Infernal

Cam's POV

As Linkin Park poured from the speakers, I learned two things. One, Nina was as much of a heavy sleeper as my brother. And two, I was in a hella lot of funk. The lead singer was saying something about 'devastation' and I could totally relate.

In other words, I was screwed out of my bright mind.

I snorted. Intelligence was something I'd never lacked. I could probably become a strategist for any army and win all wars and shit. But when it got personal? I got dumb.

That's why I never let it get sentimental. But when an idiot twin went against better judgment to keep me alive, 'personal' was no longer avoidable.

I'd had the right idea with the Gate.

It was simple.

Put the hand on the circle, let the little spikes dig in and watch blood defy gravity ascending to the fugly head—feeding it.

Of course with my shitty luck, it refused to open.

Could those things malfunction? Heck if I knew.

Yesterday night, after my mild-meltdown, Nina and I settled in the Camaro. I'd slept one hour max. At the butt crack of dawn, my neurons were back in the game and with an idea—my last resort. I was driving us there now.

I looked to the right, seeing her still sprawled on the reclined seat, cuddling my leather jacket. I gave it to her for lack of blankets. I hoped her night had been cozy, mine had been freezing.

Dwelling on self-pity had kept me from turning on the A/C.

"...mine..." Cocking an eyebrow, my eyes wandered to Nina's full mouth.

It was lightly ajar, waves of tawny hair fanned her neck and right cheek. She looked relaxed. The most I'd seen her since... since the dance.

That tight little body against mine—a sigh rippled from me. Ugh. Shouldn't think about those things with no showers or cold-ass pools around.

"...safe."

What was she going on about? Pause, rewind—my little lovebird talked in her sleep? How much adorable could she... Words failed as her small, perfect nose scrunched, burying into my jacket's neck.

She was too fudging cute.

Groaning, I tore away from her, not wanting to wreck the car and us.

She had so many sides to her. A little dark voice whispered: remind you of someone?

I stapled it away, not needing a subconscious reminder of how many faces I had. Or how many things me and Rapunzel had in common.

We had one too many.

Sometimes—I was gonna sound pansy—it was like we were one in the same. Sure enough, my soul tried to bust into song.

The hell...?

"...Cam?" my eyes smacked on hers. They were hazy with sleep, but open. "Did you do something...?" she yawned, frowning at the fluttering sunlight.

"Don't think so. Why?"

Nina wiped her eyes, "I thought I heard you... calling me or something."

"Nope," I doubted she would've woken up if I had. "Just driving. Thinking how I'm going to fix our Gate problem."

Nina stretching and letting out groans made me imagine things. It got worse when the jacket slipped, revealing the outline of her plump breasts. Every curve of her was popping out. Did V shop a size smaller?

"Mmm, my neck..." my foot jerked on the pedal making her yelp— "Cam!"

"I'm sorry," I mumbled fast, honestly. It was her fault that I was acting like a Summer Camp nerd who'd never seen a girl in a two-piece. "Are you done with that?"

"Are you asking for your jacket back?" I nodded. "A gentleman doesn't do that."

"Not it," I motioned with a hand. Rolling her eyes, Nina shoved it forward. "Thank you, sweetie." I gave a patronizing smirk.

After shrugging it on, I clicked the A/C. The air coming from the vents warmed us in mere minutes, and it pushed the scent clinging to my leather coat. Not mine. Hers.

Like I didn't smell the raspberries enough.

"Have you been up long?"

"Woke up five hours ago." Nina lowered the stereo's volume, I eyed her. "We're going to Georgia, in case you're wondering."

"Georgia? Why, what's there?"

"A town called Rockwell. I know someone there who will be able to help us." Hopefully. "She was a friend of my dad's, she's like my aunt." The finger with the ring beat on the wheel rhythmically . "And a Vampire."

Nina stilled curling on the newly-raised seat, blinking several times.

"You'd think that wouldn't surprise me, but... it does. On some small level." She swiped some rebellious strands.

"Good to know my family can still surprise you."

