Page 104 of Somnium

The pull behind his ribs intensified, the desire to flex his finger nearly overpowering him, but he couldn’t let it. He had to fight. He had to.

Blinding pain erupted behind his eyes, and an agonized scream tore from his throat as he fought against Oneirios’s binding, finally breaking free of its hold with a piercing snap.

Elias slumped against the wall, the gun clattered to the floor, and Cadi collapsed to the ground, her knees buckling beneath the weight of her fear when his arm finally obeyed his command to release her.

He stared down at his shaking hands and worked to push past the pain in his skull. His mind refused to accept what was happening, to believe it was real. The hands that had held her, protected her, worshipped every inch of her like she was sacred …

The hands that had now betrayed her.

His gut churned, thick and acidic. Even knowing he hadn’t been in control, that Oneirios had somehow taken full control of his body while he slept and used it for his twisted game, that didn’t erase the dark truth of what he knew was now etched into Cadi’s mind.

Her sobs pulled him back to where she still knelt on the floor, her body trembling with shock and adrenaline, breaths coming in quick, panicked gulps.

“Cadi…” he said her name softly. His eyes raked over her, looking for any sign that he had …

He swallowed hard. The thought of how close he had come to actually hurting her pulled bile into his throat, but he knew it wasn’t physical wounds that she now carried. No.

The damage he had done—that Oneirios had done—was much worse.

She twisted around to face him, her eyes going wide as she retreated until her spine pressed into the cabinet and she pulled her knees tight against herself, sobs wracking her body.

He wanted nothing more than to hold her, to make her feel safe again, but that safety had been destroyed. Elias lowered himself to the floor and reached for her, only for his heart to shatter when she flinched back.

“Don’t you fucking touch me!” she cried, her voice trembling.

Something cracked open inside him. The way she looked at him, like he was the danger. Like he was the threat. His body went numb as he realized that, right now, to her—he was.

Keeping her eyes locked on him, Cadi pushed up and bolted from the bathroom, her feet slipping on the smooth tile. Elias followed her into the bedroom, where she yanked on a hoodie with shaking hands, then snatched up her phone. Keys. Purse.

The anguish in his chest compounded. He didn’t trust himself, but he couldn’t bear the thought of losing her either. He had to do something.

Rounding the bed, he reached for her hand, and for one fleeting second, their skin touched before she yanked away violently and sprinted into the hall.

Time dilated. Elias stumbled after her, his steps heavy, the space between them growing. He heard his voice whisper her name, but it felt wrong. Like it didn’t belong to him.

Pain exploded through his body as he collided with the unforgiving granite of the kitchen island. Cadi’s frantic sobs pierced through him, the sound delayed and distorted. He lifted his head, watching helplessly as she threw open the door. It flew into the wall with an explosive bang that echoed in the silence.

Then she was gone.

The air left his lungs. He collapsed to the floor, burying his face in his traitorous hands. Only the burning memory of what he had done remained with him in the empty dark.

31

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

CADI

Cadi collided with the solid glass door, pain ripping through her shoulder at the impact as she sprinted into the cold night air. Tears blurred her vision. Sobs tore at her chest. Bare feet pounded against the rain-soaked pavement, pushing as fast as she could to get anywhere but there.

She fumbled with her keys, the metal slipping from her numb fingers once—twice—before she finally managed a sliver of control, just enough to unlock her car and throw herself into the driver’s seat.

The engine roared to life.

Gripping the gear shift like a lifeline, she threw the car into drive, cranked the wheel, and smashed her foot down onto the accelerator.

Lights flared in her vision as a shrill warning screamed in her ears. Cadi slammed on the brakes just as a truck sped past, swerving into the next lane to avoid crashing into her.

Her knuckles bleached white where she clutched the steering wheel as she tore through the city streets. She pulled in panicked gulps, trying to breathe around the sobs that punched through her chest, but each one seemed to rob her lungs of oxygen.