Nightmare

Of Thoughts and Mixed Feelings

I blink when Rowan closes the gap between them and our lips meet.

I'm even more surprised when I find myself kissing him back.

But then he jumps back. "Sorry. I should have asked."

"You don't need to ask," I say, kissing him again.

Then we hear a rustling behind me. Rowan quickly jumps up, helping me up with him. Then he steps in front of me.

"Who are you?" He calls out, grabbing the knife he pulled out of the creature I killed.

Instead of an answer, a deep, evil cackling is heard.

"What do you want?" I call out in Odin's voice. I honestly fucking hate that bitch, but they might have met him before, so I guess it was worth a shot.

Rowan turns slightly to look at me in surprise, but I shake my head, mouthing, Later.

"You don't look like Odin, Fire-Wielder," the evil voice observes.

"Maybe I'm not," I say, switching my voice to Hela's. The sky darkens.

"Whitethorn." The thing in the trees ignores me. "What is your business here?"

"We would like to request a meeting with the High Lady of Night." Rowan says.

"What for?" It asks in a gravelly voice.

"We need to use the Wyrdgates to get to a mortal land."

"Noted. And the price for trespassing on Night Court property?" The voice sneers.

Rowan holds out his palm in front of him and the knife, poised to make a deep cut in his hand.

"What are you doing?" My breathing hitches.

"Blood sacrifice," he whispers back.

"No. Let me do it." I mutter. "I owe you so much, just let me do this."

"You owe me nothing," he says, and slices his palm open. Drops of scarlet fall to the blue-silvery grass in the ground, shining even though the clouds have obscured the sun that was there three minutes ago.

Then the blood disappears, and he turns his left arm over and pulls up his sleeve.

A small marking on his left arm. Red. The shape of a dagger.

"She's your soulmate, isn't she?" It addresses Rowan. We still can't see it. "What a shame that marking had to show up on her skin, too. She won't be able to get through the Wyrdgate if she has the symbol but no blood given." It sounds... cruelly amused now, like it's enjoying this.

What is it?

"So I have to slice open my hand now," I say dully, and Rowan nods while I sigh. "Joy."

I take Rowan's dagger and slice the blade over the area I just got stabbed a few days ago.

A sharp stab of pain shoots through my hand and I wince, letting my blood fall to the ground as well.