"You trust her?"

"She's a lot nicer than Raph." Which wasn't too hard. Anyone who wasn't trying to build me into a martyr won my affection. "Yeah, I trust her completely."

Rory was the cool aunt who gave us beer. Pretty legit description.

"We can trust a Vampire, but not an Angel? What kind of screwed up world do we live in?"

"One that's upside down painted with black and white polka dots." Nina's eyebrows drew together, finally she turned away hiding a grin. The fuck had I just said? "A very screwed up one." She curled up, legs tucked beneath her, head on its side glancing to me. "What?"

"Nothing,"

"Liar,"

"Am not,"

"Are too," Holy Hell on wheels—was I actually having an argument worthy of a six-year old? "Yes, you are. You're staring fixated, that normally means you want something."

"You're handsome enough to look at without my eyes frying." A very wicked smile materialized making her quickly gain control over her expression—hardening it. "I mean—not that I was admiring or staring or—I do, I need something." Pause. "To talk to you."

"Go ahead, talk. You can still watch me as we talk." Nina exhaled heavily, embarrassment and fury escaping her.

Muttering something I chose to let slide, she eyed my profile steadily, "I was wondering about something," her lips trembled a bit, sign of a nervous subject. "I think you're going to get angry."

Sneaking a peek at my lovebird, I couldn't imagine what was brewing in that head of hers.

"I don't like when you get angry..." Nina whispered to herself—an afterthought. Curse sensitive hearing.

I felt an inward wince. Memories sprung from a place I kept bottled up. I had a very unconventional way of dealing with pent up anger. No one liked it.

Not like I could help it...

"I won't get angry," at least, I was pretty confident I wouldn't put on a lightning show.

"Well..." she began. "I wanted to learn how to see things that happened and things that haven't happened." So far so good.

"Why wouldn't I like that?"

"Because that vision from the past I had... I had it while touching you. It's never worked before and well... I was thinking... if I could try that again." I swallowed. "With you." Her two words were forced out, but she continued to hold her head headstrong.

"You want me as your lab rat?"

"Yes—no. I mean, I... It's only because it never happened before." Nina crossed her arms below her chest, it made her breasts rise.

Keep it cool, Leale.

"So," I met her divine golden irises. "You mad?"

Skittish, not mad. "What about? You wanting me as a guinea pig or you not admitting that you just wanna touch me again?" I nearly lost it when her sun-kissed cheeks went red. Hilarious. "I know my charm is totally undeniable. It runs in the family but I've perfected to the point no girl can tell me no."

"No girl?"

"Nope,"

"You've never been shot down?" I shook my head. "You could get any girl?"

I smirked, eyes lighting with challenge, "Oh, darling, I could get anyone. Anytime. Anyplace." I said, voice in the form of a caress.

I felt her shudder from across the way. My magic was working this second.

"I didn't know you swung both ways."

I let out a hard laugh, "I don't. But I could get a guy." The thought really wasn't appealing for me.

"Right. Okay," she bit with a hint of disbelieve. "Then you're alone by choice?" Wasn't that obvious?

"Of course," I got with a girl from time-to-time—like with Sam—that was all. "I don't believe in relationships."

She shifted, glaring at the console. "You were with Vanessa."

That had turned out bloody. Pun intended. "And you know what happened to her. Hence why I don't do relationships anymore."

"Just because one relationship ended badly doesn't mean all others will."

"What can I say? I'm a fatalist." Not liking where this was heading, I reserved the topic. "I don't like the idea of you practicing on me." No matter how much I liked her touching me.

Nina's eyes flashed with hurt. A knot in my chest throbbed. Crap, couldn't I get one right?

Taking a deep breath, I tried a new approach. "What did you do?" her head tilted questioningly—gaze still away. "With your Power, what did you told it to do?"

"Nothing," she hissed. "It just slipped and I was thinking..." I cocked my head to the side coaxingly. "I wanted to know you—I wanted... to get closer." She shrugged dismissively. Her gaze jumped mine, furtive. "If you joke about what ways I wanted to get 'closer' I will snap."

