she’d been on the isle of dreams. A wayward traveler thrown to my shores by fate.
“Rubeen?” Nightmares’ gruff voice questions from somewhere to my left.
Rolling onto my side, I try to steady myself on all fours. “She’s gone, and we’re back where we started.”
My body feels like it’s bruised all over. Gradually pushing up onto my feet, my legs shake so badly I’m not completely sure they can support me. My head is heavy. Squeezing my eyes shut, my face contorts in discomfort as pain rushes through me, ignited like a fire. I’ve never felt it this bad before.
An arm snakes under my shoulders, the strength of another taking my weight.
Cracking my aching eyes open, I find Nightmares beside me. “Thanks.”
He answers in a grunt.
Together we lurch toward the house. I’m aware of Illusions trailing behind us in a subdued manner. They miss Robin. I know this from the connection that’s still so strong between us and that somehow to their wounds are healed like mine.
Head spinning, I clench my jaw, fisting a handful of my hair and pulling it to try and ease the agony threatening to make it explode.
“Trouble.” Illusions warns as we draw closer to the building.
Reclining on the chair on the porch legs stretched out in front of him resting on the railing, crossed at the ankles, my uncle watches us through narrowed eyes. “About fucking time.”
“Are you part of this?” I bristle still clinging to Nightmares for support.
“No,” he replies dryly, tipping up the edge of his hat with his callused finger.
“Who the fuck just attacked us?”
“Cupid.”
I wince as I’m dumped ungraciously on the top porch step. “No way was that…”
“The centuries have changed him,” my uncle continues. “Twisted him in bitterness, a lot like you.”
“No shit there. We need to make sure he doesn’t go after Robin now I’ve sent her home.”
“We need to wean you off the narcotics that have you going loco.”
I shoot him a disbelieving look, the others mirroring my expression from where they stand at the bottom step. “Why do you even care? You gave them all to me in the first place. You’re the one who got me hooked. You’ve been my dealer for centuries.”
“It kept you alive, boy. If I hadn’t, they’d have figured out quickly that this place still existed, and so did you. Keeping you here and hidden has been my priority.”
“They?” A wave of exhaustion crashes over me causing my shoulders to slump.
“I’ll explain after you’ve gotten yourself clean.”
“Screw you. We’re going to keep Robin safe. I made a promise and intend to keep it.”
“You need to find a code you can live by,” my uncle announces, reaching with determination to clutch the nape of my neck. “Something that can’t be bent or broken. It’s time to re-write the destiny someone else has aligned for you in the stars.”
Nightmares lunges at him in response, Illusions lifting his hands to cast his magic.
Sunlight evaporates, and I find myself in a murky cellar. The same prison I’d created for Nightmares.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I grimace, shaking off his hold, too weak to pick myself off the tatty mattress on the concrete floor.
“An Intervention, isn’t that what your girly called it?”
Concentrating, I attempt to teleport out only to discover the place is warded tighter than this son of a bitch’s ass. “You can’t do this.”
“Stop your squawking. I’m not releasing you until this sickness in your blood is over.” The tip of his boot meets the make-shift bed with a hard nudge. “You harden your heart boy. We don’t need any distractions.”
“She’ll die…”
He shrugs like he doesn’t give a damn either way, and I don’t think he does. “They all come to me in the end. Your girly will be no different.”
“Son of a bitch,” I roar as he vanishes, leaving me alone entombed in darkness and anger. Time crawls onward my nose and eyes begin to run, stomach doing backflips, while every god damn joint in my body aches in pure agony.
I can’t rest because of it. Curling up on the blankets, I hug my knees to my chest. I’m in Hell or my own personal version of it. Somewhere along the line, my muscles start twitching uncontrollably. Vomiting sets in. Rolling to the far end of the room, my spine bows with the force of it, to the point of almost not being able to breath.
My skin feels like it’s crawling all over my body, joining the other sensations plaguing me. I