The Nightmare (The Mist #2) - Regine Abel Page 0,29
minute his son-in-law had gone in to announce my presence. I would find the appropriate time to knock him down a notch or two in the not so distant future.
“Should you wish to join us, simply come back to the same door you entered earlier. A safe birthplace will await you.”
I gave him a stiff nod, then spun around and flew away. I needed to hunt one last time before I left this realm.
Chapter 8
Naima
I woke up feeling ridiculously well-rested and refreshed. My eyes popped at the sight of the time. I rarely slept in, considering it a waste of daylight. Normally, my running shoes were hitting the pavement by no later than 6:30 for my morning jog. But here I was, sprawled in the divinely comfy giant bed in my quarters well after 9:00 AM. I hopped out of bed with a spring in my step before heading to the bathroom for my morning ablutions.
Whatever dream Zain had thrown me into after our little confrontation had been wonderful. I hated that the details eluded me. I couldn’t even remember what it had been about or where it had taken place; only that it had made me happy. And yet, every single moment and conversation during my time in the Mist with my Nightmare—or Darkest Desire as he labeled himself—was crystal clear in my mind.
Zain both confused and fascinated me. There was no question he was a psychopath. And yet, as much as he enjoyed terrifying others—yours truly included—and taking the lives of those he considered lesser, he didn’t actually want to hurt me. He terrorized me in order to please me, not realizing his actions had the exact opposite effect. Zain wanted my approval, but his understanding of what I wanted was twisted by the lenses through which he saw the world.
The lenses I gave him.
Zain believed himself to be in love with me. Obviously, that wasn’t the case. He didn’t know me, only the tortured version of me that he had dreamed up. Navigating his expectations would be tricky, especially since he could read my thoughts.
As I brushed my hair, I tried to analyze my own feelings towards him. I didn’t really know how to think of him. He wasn’t really a person, not in the traditional sense. The virtual world he evolved in had skewed his perception of right and wrong as well as of pleasure and pain. The lawless, dog-eat-dog ruleset of his realm, further fueled by my own ‘dark desires’ that had shaped him as a psychopath, would make it insanely challenging for him to fit in this world.
All these years, I’d been incredibly terrified of him. Now, I saw him as an exciting project I couldn’t wait to get started on. What an incredible psychological study he represented. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity. One that could also save countless innocent lives.
I finished dressing and slipped my feet into my ankle boots, mentally kicking myself for not having brought more casual footwear. Then again, I hadn’t believed I would have made it this far. I picked my access card then headed to the cafeteria.
The construction crew that had been working on repairing the destroyed glass wall were nowhere to be seen. With the door into that chamber closed, I couldn’t tell if they’d completed the task. However, considering how swiftly they’d progressed last night, I assumed they were done.
The large doors to the cafeteria swished open before me. The delectable aroma that invaded my nostrils had my stomach instantly rumbling with hunger. The imposing, oddly shaped room had a dozen rectangular tables wide enough to accommodate six to eight people. However, only a handful of them were occupied by clustered groups of agents, with the odd man out, eating by himself in the back corner of the room. My eyes widened when I recognized Riley.
I made a beeline for him, excited to have someone who could relate to what I was currently experiencing. It didn’t hurt that we’d instantly clicked as well during the ride here.
“Hey! You made it!” I exclaimed, stopping on the other side of the table from him.
“Naima! There you are! I was wondering when I was going to see you!” Riley replied with a beaming smile.
“When or if?” I asked, slightly taken aback.
“When,” he said, matter-of-factly. “You were the talk of this whole circus last night after the agent escorted you to that corridor, not to mention your badass Nightmare.”