The spark and bite told me not to go there if I wanted to keep my balls. I took the wise choice.

"Guess that makes some sense." I muttered. "You wanted to know me better and your Power showed you something from my past. It did its thing." A little too well. She just didn't know.

Nina didn't touch the sore subject. As if she knew exactly what would happen—I'd lose it. Shut down. Wouldn't speak another word until we arrived at Rockwell.

And we had a long way to go.

"Even if I learn how to use my ability it won't help me, will it? It doesn't hurt anyone." Her soft voice had turned irritated—not at me—at herself. "You should've brought Vanessa along instead of me. I'm a liability to you."

My heart dropped dead. No more teasing flowed my veins, no more wit and charm or even apprehension—I damned it all out of me as I pulled over on the highway's kerbside.

"Cameron!" her hands gripped the sides tightly as I killed the engine.

Holding her face in my hands I let it all toll on me. Delicately brushing her supple lips with a thumb, caressing the smooth edge of her cheek, I edged closer until I felt her startled breath.

"What you did yesterday... Vanessa wouldn't been able to do that. No one has ever done it. You did—you do. Because it wasn't the first time, Nina." I tucked luxurious strands of her hair behind an ear, artfully. "When I lose control like that... I can't help it, I release it but I can't draw it in—it won't stop until everything that fueled the breakout cools off. It takes days. Sometimes more." I gulped. "I started that big storm back in Haven Hills—" her lips smacked together as if she knew why.

Maybe she did.

"It only took a few moments with you for it to stop. The same happened two days ago and yesterday." I breathed the warm air, delving into her golden pools with the kind of sincerity that seared threw any wall. "Not even Phillip can do that. You're... I never met anyone who affects me the way you do. You're my anchor—you bring me back." I choked out.

I realized my eyelashes were trembling from trying to look everywhere else, but couldn't. I was trapped by her transfixed, burning gaze.

No more talking was good— "You're a beacon, a sun that leads me back and it helps me find control—" Enough. I slammed the lid on my rampaging emotions. Something else she was responsible for.

She made me sound like a vagina.

The lid popped all over when Nina reached for my cheek. A spasm crawled down my body, the beating of my heart was an exact match to hers. It was scary. Exciting. Nina's palm quivered against my face, her fingers left a trail of brazen fire in their wake. A strangled groan was carving its way up my chest.

"You make it very hard for me to hate you." Her deft finger-pads bumped the outline of my mouth.

I managed a languidly grin. "Must be all the charm working for me."

She smiled slightly, "Must be..." her other hand settled on my shoulder, riding up my neck shocking me—like that was possible—making me ache for more. "This isn't a kiss,"

"No," I agreed moving our foreheads closer, brushing my nose with hers. "Not a kiss."

Nina's chest heaved a muffled giggle causing my heart to skip a beat.

Her eyes slipped closed and I closed in, taking her lips. It was frugal, slow—nothing like our real kiss. Because this wasn't one. I couldn't think of Nina that way, if I got anymore involved, think it for just a second—we wouldn't make it.

But it was like leaving me alone with an apple-pie and expect me not to eat the whole thing.

Utterly irresistible. Nina awakened things in me—she was all consuming.

Taking my time, I crushed her locks, rubbing them between my fingers—loving the silky texture. Nina captured my bottom lip, sucking carefully. I felt her squirming forward, slipping a hand up my hair creating disorder.

Her chin tipped giving me better access. The ardent passion coming off her mingled with mine and soon I wanted to bust out the car, pulling her tight against me. I knew what she meant about getting closer.

No matter how near we were, it was never enough.

I never wanted to stop.

No girl stood a fighting chance against her, the simple act of touching took me to places I never knew. Her presence was incandescent, from the first time I'd seen her on that hallway in Julian Ivory... that tingle scrapping my neck into a delicious tickle, driving my eyes to that girl with the paper slip looking completely lost like red riding hood in the woods. I had never felt such a strong allure to someone, definitely not a new girl.

