Page 21 of Awakened By Her Guardian

Nightmare screamed like he’d been cut with a thousand knives, and his people faltered.

Around them, the evil dream walkers began to collapse under the sudden loss of power. Sandman surged forward with the other dream walkers, driving the evil followers back.

Nightmare snarled and stumbled toward the portal, and the followers who could move under their own power joined him. The portal shattered and disappeared, and the darkness vanished with it. No more purple and black smoky mist, and no more awful rotted smell. No more fighting, magical or otherwise.

The sun came out, no longer hidden by the strange storm clouds.

Then Ana swayed on her feet and her magic sputtered.

The golden glow of her unique slumber magic faded, and she dropped to her knees, leaning heavily against Gabriel.

He barked sharply and her parents hurried to them.

“Oh, her power. She used so much to save us,” her mom said. “Sandman!”

The male approached quickly, his expression grave. He laid a hand on Ana’s head. “Her magic is dangerously depleted. Whatever surge your wolf gave her in the battle is gone, and she needs to replenish it at the Well.”

“The Portal is closed, though,” her dad said.

Gabriel wished he could get to his phone, but he was trapped in his shift and couldn’t tell them to call Hunter so Pixie could open a portal to get them back to the Well.

Then suddenly, a portal opened in front of them.

Pixie and Hunter stood in the opening. “I had a feeling we needed to come here,” Pixie said. “Holy crap! Is she okay?”

“We need to get her to the Well,” Ana’s mom said.

“Let’s go,” Pixie said.

Ana’s father scooped her up, and they all hurried through the portal to the subbasement. It was the longest run of Gabriel’s life as he stayed by Jared’s side while he carried Ana up to the ground level and out the nearest security door. A snowstorm blanketed the area, but they fought through it together until Jared set her beside the Well and placed her hands in the magic’s golden glow.

Sandman and her family members all replenished their magic at the Well, but Ana’s took longer as she was more depleted.

“If it hadn’t been for Ana and you combining power, Gabriel, I don’t know what would have happened,” Sandman said. “I think Nightmare planned to terrorize her until she gave up and joined him.”

“And what about Jack Frost being there?” her mom said, shivering. “That was terrifying. The evil dream walkers were using some weird mix of ice and fear to fight us.”

Her parents embraced and then both looked at Gabriel.

“Thank you for saving her, and us,” her dad said.

Gabriel barked sharply. He was fucking glad he’d been there.

“I felt a shift in the magic,” Santa said as he joined them at the Well. “I sensed a surge of warlock magic, but it was tainted somehow. Are you all okay?”

They assured him they were fine now, but it had been close.

Ana sighed deeply as her magic replenished fully, then sank to the ground, hugging her arms around Gabriel’s furry neck. He murmured at her, happy she was okay.

Santa put his hand on Gabriel’s head. “You did well. You saved your mate and turned the tide of the battle.” He looked at the others. “Let’s get inside and get you all some hot cocoa. I want to know everything that happened. My brother has done something he’s never truly done before: joined forces with another male who isn’t simply neutral, but has fully embraced the dark side of his magical power.”

Ana seemed to be asleep, so her dad carried her inside. While Gabriel wanted to hear more about the battle, she needed rest, and he wasn’t going to leave her side. Her dad brought her to the medical center, where the two healer elves, Trouble and Melody, were waiting.

They settled Ana on a hospital bed, covered her in warm blankets, and pulled a chair over so Gabriel could sit near her in his shift.

Trouble brought over a raw steak. “I think you’re stuck for a while, but I’m sure you’re hungry. She’ll wake when she’s fully back to herself and not a moment before, so just hang out and rest.”

Gabriel barked softly in appreciation.