Ben moved closer as if he was stalking her once again.
Eliza covered her mouth and shook her head. No. No. No. Not possible. This was a nightmare created by the Shadowlands to torment her. To awaken the guilt she’d thought long buried over Ben’s death.
“It was a car accident. It wasn’t my fault.” She’d never believed those words before, even though she’d wanted to. The old guilt hadn’t gone. It had grown stronger with time.
Ben reached out, almost close enough to touch her. His hands ready to paw at her the way he once had.
She forced out a breath and tried to be calm. None of this existed. It was just a nightmare more vivid than any other she’d ever had. But not real. Ben’s chant closed in around her.
“You called. He came. He killed. For you.” Ben pointed at her, his eyes lit with malice.
Had the Goblin King killed for her, to keep her safe? Or had it been for payment? It was a question she’d never gotten the chance to ask. One she wasn’t sure she wanted to have answered.
Eliza pinched her arm, twisting the skin into a bleached white peak. She didn’t wake.
Two other men joined the watching warrior as Ben drew closer, circling, closing in. There was nowhere for her to go…except back into the rock spire and the embrace of the Goblin King.
“Make it stop.” She twisted away, not wanting Ben to touch her.
The goblin-man shrugged. “Maybe I could, if I were real. If I’m not, then I can’t. If I’m a dream, you should have power over me. If I exist, then I have the power to make every day a living nightmare.” He uncrossed his arms with the grace of a warrior readying for battle. “So, Eliza, do I exist?”
Her lips moved without sound. Did she really want to know what had happened that night? Would she be able to look the man who’d saved her in the eye, knowing he’d killed for her?
She glanced at the man who looked nothing like a goblin and stared into his unforgiving blue eyes, daring him to admit the truth.
“Did you kill Ben?” Was it her fault he had died?
“No,” he answered without pausing for thought.
“Swear you didn’t kill him.”
“If you don’t believe I exist, what do I swear by?”
Ben reached for her hand, the same way he had when she was sixteen. She knew what would happen next. The first kiss had been fun, the next not really. The scent of beer on breath still made her stomach turn.
“You win. You exist.”
Ben disintegrated into nothing more than dust settling on the flat barren landscape.
“I didn’t kill Ben. And I didn’t bring you back to the Shadowlands that night because you didn’t know what you were wishing. But I warned you. You should’ve known better this time.” His words were soft as he picked up a handful of dust. “Listen carefully, Eliza. Everything here is real. And everything here can kill you.” He blew the dust into her face.
Her muscles went lax.
His hands caught her.
“Everything.”
Acknowledgments
I could write a whole list of everyone who touched this book and helped its progress along, but you know who you are. From reading the first draft, to tightening the romance, fixing my commas, giving it a lovely cover, and then marketing it. This book wouldn’t be here without you. Thank you.
About the Author
Shona Husk lives in Western Australia at the edge of the Indian Ocean. Blessed with a lively imagination, she spent most of her childhood making up stories. As an adult she discovered romance novels and hasn’t looked back. Drawing on history and myth, she weaves new worlds and writes heroes who aren’t afraid to get hurt while falling in love.