It had been so transcendental I thought she could only be something supernatural. A Fallen or a Witch. Not that I felt chills down my spine when I was near them, but my brain had came up with that explanation because I hated not knowing why things happened. And I hadn't been totally wrong, she was supernatural, just not what I'd thought.

And I still didn't know why I felt that tickle when she was nearby. I wasn't about to ask her if she felt it too, it would be too creepy if I did and Nina didn't.

I crushed our lips harder remembering how I'd driven her against the wall, scaring the living crap out of her. When everything inside had told me to be nice, I'd been awful. I was sorry for that everyday. Because I pushed her away Phillip protected her and I didn't like the way he did it, but he'd been right, being close to her was an easy way.

I hated myself for telling him to go ahead and get with her. I hated myself so much it took self-loath to a new level. All for this one girl.

Nina sighed fervently, knee brushing up my thigh—all of a sudden, she found herself clinging to me like a cat. For a minute I sat there, holding her, deafened. Making a face.

A giant lorry truck had drove too close for comfort, scaring Nina out of her skin and shooting my eardrums.

I was dragged from my stunned moment when a pleasant heat leaned on my T-shirt. Said source was sporting an awfully cute smile.

"Not a kiss?" I shook my head leaning into my seat—taking her for sometime.

"Relationships are dangerous," especially with me. "I can't give you what you want, Nina, least of all now."

I heard her heart slowing, mine hurried to match it. Strangely comforting.

"That's okay," she looked up with soft speaking eyes. "I don't understand what we have either." A hand smoothed down my chest. "I felt that too—you pulling me back? The night my family died... You brought me back."

My chest felt a whole lighter, like I was floating. She did some weird stuff to me. Always had.

***

We couldn't be more then seven hours away from Georgia. Six, if we were lucky. I was going to stop in the nearest road-side motel. No one worked on an empty stomach and we hadn't eaten more than cookies and chips.

It didn't come close to fill me.

We could also benefit from a shower and a night on a bed.

Nina was watching the horizon as it faded from a gray-blue into a dark oblivion of clouds. She drew her arms tighter, gripping the denim material.

"About that liability business..." I'd forgotten the reason why I'd pulled over earlier. "You're not one. You get that right?"

Her shoulders slumped a little as she propped herself upright.

Okay maybe she was one. I couldn't deny feelings for her—I had them. I would act on them if she was in danger, I knew that. I was still trying to fight them—for both our sakes. We didn't need feelings being used against us.

"I hate counting on you to keep me safe."

"I know," I hated feeling helpless, too. "But you'll learn how to use your ability—"

"Great, Cam. Then I'll sit them down and give a reading on their future, I'm sure they'd be terrified and take the last train to glory." A sputtering laugh evaded my shields. She scowled. "It's not funny! I don't like depending on people and I don't like you getting hurt because of me."

My insides flip-flopped. I clenched my jaw.

"Do you know what mental games are?"

She sported a pouty expression, "They're what I use to get my brother to eat broccoli?" I smiled shortly and saw her lip corners upturn.

"Close. People hate being reminded of what they did wrong. Anger isn't a good fuel for a fight, it makes people unfocused. Sloppy."

"And I should use that to my advantage?" I nodded. "Okay. I get them pissed off at me, then what? I don't have Zeus' stash of lightning bolts like you."

"No," I patted my pocket—still there. "I have something you can use." That got her interested. "But we can talk about how you can turn into Buffy later," I saw a neon sign—flashing in bright red—motel Fux.

Talk about name failure.

"Hope their rooms are better than the spelling."

"I don't think there's a diner or... anyplace to eat." I could hear her stomach churning. Mine was going pretty restless and achy, too.

"Guess we'll be stuck eating vending machine goodies." I was sure there was one around the halls. "Let's go."

The lobby was dim, an old ceiling vent swished lazily above our heads. Inside the building the air was damp—stuffy—making the windows fog up. Nina's eyes drifted around, stopping on me. She stayed close playing with the star necklace, something was making her heart tut faster.

