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She couldn't. Not here, so close to this stranger.

Her mother had an agenda. Why appear after all this time otherwise?

"It's not natural for nightmares to sleep at night," the crone said to Khal. "That's when we feed."

"Feed?" He tilted his head.

The crone chuckled, moving to stand over Teoran. Her palms hovered over his forehead. "The boy has demons. He's haunted by faces—many faces. Yes. Delicious nightmares."

They watched as a dark mist came out of Teoran's skin, floating toward her open palms.

He took a deep breath, and broke into a blissful smile.

"You've taken his nightmares?" Rissa guessed.

The crone nodded. "I can feed on dreams too, of course. I'm being nice to your boy so you come back to see us. We don't have many children."

"I'm no longer a child," she felt compelled to remind them.

The nightmare chuckled again. "Girl, I have seen the Old World of the folk. I came to these lands with Mab herself. I beheld the gods before they left us. You're a child to us, and so you will remain for the next thousand years."

Rissa couldn't help a curious glance toward Reina.

"She's older than us, your mother," said another nightmare. "And more patient, too. You'll understand her, one day."

"Am I not supposed to die saving the free world before then?" She could imagine dying before understanding Reina.

The old lady laughed again before returning to her seat, leaving Rissa confused, angry, and frustrated.

Faces

"Iwondered whether you'd fall asleep today."

Rydekar sat next to her on the wooden bench, right on the old crone's seat. He smiled down at her, stunning as always.

"I'm asleep?" Her heart raced. "Oh no. How do I stop it?"

He frowned. "Why?"

"I can't be asleep where I am, trust me. I need to—"

"Calm down. I think I can wake you up."

She breathed in and out. Good. "Do it."

"First things first. Earlier today, you were scared. What's going on? Where are you?"

Where did she even start with that? "Khal, he—he almost died. For a moment, I thought he might have."

Rydekar straightened up. She saw his eyes flash with pure rage.

She deserved it; it was her fault. The least she could do was assume the responsibility. "I shouldn't have…I was careless and—"

"He's fine, right?"

She nodded.

"Good. Wake up."