I’d accept him, and he waited for my judgment.
“My beautiful nightmare, my king,” I said, smiling at him and leaning comfortably against his giant arm as I pulled up my legs. No matter what form he took, I desired him deeply. “Now, big guy—”
“Big guy?” he asked in an outlandish, cranky voice that could distort reality.
“You can put down your mate,” I insisted. “I can walk very well with my own feet.”
He chuckled, the sound like thunder, his eyes flashing with delight and shifting to a dark sapphire that seemed to contain the whole galaxy. The nightmare king slowly and gently put me down on the ground.
“Behold your queen,” he roared.
I shuddered in pleasure as I took in the rough sexiness of my giant, monstrous mate. I noticed that my parents, the knights, and the nightmare creatures all trembled, though for a different reason.
“The queen we’ve been waiting for,” Basilisk said in a chilling voice. “The Nightmare Queen will fight beside our king and lead us in battle and glory and blood.”
The nightmare creatures of all shapes and forms or formlessness let out a collective sigh of satisfaction that rumbled and chilled the temple.
My parents shuddered again, but I was elated to have a monstrous army at our command for the looming war. I’d won them over, and it wasn’t all luck.
We trudged through the black temple as the host of nightmares parted for us like a turbulent sea of shades and shadows.
Then the temple, no longer extending endlessly into the distance, became a magnificent court with open skylights and shiny black stone walls. Giants and warriors of nightmares stood in attendance with axes and spears and claws, ready for their king’s summons.
They bowed at Rydstrom and me and bellowed, “Our King and Queen.”
My mate’s giant claw steered the small of my back, and we stepped out of the Court of Nightmares into the starlight of the Realm of Night and Dreams.
Chapter 10
The constellation of Scorpius illuminated the night sky with Antares, the red star, at its very heart. Nestling beneath the stars stood a shining, modern city in the fairyland. Lush gardens melded with an urban city. The ocean breeze wafted along the broad, clean streets, and the sound of the waves was a faint symphony.
The air, in stark contrast to California’s polluted atmosphere, was crisp, cool, and tasted of nocturnal magic. Blossoms drifted from the dark blue sky like a dream from another time and another world.
Standing beside me, my parents inhaled the air deeply and a bit greedily, their eyes widening in wonder. As soon as we left the Court of Nightmares, the knights had removed the blindfolds from their faces.
I didn’t blame my folks for their surprise. I’d pictured Rydstrom’s city as being as ancient as old earth, with moss covering the streets and buildings, since the Fae were an ancient, immortal race. It was pleasing to discover that the Night City was new and shiny, preserved by magic and not eroded by time.
“No outsider has ever been admitted into the Realm of Night and Dreams,” Dad said, his arm around Mom’s shoulders. “We have the fortune and honor of seeing the eternal city that never fades, where night never ends.”
I beamed at him. “Dad, you’re still the poet in the family.”
“There’s a good reason the Court of Nightmares borders the Night Realm,” Drake chimed in. “No one can enter this cherished city without His Majesty’s permission.”
“Thanks for reminding my parents of the nightmares, Drake,” I said. “Charming, as usual.”
Even though the Night Captain of the Guards stared at me blankly, I trusted him. He’d guarded me with his life many times.
“You’re welcome, Queen Ileana,” he said, not letting me hear his dry sarcasm.
“Drake can be sensitive sometimes, even if he tries hard not to be,” Rydstrom said, then flashed a disarming smile at my parents. “Welcome to the Realm of Night and Dreams, Lady Clement, Sir Ganon. My home is and will always be open to my mate’s parents.”
Dad stared at him with a no-comment expression, and Mom’s jaw dropped a little.
I didn’t think it was due to the Night King’s sparkling personality or the glint of affection in his dark sapphire eyes. It also wasn’t that Rydstrom had the beauty of a perfect specimen while boasting inhuman strength—my parents hadn’t seen his monstrous form, and I was glad of that for their sake. Rydstrom was the King of the Nightmares, but if Mom had seen his transformation, she’d be less willing to let me