Taking a decent look around, I spotted a big wolf head hanging on the far end of a wall leading up into the rooms. The fur was gray, the eyes a dangerous icy-blue with black jet pupils. The mouth was wide open in a vicious snarl, revealing a nice jaw. Worse than shark's teeth.

Must've been a hard catch and kill.

"It's killed dead, lovebird, it won't leave the wall to maul you." She kept twirling the amber star. "Not that you'd need to worry. You'd be too small to satisfy a thing that big."

Nina's twitchy elbow struck my side with a mean hook. I smirked down, emphasizing our height difference and my accurate point. I was surprised not to hear a swear-name leave her. Never dislodging my eyes from hers, I reached for the service bell perched on the counter.

A girl around our age showed up behind the worn counter, smacking a piece of gum. I heard another person beyond the door—a middle-aged woman. Probably her mom.

"Hi," a smile perked her up. "Checking in?" she twirled a hair around a finger.

"Yes," I stepped up, eying the board where the keys hung. More people on the lower floors. "We wanted a room for the night." I said in my charming demeanor. "On the last floor if it could be possible." I flashed a dazzling smile that had the girl tucking hairs into the ponytail.

The last floor was the best. Silence was better there, I didn't need useless ruckus clattering my hearing. My father's ring had proved effective so far, but there was a good chance it wouldn't cover Nina all the time.

Who knew.

"Of course," she said promptly, smiling back. Her eyes took me and Nina into the same picture. "One king?"

Our words matched in pitch and quickness, "Two queens!"

The light-haired girl blinked, staggering back a step. Nina readjusted the backpack on her shoulder and I swiped a hand carelessly through my hair.

"So, yeah, two queens." I ended up muttering.

Hastily, the young lady nodded moving her hands to another key.

"Will that be cash or credit?"

"Visa," I dug out my Armani wallet—courtesy of my aunt—and slipped out the Black Card, passing it to her.

Beside me, Nina was tilting her head, eyes wide. Yeah, I was pretty wealthy. Owed that to my mom—to her family. Stashing it away, I grabbed the key politely nodding and steering Nina in the right direction. For a fraction of a second, she hesitated crinkling her nose at the persevered beastly head, with a huff she trudged up.

When we were heading for the third—last floor—I picked up squeals and bed springs singing. Someone was having fun. Nina hurried her pace and I couldn't keep a mischievous grin away.

"In a hurry to get me all to yourself?"

She leaned on the wall waiting as I opened our room.

"I'm too hungry to answer. Not that that question deserves one." I saw her small hand rubbing circles on her stomach.

"There was a vending machine on the happy-couple-floor." She made a face. "Go in, I'll get some snacks."

I didn't move until she walked inside—before though, Nina stopped, tracing a hand up my shoulder. I was completely paralyzed.

"I can take this for you," she tugged on my own bag. I shrugged it off, into her hand. "Don't take too long."

"I won't." The door smacked closed. I smiled shaking out my hair.

We were about to eat Phillip's dream dinner. Sugary and salty junk food. I raved the machine of Fritos, M&M's, Oreos and Ding-dongs. Oh, and water bottles—lots. We were going to need something to wash all the fat from our lymphatic system. Kicking our door I waited impatiently with the goods overflowing my arms.

"I come bearing gifts." I saw a sparkle of humor lit up as she peeked through the cracked door. She side stepped, letting me in.

The room was basically that. One room. Twin beds were at the center, up against the wall, a bedside table separating them. Sheets surprisingly stretched, freshly clean. If I stretched my sense of smell a little more, I could catch the scent of bleach—from the bathroom.

I let my spoils tumble on a bed. Nina launched for them quickly, like a hunting howl. I hadn't been gone for more than five minutes and she'd already changed into a pair of slacks and a fluffy sweatshirt.

"Please, help yourself, don't mind me." I mocked going for my backpack getting a pair of flannel bottoms and a T-shirt. It was cold enough in here to hang meat. When wrappers stopped snapping, I glared over a shoulder.

