‘The others,’ I say dully. ‘You mean the other Department pricks.’
‘They’re not as bad as you think. I know I’ve said things about them but that was what you wanted to hear at the time. The truth is that we can work together, we can make things better. Just because someone’s in charge doesn’t mean they’re evil, for fuck’s sake.’
‘No,’ I say quietly. ‘But lying and kidnapping and subverting people’s dreams and threatening to murder them are pretty evil.’
‘The world is not black and white.’
I tilt my chin. ‘Sometimes it is.’
He grabs my shoulders. I try to escape but his grip is too strong. ‘Tell me where you are. We can talk about this in person in the real world. I’m not going to hurt you. I’m in love with you.’
‘Everything you’ve said is a lie, Dante,’ I say, pain colouring every word.
‘No. It’s not. Tell me where you are and I’ll prove it.’
‘No.’
‘Zoe, you know I’ll be able to find you whenever you sleep. You might as well tell me where you are in the real…’
I look upwards. Dante shouts but it’s too late. In a matter of seconds, I disapparate and wake myself up. Rawlins is sitting next to me, her expression worried. In the back of the car, I can hear the Chairman meow loudly. My mother hushes him.
‘I still don’t understand what’s going on,’ she says. ‘Why do we have to leave? I’m supposed to be meeting Henry for dinner tonight.’
I rub my eyes. ‘Henry is married. You need to stay away from him. It’s for the best.’ As long as I can convince myself of that then we’ll all be a lot happier.
‘One minute you won’t leave your house and the next you’re running away. What on earth is going on?’
I sigh. ‘It’s a long, long story.’ On the rushed journey back to Scotland to fetch everyone, Rawlins and I had discussed how to approach this and come up with squat. With Dante managing to melt away into the night leaving behind no trace of his existence, we’d been forced to use old evidence of my terror-stricken agoraphobia to get the Manchester police off our backs. They’d been suspicious but in the end had no choice but to let it pass. I know my mother won’t be taken in that easily. I’m not sure she’s ready for the truth though. ‘Everything’s going to be fine,’ I say aloud. ‘It’ll work out sooner or later. For now I just need you to trust me.’
‘I have a job to go to, Zoe,’ Adam complains. ‘I can’t just run away.’
‘It’s either this or stay at home and put us all in danger,’ I tell him calmly. ‘Believe me on that at least. The rest will take more time.’
Rawlins gives them both a reassuring smile. My mother sinks back and mutters. ‘I wish I had your confidence.’
Someone behind us honks loudly. There’s a man ahead waving us onto the ferry. Rawlins puts the car into gear and rolls forward. ‘Time to go,’ she says quietly.
I give her a brilliant smile. ‘Great.’
Thank you so much for reading Night Terrors. I sincerely hope you enjoyed it! It would mean a huge amount if you could take a minute or two to write a review. Not only is any feedback vastly helpful but reviews are vital for every independent author and can make a massive difference that is genuinely appreciated.
All the best,
Helen x
Acknowledgments
As with any novel, there are so many people involved in so many different ways. I’d like to thank Clarissa Yeo for her wonderful cover art and Karen Holmes for her meticulous editing and words of encouragement. Sharon Bairden’s patience and help with my many questions concerning the horrors of sleep paralysis were invaluable and I am truly sorry for anyone who suffers from this terrible affliction. Adrianna Astle, Emily Grennan and Audra Najman deserve particular mention for always being available for a moan when things weren’t going my way, as do the feline ruffians, Scout, Lara and Mavis. Last but not least, the knowledgeable Women of Urban Fantasy have kept me on track with their banter and tips. If I have missed anyone, then the fault is mine and mine alone.
About the author
After teaching English literature in the UK, Japan and Malaysia, Helen Harper left behind the world of education following the worldwide success of her Blood Destiny series of books. She is a professional member of the Alliance of Independent Authors and writes full time although she still fits in creative writing workshops with schools along with volunteering to teach reading to a group of young Myanmar refugees. That’s not to mention the procession of stray cats which seem to find their way to her door!
Helen has always been a book lover, devouring science fiction and fantasy tales when she was a child growing up in Scotland.
Helen currently lives in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with far too many cats – not to mention the dragons, fairies, demons, wizards and vampires that seem to keep appearing from nowhere. You can learn more about her and her books at helenharper.co.uk. By signing up for her newsletter, you can be assured of never missing a new release!
Other titles
The Bo Blackman series
Dire Straits
New Order
High Stakes
Red Angel
Vigilante Vampire COMING NOVEMBER 2015
Bo Blackman Box Set (Books 1 – 3)
The Blood Destiny series
Bloodfire
Bloodmagic
Bloodrage
Bloodlust
Blood Destiny Box Set (The complete series: Books 1 – 5)
Also
- Corrigan Fire
- Corrigan Magic
- Corrigan Rage
- Corrigan Politics COMING OCTOBER 2015
The Dreamweaver series
Night Shade
Night Terrors
The Olympiana series
Eros
Lyre
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Acknowledgments
About the author
Other titles