Page 45 of Ballad of Nightmares

“What’s wrong?” Millie snorted sarcastically and shook her head. “Your fucking girlfriend showed up at SkyCor today asking about the art in Corvus,” she said. “Apparently, she wants to auction some of it off. Said we could donate the money to charity for good PR, seeing as we plan to do nothing to help out the people suffering in Firemoor right now.”

Rolfe choked on his drink, and Sam…

Sam smiled.

“And you said?” he asked.

“I took her out for drinks.”

“Oh?” Sam’s smile widened. “How did that go?”

Millie glared and stalked to the cabinets, where she took out a glass and a bottle of whiskey, poured herself a shot, then chucked it back.

“That well?” Sam teased.

Millie pushed herself to sit atop the counter. “You’re fucked,” she repeated. “I spoke with her over drinks for two hours, and I already feel my knees bending. You… Sam, this is a terrible idea.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m worried about you,” she admitted.

Sam sighed heavily and took his feet down from the table. “I’m fine, Mills,” he said. “Good to know she’s going straight to the top this time, though. Less of a mess to clean up.”

“Samarius, this isn’t funny,” Millie argued.

He contemplated his demon a moment, head tilting. “You don’t have to worry about me,” he said, the tone a mix between a warning and a promise.

“What would you like me to tell her?” Millie asked.

“Whatdidyou tell her?”

“I told her I’d be in touch.”

“Then say you’ll schedule something at the end of next month,” he said.

His phone buzzed then, and as he lifted it up to see the screen, he saw Millie cross her arms over her chest. Sam just stared at the text message on display.

I learned a new word today, Ana texted him.

Millie sat down at the table with a plate of food. She and Rolfe said something, but Sam crossed his leg over his knee and started typing back.

What’s the word?he asked.

Nyctophilia, she answered.

Sam almost smiled at the word.Are you just figuring out that you have a love of the darkness or that there is a word for it?

I didn’t know there was a word for it, she replied.Smartass.

Sam huffed amusedly at the message, and he sent back,X

Oh, he’s too good for emojis, Ana teased him.

I like words better, he said.Feels more meaningful.

The three dots at the bottom of the page flickered a moment long enough that Sam took a long drink of his water, and when the message finally appeared, he hated himself for what it did to him.

“I see as much beauty in the darkness as I see horrors in light.”