Nina had eaten a Sneaker bar and had found a pack of Ding-dongs—but she was still, glaring down at it. Throwing my sleeping attire on bed, I walked closer, tapping under her chin so she'd look up. She slowly raised her eyes, and I was scared to see them almost tearful.

I was fighting every muscle not to drop on my knees and hug her. Whatever was wrong.

"You... don't like those?" I asked softly, unsure. I hated when she cried. "I can go get other things—"

"I like them, it's not that... it's not that at all." She choked up a sob, unwrapping the chocolate dinner. "I ate this with Phillip on our first—" her mouth clamped shut. That pain-in-the-ass-knot throbbed, she might as well finish the phrase. "On our first date..."

Nina avoided my face at all costs and I wasn't sure what to say. The right side of my brain told me not to say anything at all. That was exactly what I did, I grabbed my stuff and went into the bathroom closing the door with more force than necessary.

Finishing the snacks hadn't taken long. We were both in bed, under the covers and Nina was just about to turn off the TV. Not that I'd been watching it, but she could use the distraction. I shifted, tucking both hands behind my head.

I could hear her soft breathing as she twisted around making herself comfortable and warm. With a huffing noise—she stopped.

"You're going to sleep this time, right?" my head lolled to where she was. Turned on her side facing my bed. "At least try...?" a yawn made it onto her words.

Tucking in a smirk, I nodded, "I'll try," She scowled as if she wanted a written contract saying that. "Goodnight, Nina." I whispered watching her lids drooping.

"Hmm," she murmured. "You're trying to get me to... doze off..." And managing it, darling. "...don't let the bed-bugs bite..." that drowsy tone sounded a lot like the one she'd used in her sleep.

Not even three minutes later, Nina had dropped off consciousness.

A lamp outside kept flickering, the light was coming through the shutters. The noise poked me like a water drop repeatedly falling on my head—having enough, I snuffed it out. There, electrokinesis was good for something.

Closing my eyes, I fought hard to give into sleep. It took me years to relax every last muscle in my body, chase every possible nightmare away.

I was cold. I was wearing a T-shirt, pajama pants, and was under sheets. But I was cold.

My eyes flung themselves open when a whistle came behind the door—out in the hallway. Side-glancing the alarm clock I saw 2 a.m flashing. I'd been asleep for almost three hours. A record in the last days.

My blood spiked. I felt my body move before I could think—flinging back the covers, sitting, I got up. I followed to the door, hesitating one moment when I looked over at Nina who slept peacefully, curled on her side.

I wanted to keep it that way.

The tension building up on the back of my neck caused my hand to lower—grasping the knob. Heart beating fifty miles per second, I opened it and was left baffled. What the...? I knew I hadn't been sleeping a lot, but I was pretty sure the hallway hadn't been a gigantic maze in abhorring colors. The walls were twisted—melt down, like candle wax.

Instinct told me to look down—but I was already falling. There was an awful lot of pain, making me blackout for a minute... two... By the time my senses were back my head had a twinging ache. The images I caught were distorted and a piercing buzz rattled in my eardrums; giving a sensation of vertigo, causing nausea.

It felt like all my world was spinning out of order. When I tried moving my arms to make it stop—I hissed. Something was cutting into them. It was strong, like rope, thin—but silky. How could that be? Something silky would've broken the second I tugged, or rope for that matter...

Pushing my senses to their fullest, I regained most control taking a good mental picture of what was holding me.

A web.

A gigantic cobweb entangled my arms and legs. The surroundings were dim, a smell I recognized wondered the shadows. Death. Doing my best to squash the rising panic, I swelled my muscles pulling everything holding me, willing the web straps to cease—

"You're going to hurt yourself if you keep doing that." Too late, my wrists were already bloody, dripping. "Those aren't going anywhere until I let you go, Nephilim." My eyes sharpened trying to break the darkness wrapping the shape. I didn't know if it was male or female, the voice could go either way.

