But unlike the monster Campbell protected, he still had the ability to prevent those same nightmares from happening to others. And as long as he kept Lycansay Hall from finding a way into Sarina Ogilvy’s soul, he would succeed in that plan.
Chapter 6
Sarina never was good at protecting the deepest depths of her soul from Nightmare’s ghoulish amusement. The horrid trickster invaded her world daily regardless of where she lay her head. And tonight, it was at it again. It’s frightening tethers probing her mind and nerves just enough to fill her with fear, but not enough to fully push her over the edge.
Vile bastard.
She fluttered her eyelids open, her surroundings no longer a serene parlor but rather a field of grass and weeds.
Having experienced such sudden shifts in her surroundings in the past, she knew she was dreaming. Vividly dreaming, to be exact, lingering in a world where her every action seemed more real than reality. She tried to ignore it. Tried to wake herself as she had often done when she’d succumbed to Nightmare’s grasp. But this time, there was no saving herself. She knew by instinct she’d have to endure the dream until either her fear grew to the point her body had no choice but to suddenly wake itself, or Nevan would come to her rescue as he had on many nights in New York.
She panted.
The world moved in a blur, its rich hues of greens and browns blending into a hazy vision where trees and grass melded into one.
It took her a moment to realize it, but she soon accepted she was running. Fast. Her heart racing like that of a wild beast’s.
Dirt filled her nails as she dug into the ground, each step flinging a clump of earth into the air.
The notion puzzled her mind. She was not running upright. Or was she? Her line of vision seemed normal; level as usual. And yet, her hands were pounding the ground no differently than were her feet.
Pushing the strangeness of the situation aside, she homed in on a small house a few feet away. Its arched door opened, beckoned her to enter.
A growl crept up to her ears.
Wolf.
Panic overtook her senses.
Breathe. She had to remember to breathe or she’d never wake from this damn dream. She also had to outrun the wolf, for if she died while asleep, she’d die in reality.
Damn Nevan and his tale of that blasted beast stuck in the ceiling.
A second growl echoed.
Outrunning the wolf was her only chance at escaping the animal.
Picking up the pace, Sarina headed for the house, the heat of the day’s sun burning her skin.
Sweat dripped into her eyes. If only she had the luxury of taking a few moments to wipe her eyes, but with a wolf on her trail, time was of the essence.
Squinting, she ignored the burn and carried on.
With a final thrust, she dashed into the small house, her feet skidding over the threshold.
She came to a sudden stop and held her breath.
Sarina didn’t know what was worse—the fear of having been hunted by a wolf, or the freight of seeing what the small house contained.
The one room dwelling bore only a blood-washed bed, a motionless woman cradled in its center, her right arm extended off the mattress.
The scent of rot and decay filled Sarina’s nose.
She inched closer toward the bed.
Something in her shifted, made her see the world anew, almost as if she were now merely a bystander watching her dream unfold, yet still emotionally connected to everything going on around her.
Pain ripped through her heart. She experienced deep lost, yet not the loss for anyone in her real world, but rather for the dead woman on the bed. A woman unknown to her.
As tears clouded her vision, the pierce of a newborn babe’s cry shattered the air, took the last bits of breath that remained in her lungs.
Sarina leaned over the bed and nuzzled her nose against the sheets. Finding that child was a must.
Shock coursed through her veins. Who looks for an infant with their nose? Confusion hammered her brain, but it didn’t stop her from continuing.
Sniffing the sheets, she worked her way through the blood-drenched linen until the scent of newborn skin teased her nostrils. She looked to her right. Wrapped in a blood-stained cloth, a babe lay atop of the dead woman.
A second growl echoed.
Sarina gasped, searched the room for a wolf, but saw no animal.