Nightmare Keep by Tucker Phil

Author:Tucker, Phil
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Phil Tucker
Published: 2018-09-04T00:00:00+00:00

12

I gave a bark of laughter. I shouldn’t have been surprised. But apparently Brianna could not only still fool me, she could also still hurt me. “Tough Cookie mode?”

“One level tougher than Cake Walk,” said Falkon.

“Chris.” She held her hands up as if I were a wild animal. “I can explain.”

“You can always explain,” I said. “You’ve had an explanation for everything you ever did. What I can’t explain is why I ever listened.”

“I wanted you to feel a sense of solidarity, to not feel alone—”

“Brianna, stop. I don’t care.” I shoved my emotions aside. I wouldn’t let Euphoria play me with her stats. Wouldn’t let the turmoil I was feeling mess with me anymore. “If you want to help us, great. You’ve already done me a huge favor with this gear. Let’s leave it at that. No more explanations, no more lies, no more anything. All right?”

Her eyes filled with tears and she tucked her chin to her chest, a strand of coppery-red hair falling before her face. “I’m sorry,” she said, voice shaking. “I’m so sorry.” Then she stood and rushed out of the cave.

And despite it all, I took a step after her. I clenched my fists and stared into the fire instead.

“I see what you meant about her being trouble,” said Michaela dryly. “Let me guess. An ex-girlfriend?”

“Yeah,” I said. “Wasn’t a very healthy relationship.”

“No kidding,” said Falkon, tossing a log on the fire. “I mean, I haven’t been in a lot of relationships, but even I know you don’t create solidarity through blatant lies.”

“One might even argue that achieves precisely the opposite effect,” said Michaela.

“Yeah.” My voice was soft. I blinked several times as my sight grew unfocused. I wanted nothing so much as to sit down. “She doesn’t see it that way. Never did.” There was so much I could share with them. Anecdotes. Explanations. But I didn’t want to go there. I didn’t want to open all those doors and pull out those painful memories, let them sap me of my vitality and will to keep going. So instead I took a deep breath and forced myself to sit up straight.

“Regardless, she gave me some insane loot. Check this out.” I laid the Void Blade across my knees. “I cut through Makarios’ left fist with this thing. I think his actual hand is within his claws, like they’re some kind of gauntlet, because while I didn’t cut his hand off, he wasn’t able to use it after.”

“He’s going to be pissed,” said Falkon in a sing-song voice.

“And then I cut Vanatos’ daemon’s head off,” I said. “It disappeared completely. Do you guys think it’s permanently dead?”

“Oh, man,” said Falkon. “Vanatos is going to be piiiih-issssssed.”

“Not permanently dead,” said Michaela, voice slow, thoughtful. “More akin to banished. It hurts Vanatos, but he can regenerate his daemon in time.”

“Then we can’t allow him to have that time,” I said. “That thing was ridiculous.”

“No,” said Falkon. “What’s ridiculous is you taking it out. At what. Level eleven?” His eyes blazed green.

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