But whoever—whatever it was—it knew I was a Nephilim. I didn't like it.

"I'm just gonna keep trying if it's okay with you? I don't like being held by a coward." I taunted putting in practice the mind games I'd mentioned earlier. Nina! Was she—

"I'm merely a messenger, boy. You'd do well to heed my next words carefully." My body spasmed when I tried calling on my Power. It... it was like it didn't exist. I couldn't tap into it. "Listen to me, Cameron Leale."

My bindings cut through muscle, reaching the bone. I groaned moving my head to the side, hiding the wince. Nothing was healing, I noticed. It wasn't because the cuts were being dug constantly either, they just weren't going anywhere.

What was happening?

"What is this? Where am I—?" a sharp intake of breath left me when the restraints pulled my limbs further apart.

"You don't ask questions, boy, you listen. Yes?" No, I wanted to defy. Only I wasn't sure how much more I could take—and Nina. I had to get back to her, wherever I was. "Good." The voice seemed to like me better when I stopped. "I know your brother has been taken to Hell. He made a deal of some sort?"

"What's it to you?" I exhaled heavily, fighting to understand how a spider web was keeping me in place. It wasn't possible, all this was unreal. Ah, says the guy that can manipulate bolts of lightening.

"Hasty, boy, let me finish." I could feel me wavering between falling out and staying awake. Phillip. This was about Phillip, stay awake, I ordered. "I can give you what you want—your twin."

With shaking eye-sight, I gasped. From pain or admiration, I didn't know.

"...what's the catch?" I muttered, rasping.

I couldn't see an outline, but whomever was here in this maze-like prison was smiling gleefully.

"You have something I want," the voice went on as if bored. "You give her to me and I'll find a way of getting Phillip back to you." Her? "Nina Cortez. She's with you, isn't she—?"

Nina... for Phillip? Phillip was my brother. Nina was some girl I'd met three months ago and if it were anyone else, I would've handed her over. Said yes without second guessing anything else. Our not-kiss surfaced, awakening me, shaking my brain into place.

"What do you want with her?"

"I've told you before, no questions." The rope-like-web tightened.

My teeth ground together. Damn. I threw back my head, clinging to anything—to her. To Nina. To the emotions she brought out in me.

"No," I roared louder than a thundering whisper. "No. You're not getting anything from me. I'm not giving you Nina—" my head shook sideways. I knew this wasn't possible. Not unless... "Who... are you?" What are you? I thought sluggishly.

This wasn't real. That's it. Webs didn't cut skin like butter. A hallway didn't simply become a maze, nothing could shut off my Power—only Golden chains—this wasn't real. It was a manipulation. Was it an illusion or a manipulated dream, I didn't know. But one of the two.

Something strong was inside my head.

"...not... real..." I panted as blood crawled, leaving me breathless, dizzy—but it was fake. "...not real..."

The only way of breaking out of an illusion or dream was to break it. Realize it wasn't real.

It was like being sucked into a worm-hole.

I sat up in bed panting excessively, sweat beads trickled my brow, plummeting on the sheets. My heart was racing, pounding on my ribcage. My head throbbed like blood vessels were exploding one after another. My whole frame was shaking.

My eyes darted to the other bed—Nina was sleeping, cuddling her head into the pillow. Nothing seemed wrong until her eyes slitted. Half-asleep. Only just registering me.

"...bad dream...?" her voice was croaky, despite it, it calmed me down immensely.

She was alright. No one had hurt her. She was safe with me.

"Yeah, something like that." I murmured velvety. "Nothing to worry about, Rapunzel, go back to your dreams. I know how much you love dreaming about me." I wondered if she saw through my shaky grin, because she smiled a goofy one, closing her eyes.

I laid down eventually, turning to face her. Losing myself in that perfect face. Nothing was hurt, my wrists and legs were fine. The familiar weight of Power pressed my bloodstream.

Before I could come up with conspiracies as to who did that, who wanted Nina and why, I fell into the exhaustion I'd been carrying on for days.