Living Nightmare Read Free Page A

rasping howls rose up into the night as the Synestryn closed in.
     
    Madoc found the stolen Volkswagen Bug outside a cemetery, but Nika was not inside the car as he’d hoped. Intense pressure rolled through him in a painful wave, growing until he was sure it would tear him apart. He sucked in huge gulps of frigid air, but it did little good.
    He needed to be killing or fucking—bleeding away some of the pressure—not chasing after a girl who was too crazy to not go running off alone in the dark.
    Clearly, what he wanted had no bearing on reality. Madoc fought the pain back with a snarl, slammed his truck to a stop, rammed the gearshift into park, and left the engine running.
    One way or another, this wasn’t going to take long. If she wasn’t nearby, then he’d call Joseph and tell him to send someone else to search for her. If she was, he was going to shove her in the Bug and follow her ass all the way back to Dabyr, where she belonged. No more joyrides. No more scaring the shit out of him. She was grounded.
    But first he had to find her.
    He leaped the fence and landed with a thud as his heavy boots hit the frozen ground. The wind had picked up, tugging the front of his leather jacket open.
    If Nika was out here in this wind, she was going to be freezing her bony ass off. Not that he cared. Served her right for leaving home, where she was safe and warm.
    They want to touch me. I don’t like it, Madoc. It hurts when other men touch me.
    She’d begged him to take her with him last time he was home, to get her away from the male Theronai who came from the four corners of the world to see if she could channel their power and save their lives. That had been seven months ago, when he’d gone home in a moment of weakness, needing to see her again. Unfortunately, watching her flinch away from those men—seeing pain pinch her features—was more than Madoc could stand. He’d hit the road and hadn’t been back since.
    Best decision he’d ever made. Being on his own was safest for everyone. Besides, he had plenty of hookers to keep him company. That and a pile of nasties to kill was all he needed.
    A high-pitched, feminine cry ripped through the cold night air. Fear shimmered inside the noise, and with it came instant recognition. That was Nika’s voice. He’d heard her cry out in fear too many times not to recognize it.
    Madoc spun around toward the sound, releasing his sword from its sheath with an almost inaudible hiss of steel on steel. He raced over the ground, letting free the rage that was bubbling barely below the surface.
    Whatever or whoever had made her afraid was going to die.
    He cleared the top of a rise, saw Nika, and nearly came to a dead stop. Half a dozen sgath surrounded her. Her back was against a thick tree. Moonlight shone off her stark white hair, and she wielded a shovel like some kind of war club, batting at the Synestryn that dared to inch closer. Her blue eyes were wide with fear—a familiar sight—but the snarl of rage twisting her mouth was new and completely startling.
    She swung the shovel, hitting one of the sgath in the head. There wasn’t enough force behind the blow to do any good, and it bounced off, shaking her entire body. She looked unhurt, but that wasn’t going to last for long if he didn’t step up and take over.
    Madoc closed the distance, lifted his blade, and let out a battle cry.
    Immediately, six pairs of glowing green eyes turned toward him. A smile stretched his mouth. Playtime had finally come.

Chapter 2
    C armen lifted her sword to block Joseph’s swing. Their wooden practice swords clacked together as the hilts locked, and the next thing she knew, a sharp pain radiated from her ribs where he’d poked her with his finger. Hard.
    “You can’t open yourself up for attack like that,” lectured Joseph. His dark hair had been cut short again, showing off more gray at his temples than she remembered. His shoulders seemed to bow as if he was carrying some kind of