Page 27 of Renegade Kingdom
“Give me your hand, Damon.” Magic practically vibrated around her words.
There was no arguing with that voice. Even the nightmare went quiet, momentarily stunned by the sheer command in her tone.
I reached out. My chains clinked as I moved, the iron cold against my wrists. Her fingers wrapped around mine, warm and strong and impossibly gentle.
And then her magic reached inside me.
It was like nothing I’d ever felt before. A wave of warmth flooding through my consciousness, golden and bright, pushing back the shadows that had become my constant companions. The fog that always clouded my thoughts began to lift. The scratching at the edges of my mind went silent.
For one perfect, blissful moment, there was peace.
No nightmare. No fear. No fighting.
Just silence. Beautiful, blessed silence.
I looked at Alyssa with something that felt dangerously close to hope. She was watching me with an expression I couldn’t quite read. Concern, yes. But something else too. Something that looked like recognition.
“You felt that,” she said softly. It wasn’t a question.
“The nightmare,” I breathed. “It’s... I can’t feel it anymore.”
“My magic pushed it back. I can only hold it for a moment.” She squeezed my fingers. “It will come back. I’m not strong enough yet to hold it off forever.”
Yet. She said yet, like it was only a matter of time.
The bond between us pulsed, faint but present. I’d felt it before, buried under layers of nightmares and desperation. She was my mate. Even if I’d never gotten to claim her. Even if I might not survive long enough to try. The feelings that surged whenever she was close couldn’t possibly mean anything else.
“If the bite doesn’t work,” I said, and my voice was steadier now, stronger, “promise me something.”
“What?”
“Promise me you won’t let me hurt anyone else.” I held her gaze, willing her to understand. “If the nightmare wins. If I become something that can’t be saved. Promise me you’ll end it. Don’t let me live like that. Don’t let me hurt you or my brothers or anyone else. And don’t… don’t let one of them be the one to do it. They won’t survive it.”
Tears were sliding down her cheeks, but her voice didn’t waver.
“I promise.”
I nodded. That was enough. That was all I needed.
Then I felt the nightmare stirring again, roused by the intrusion of Alyssa’s magic, fighting back against the light she’d brought into my darkness. The peace began to fracture. The silence cracked.
The nightmare pushed, and Alyssa’s magic shattered like glass.
She gasped, her hand jerking in mine. I saw pain flash across her face and hated myself for being the cause of it. Hated the thing in my head for hurting her.
“It pushed me out,” she said, her voice strained. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t hold it.”
“It’s okay.” It wasn’t okay. Nothing was okay. But I couldn’t bear to see her blaming herself for something that wasn’t her fault. “You did more than anyone else has been able to do.”
She stood, but she didn’t let go of my hand. Her eyes had gone hard. Fierce. The queen was back, and she was angry.
“I know you can see me,” she said.
For a moment, I didn’t understand. Then I realised she wasn’t talking to me anymore.
She was talking to the nightmare.
“I know you can hear me,” Alyssa continued, her voice ringing with power. “So listen close.”
