardian of this Realm, born to protect those who traverse it from things such as Karatos.”
“Don’t blame me for this. I haven’t been part of this Realm for years.”
“Whose fault is that?” I was shocked by the naked pain on his face. I had hurt him by turning my back on this world, and being a stupid kid I hadn’t thought of how that would feel to a father. And later, when my mother went into her sleep and abandoned her family, I turned from him even more.
I opened my mouth to speak, and he cut me off. “You should have been able to protect yourself when he came for you, but you never learned how because you ran away.”
“I…”
“And I let you.” Darkness fell across his features. “I should have made you come back. At least then you might have been able to defend yourself.”
My mother left me to go to him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. She would always leave me for him. And not just me—everything. It still hurt.
I didn’t want to be here any longer. I wanted to go home, to my bed. Go back to the world I knew, because in this one…
In this one I remembered good things, and I felt guilty for them. I felt too much a part of that very thing that had destroyed my family—was still destroying them.
“You said you had a condition,” I reminded the quiet couple coldly. “What is it?”
Morpheus raised his head, pinning me with those glacial eyes. “That you learn what it is to be a Nightmare. That you accept what you are.”
Accept it? Not freaking likely. But I could learn about what I was if it would keep me—and Noah—safe.
“It’s what you are to all of us.” Who was “us”?
“All right,” I agreed.
He watched me, suspicion in his gaze. He knew me too well, and my capitulation had been far too quick. “That means spending time in this world. With us.”
I looked from him to her, anger overwhelming me. “That’s a better deal than your other kids get, huh?”
She turned white and looked as though I’d hit her. I wasn’t the least bit satisfied, and the doctor in me was dying to shout out why. I told the doctor to shut up. I was going to be a child abandoned by her mother for just a little while longer.
Morpheus put his arm around her, held her close, but when he looked at me it was with sympathy. “Do we have an agreement, Dawn Marie?”
I nodded. Stiffly. “Yes.” I would learn. I would do my time in their presence, but if he expected me to cave like some love-starved child and forgive them, he was in desperate need of some therapy himself.
He actually smiled. My mother did as well, though she couldn’t meet my gaze. “When would you like to get started?”
I shrugged. “How about now?” The sooner I started learning, the sooner he’d bring Karatos down, and I could get back to my real world.
And who knows? Maybe I’d learn something useful.
Something that might force my mother to wake up and face the family she’d left behind.
Chapter Seven
He kicked my ass.
Not literally, of course, though I’m sure the temptation was there. It was a simple game—one we used to play when I was younger. Morpheus would create something from dream matter, and it was up to me to change it into
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