The Nightmare Inflictor Read Online Free Page B

job.”
    She yawns and stretches her arms. “Not necessarily. There aren’t many people brave enough to put themselves in danger.”
    I stand up from my vanity. “It was just a thought, Lys.” I glide the short distance to my door. “I’ll see you later. I have an enchantress to visit.”
    “Nadia,” Alyssa says.
    I turn to look at her. “What?”
    “I wish Dmitri didn’t have to go either.”
    I bob my head and exit into the hallway. I know Alyssa’s trying to make me see reason, but I don’t feel like being reasonable. I feel like gathering my stuff and leaving the compound. I feel like begging my father to quit the council. And I want to ask Alyssa to come with us. But I won’t do any of those things because it’s impossible. This is the only way to stay safe.
    Cool air wraps around me when I step from the dormitory. It’s just past eleven and I hope Jessa Smith is asleep. I cross the sprawling lawn, following the glowing light of the moon, and make my way to the guest apartment building.
    A towering figure stands just outside the door and I lift my hand to wave at my father. His pale skin contrasts with his dark hair and eyes and he’s wearing a black T-shirt and dark jeans. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him this casual. He’s usually wearing button-up shirts and slacks.
    “I thought you’d be with the council,” I say. I cross my arms and look up at the stars.
    My father touches my cheek. “Just finished up. They’re finally running out of things for me to do.”
    I shift my gaze from the sparkling stars to his obsidian eyes. “Yeah, until tomorrow.”
    His eyes crinkle in the corners when he cracks a smile. “You don’t know that.”
    I press my lips together.
    His smile twists into a frown. “Oh, so you do know. Alyssa have a vision?” He rubs the bridge of his narrow nose. “I’ll never get used to you having a seer as a friend.”
    “A best friend,” I say. While almost a year ago it was hard to wrap my head around, now it’s just part of my normal. I never liked surprises anyway and with Alyssa I never have to be worried about it.
    He offers a small smile. “Right, your best friend. I should’ve expected it when she found me. She asked about you before I even told her I had a daughter.”
    I grin. The day Alyssa arrived with my father at the compound was one of the best days of my life. She didn’t even have to convince me that we’d be best friends. The connection was already there. She’s like family now.
    I tuck my hair behind my ear. “I’m glad you brought her here.”
    “Me too.” My father glances over his shoulder at the opaque door of the guest apartment building. After a minute, he asks, “You want to take a stroll around the compound?”
    I shift my feet. “I have a volunteer awaiting my arrival.”
    My father bobs his head. “All right. I’ll make sure to stop by the dorms in the morning if the council assigns me a job.”
    I suck in my bottom lip. “You mean when they do.”
    He glides a foot away. “No, if. Nothing is set in stone.”
    I watch my father glide to the path that leads to the perimeter of the property. I almost wish I’d gone with him, but the sleeping volunteers inside beckon me.
    I enter the lobby and glance at a girl on the couch with her legs crossed and her nose in a book. She doesn’t look up and I glide past her and into the hallway. I head to the stairs and to the second floor where Abigail Blake is staying.
    I sense her sleeping through the door and quietly enter so no one sees me hovering in the hallway. Her black hair is cut short and she sleeps on her side. The pillows are on the floor and she almost looks like she’s pretending. But I know she’s not because I can taste the cinnamon and sugar flavor of her dream.
    I close the short distance between us and press my fingers to her temples. My stomach rolls and the world disappears, and I’m standing in the middle of a river. Icy water crashes around my knees and the