Page 5 of Sweet Nightmares (Wicked Mirrors #2)

Jane’s eyebrows creased. “What?”

He nodded, as if answering someone else’s question. “Yes, you’ll be mine…”

The god definitely wasn’t talking to her. It was as if he were talking to a ghost or a long-lost memory.

The candles flickered again, and the music got louder.

How long had it been since someone had come to this mirror god’s domain? He seemed to be going crazy from all the isolation.

“I—“ Jane bit the inside of her cheek. “Nightmare, what—“

“ Do not call me that.”

Jane shivered. “What should I call you?”

“I have many names. Choose one.”

“Lord Wryte… umm Count of Draculei, Lord Draculei?”—she cleared her throat—“I would like to make a deal with you for—”

His hand moved over her mouth, silencing her.

“Shh, pretty one.” He leaned in and closed his eyes, his mouth resting on her neck as he inhaled deeply. “Tasty.”

His teeth—fangs—grazed her neck.

What the fuck was happening? Was Lord Draculei a vampire? No, she would not call him that, not in her head. He was Nightmare, because he was her nightmare right now.

But he didn’t bite down. Instead, he trailed a kiss down her throat, and her toes curled in her shoes as she clutched the wall tighter for support.

The Mirror of Nightmares was smelling her, touching her, and she liked it.

She was getting… Jane didn’t even know what was happening to her body.

It was like a spark bursting through her center.

It pulsed with anticipation, and she absentmindedly glanced down to his pants to where his cock was hardening against her.

She sucked in a deep breath. It seemed… very large.

Fear and excitement skittered up her back. What that must feel like…

What the fuck was she doing? Jane never enjoyed that act. Ever. Yet now she was staring at a man’s legs, imagining his member… Possibly inside her.

Stop it.

You hate penises . All they’d ever brought was pain and a pounding discomfort.

“Mine.” His hot breath caressed her earlobe as his fingers raked through her hair, and he tilted her chin up as if he were going to feed on her.

And Jane both wanted to be fed on by this god-vampire and to be his. Whatever that meant. Even as she also hated him.

Jane’s breath hitched, wanting, needing him to… to do something, anything, but at that precise moment, in a blink, he was gone.

“What?” she breathed, her weak knees only standing with the support from the wall.

“Your bargain,” he said, matter-of-factly, leaning against the balcony railing, his demeanor utterly shifted. Strong, coherent, and powerful. “What is it that you came for?”

Jane bit her lip and stared at him. Her chest rose in passion-filled breaths.

What the fuck was going on?

“Your bargain, witch?”

“I am not a witch.”

“So you say.” The corner of his lips rose. “To the point, why are you here?”

Her brow furrowed. “To bargain with you for an unending supply of money.”

“For the men outside?”

So he was listening. Interesting.

Jane nodded. Everything about this man was baffling. “Yes, and my husband.”

For her husband, so he wouldn’t have another reason to hit her after this was all over.

“Husband.” He chewed on the word and spit it out, and the room temperature dropped. “And they’ll kill you if you don’t get them the money?”

“Yes.”

Unease burrowed into Jane’s stomach.

“Well, as I said before, only I get to kill you.” He crossed his arms and smirked. “And I’ve decided not to do that yet. I’d rather play with you first.”

“Play…” Jane drew out the word. What did he mean by that?

“Yes.” His eyes twinkled. “So I guess I’ll have to give you that unending money supply.”

He wasn’t serious, was he? That easy?

“But there is only one deal I will accept from you.”

An anchor dropped in Jane’s heart. She knew his next words would change her life forever and ruin her all at once.

“And what is that?”

“You.”

“Me?”

His wicked smile widened. “You will become my bride and anchor. I will own your soul, mind, and body, and you will do everything I command.”

Every muscle in Jane’s body froze.

“No.” The word came out as a broken whisper. Absolutely not.

The only thing Jane had was her mind… And soul. Everyone had already taken everything else. Her husband owned her body. As did the ballet. But her mind, her soul, that was hers and hers alone.

“You are afraid.”

Yes . She swallowed.

“Do not worry.” He took a gentle step toward her. “I treat my brides well… for the most part.”

That didn’t matter, even if she believed him, which she didn’t. Because if she gave him this. It would be everything. Life would have stolen everything from her.

“I cannot be your bride. I am already married.” It wasn’t the protest she wanted to make, but it was the one that came out of her mouth. “See?” Jane held up her left hand, showing off her hideous ring.

Nightmare seemed to have a visceral reaction to it, tensing and shifting away. But she couldn’t tell if the response was from the ugly nature of the ring, or the mere fact that she was married, or both.

“I will keep your loving husband alive for now.”

Please don’t.

“When he dies, you will become my bride fully, in all ways,”— he took another step toward her—“but for now, I will give you a reprieve. You will be my bride in all but name. And when he dies, I will have all of you.”

“I can’t.” Her knuckles turned white from digging into the wall.

“By all means, leave my mirror.” He motioned to the exit portal, knowing her options were him or death. This wasn’t a choice at all.

Nightmare was a true villain. A monster. But was he the better monster?

Yes .

“Alright.” Her nose flared, and tears grew at the edges of her eyes.

“You understand you will not be able to deny me?” He took another step toward her. “You will attend to all of my demands, always.”

A tear fell down her face, and his gaze tracked it as it went.

He took the last step to meet her, reached out, and wiped away the tear with his knuckle. “I will be mostly good to you.” Unless you disobey me , hung between them, unspoken.

Jane inhaled sharply, more tears meeting the first one. But even as she cried, she wouldn’t let him, or anyone, break her. She rolled her shoulders back and met his gaze.

He smiled at her resolve. “You’re going to be so much fun.” He stroked her jaw with his thumb. “You don’t break.”

“No, I don’t.”

He waggled an eyebrow. “Good. Do you understand what you are agreeing to?” he asked gently.

Jane nodded. “Yes.”

He lit up like a thousand beeswax candles. “Then the deal is set. You will have an unending supply of riches in exchange for being my bride and anchor, and you will obey my every command.”

“Yes,” she said harshly.

“Then we seal it as all weddings do, with a kiss.” And before she could respond or protest, he cupped her face, tipped her head back, and touched his lips to hers.

The kiss was gentle and sweet. Barely any pressure at all, like he didn’t want to intrude. It was respectful.

From his lips, magic poured out and into her, seeping into every ounce of her bloodstream. Coating her. Claiming her. Changing her.

Externally nothing looked different, but inside, she felt his bond, his control. Like he was now a part of her, welding them together forever. It was an unbreakable bond that not even death could break.

His lips left her swiftly, but his hand reached out and clutched hers. He turned it over and placed a metal object in her palm.

It was a ring, and she gasped when she saw it—a rare, ancient red diamond ring. But it wasn’t just any ring. “Is this the Heart Diamond?”

Nightmare raised an eyebrow. “Yes.”

“But it’s been missing for thousands of—” She stopped mid-sentence, remembering who and what he was.

“Keep it on you always.”

The command physically washed over her, her blood spiking with heat. Even if she didn’t want to, Jane had to do what he said.

She’d have to do what he said for the rest of her life, and he could ask for anything.

Anything .

She’d traded one monster for something far, far worse. She should have just let the gang kill her.

“Well, bride,”—he stroked her face—“I am going to have such fun with you… Until you break.”

“Nothing can break me.” She sucked in an icy breath. “Not even you.”

“Then I will enjoy trying.”