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I folded my arms across my chest, a shield for my heart in the battle I was about to face. “I’m tired of the lies. Just tell me what you want from me.”
Mother smirked. “I suppose the time has come. The truth won’t matter, not when you’re too weak to leave me.” She seized my arm and yanked me to the sofa, where she pushed me down so she could tower over me with a sinister smirk. “Here’s the truth you’re so desperate for: when you first came to the Dream World, you were under the delusion that you were a Dreamer.” She wrinkled her nose in disgust. “I couldn’t have that. You see, I too used to be part of the Dream Realm, but its magic is far too limiting, especially for my plans; I deserved something...more.”
My breath caught. Mother had started out as a Dreamer? If that was true, and she was only a Nightmare by choice...did that mean I too had a choice?
Mother continued. “I knew that as my daughter you didn’t belong there, so I recruited Bolt to frame you so you’d be suspended from that horrible place and come to the Nightmare Realm where you truly belonged. Everything was going according to plan...until you started longing for your old home and a Nightmare you falsely believe to be your Pair. I couldn’t havethat.”
My heart tightened as I gaped at her in disbelief. Though the knowledge that my own mother had been the one to betray me and tear me away from everything I loved wasn’t new, hearing her confirm it so openly and without remorse...tears burned my eyes. Mother watched my anguish with utter indifference.
“Don’t misunderstand, all of this was done for your good, even if you don’t realize it yet. I admit I much preferred when you believed that Nightmare of yours was the one responsible for your suspension; it allowed me to keep you away from him, for a paired union between you two would allow him to rob you of your powers, and they’re too unique for us to share. But when you started going behind my back I knew I needed to take action to protect you, protectus. So I made it possible for Ember to suspend you. You’ve been getting too resistant, and I need you fully loyal to me for the plans I have for us.”
She searched my stunned, agonized expression with a satisfied one of her own.
“The truth hurts, doesn’t it? I wanted to protect you from it in order to spare you all this pain, but perhaps this is for the best; pain makes you weak and more likely to do your daughterly duty for your mother who’s doneeverythingfor you.”
I flinched at the reminder of the burning need I still felt to please her and have her want me, despite her own twisted feelings towards me. I hated this part of myself. How could I destroy it?
Mother eyed me expectantly for my reaction—whether she expected tears or gratitude I wasn’t sure, but I refused to give her either.
I forced my words past my dry throat. “But what good would come of my suspension? My powers rely on magic, so if I don’t have any...”
Mother laughed, a dark sound that chilled me to the bone. “You’ve been quite difficult lately, and a difficult daughter with too much of her own power is far too dangerous. I need you in a position to be more...cooperative. After Trinity read the unwelcome doubt beginning to fill your heart, I knew you were in need of a bit of...persuasion.”
Then I understood. “You want me to rely solely on you for all my magic.”
Mother’s eyebrows rose before her mouth twisted into a smirk. “It appears you’re finally beginning to understand. You were growing a bit too independent, and I need a dependent daughter. Thus, from now on all your magic will come from me and you’ll only use it to do my bidding.”
My heart pounded in trepidation. “What bidding do you have in mind? I believe I should know exactly what I’m getting myself into.”
“You’ll be capturing nightmares created solely for the purpose of unleashing them as part of our quest to take over the Dream Realm. If you fail to cooperate then we’ll have no further use for you; you’ll find yourself not only out of power but out of a home as well.”
With her dark look, I had no doubt she wouldn’t hesitate to abandon me should I fail her. All my greatest fears were on the brink of being realized, but while this terror would previously have bound me forever to her, now her betrayal only made me angry.
I realized I stood at a crossroads, with Mother’s chains tightening around me like coils to pull me down the path she desired for me to take. They’d been gradually wrapping themselves around me like a flaxen cord, too subtle for me to notice until they had me so bound it seemed impossible to break free...but was it really?
I slowly looked around the room, a place that had never felt like home with its suffocating gloom and darkness, so unlike the light and joy that had come not only from the Dream Realm and Darius’s presence, but from being my true self. From the moment I’d first stepped into the Nightmare Realm I’d locked these feelings away so I wouldn’t be reminded of all I’d lost. But hiding myself and all I loved had brought me nothing but misery.
I wanted nothing more than to be a Dreamer. Even though I feared I’d killed every part of my true self, both Darius and Stardust still believed the real Eden still existed, and thus I needed to lean on their faith until I completely believed in myself. If I was still alive, then I could find myself again.
Despite Mother believing she held the chains binding me to her, I knew the truth: the power lay solely inmycontrol; my paralyzing fear only kept me bound if I let it. I didn’t know how I’d escape, but my desire to be more than who I’d allowed myself to become was the first step. Was it too late to atone for my mistakes?
Mother believed she was my only path, but my connection to Darius meanthewas my true home, and none of her manipulations could change that. However, I couldn’t deny I needed to tread carefully. Tonight’s events had only confirmed that whatever Mother was plotting was even more dark and sinister than I’d initially suspected. Even if I didn’t desire to atone for all the mistakes that had led me to this point, I had the responsibility to make things right. But I’d only be able to undermine Mother if I understood her plans...and I couldn’t learn of them unless I stayed, this time not because I was trapped, but by choice.
Such a decision seemed like a long, arduous road, even as I felt a sense of empowerment in taking the first step in doing what was right. But I’d need to tread carefully; Mother couldn’t know I was wavering. I didn’t know how much of the Nightmare Realm was on her side, but I had no doubt she’d thwart me if she sensed my faltering loyalty. A very dark game lay ahead, one I had to pretend to play according to her sadistic rules...at least for now.
Mother’s eyes narrowed as she awaited my compliance, a submissive daughter willing to allow her to manipulate her and destroy every part of her she didn’t approve of. I shoved my resistance to this idea away before Mother could notice and forced myself to arrange my expression into one of submissiveness and desperation. “It appears I have little choice.”
Mother’s expression softened. “That’s more like it. Shall I disclose the full plan?” At my nod, she eagerly continued. “I’m growing the power of the Nightmare Realm until it fully eclipses the Dream Realm. As of now, we’re beginning the process by not only creating flowers that will allow us to weave nightmares of intense fear, but we’re searching for a way to make nightmares permanent so that they generate continuous magic. In order to do that, we’ll need to find a way to trap Mortals in their dreams.”
Horror curdled my stomach as I gaped at her before turning towards Ember. “You approve of this?”
“My role as the Head Nightmare is to help Nightmares. What better way to do what’s best for them than increasing their powers?”
“Even at the cost of hurting Mortals?” I demanded.
Ember shrugged dismissively. “What are they to me? Their only purpose is to act as a source of magic for us. Limiting our access to this source to merely a few dreams a night per Mortal is too confining when we deserve far more.”
I sat back against the sofa, dazed and nauseous. “Does Darius know about this?”
