Page 32 of The Nightmare Queen

She keeps her golden eyes forward, the muscle in her jaw feathering. “Fine. Marjorie took care of it.”

“And your wrist?” I pry. She looks down at it and shrugs.

“That was nothing. What about you?” She asks keeping her eyes straight ahead still.

I smirk, “I’ve endured worse, Nightmare.”

Her nose scrunches up in annoyance, finally meeting my gaze. “Nightmare?”

I laugh. “Sure, I figure if you get to nickname me and my companion, then I get to nickname you. Queen of Nightmares - Nightmare. It works.”

“It’s ‘The Nightmare Queen’.” She corrects. “And don’t nickname me.”

My lips tip up at the correction. “Oh, I’m sorry, so you get to nickname yourselfandthe two of us - but I can’t nickname you?”I think I’ll ignore that demand.The voice inside my head sings. I decide to switch topics by asking, “You seem on edge, you’re not nervous are you?”

It was meant to be lighthearted but by the way she turns to glare at me, she didn’t take it that way. “Do I look like the type that gets nervous?” She snaps.

I raise my hands up, “just asking is all. Checking in.”

“Don’t do that.”

“Don’t do what?” I ask.

She waves her left hand around haphazardly, “that.The checking in.”

I neutralize my expression, choosing to look away from her this time, “don’t check in? Why can’t I check in?” I ask, trying to seem aloof.

“The reasons are endless as to why you cannot check in on me.”

“Well, we have a long ride ahe—” A whistle rings through the air followed by Armond flagging our group down. With the sky so cloud covered and gray nighttime came quicker than I had expected, so quickly that I hadn’t even noticed how dark it was getting already.

The redhead jumps off of his horse. “We camp here.” He has a gravelly lilt to his voice making his demeanor all that more imposing. Most of her menandwomen are intimidating to look at and I’m slightly ashamed my own army isn’t as hardened as they are, I suppose they each mirror their sovereigns in that regard.

The rest of us follow suit jumping off our horses and unloading our packs. Again the group goes silent. The tension and unease from earlier has returned now that we aren’t moving.

Will’s anxious energy is palpable, the two of us have memories of these woods not too far removed from the present, and I can tell he isn’t too sure about being ready to face them again. He’s muttering quiet words and assurances to himself to ease his nervousness. Eveera at some point in setting up camp overheard him and barked in his direction that we are, “going to war and the creatures out here should be the least of his problems”.

Will lets out an irritated sigh, “must you Obsids always be so vile. Everything has to be a threat?” he snaps.

“Hey man, no offense or anything, but you’re probably safer with the creatures than you are with any of us. With us being so vile and all.” Axel offers his less than helpful commentary, throwing Will a wink.

Will looks at me desperately. “Ror-”

"Go set up the mats.” I say. His eyes narrow at me, distress seeping into them as he turns around. I hate pulling rank, but the more back and forth arguments there is between our two sides, the less I can make this work.

Looking around the small camp I observe everyone settling down for the night, with the exception of one person. The queen. She's not anywhere where I can see her, my head spinning around like an owl looking for her in the firelight. It's not until I hear leaves rustling straight ahead of me that I see her small shadowy form slipping deep into the woods away from camp,alone.

My feet move to go follow her when I feel my wrist catch. “Where do you think you’re going, princeling?” Ezra growls, his fingers wrapping tightly around the rune of the blood seal.

“I think your Queen has slipped off into the woods unprotected.” I snap.

“She’s got it covered, Muscles.” Axel pipes up from his sleeping mat,great another nickname.

I yank at my wrist, pulling Ezra toe to toe with me in the process. “No offense, gentlemen, but my kingdom made an investment inher. So I think I will go ensure that said investment doesn’t get herself killed before we leave your soil.”

Axel props up on his elbows. “Actually,” his lips curling into a sneer, “you invested inus.”He motions his finger in a circle indicating the group, “she’ll be pissed you followed her out there anyways.”

Tearing my arm away from Ezra I flash my wrist at all of them. “I don’t see anyone else with one of these. Meaning my deal is withher.I’ll take my chances.” I say taking off in the direction she went. Axel’s parting words of “it’s your funeral” die down behind me with each step I take.

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