Read The Wilds (Reign and Ruin 1) for Free Online

in my head,
and I can't get rid of them!" His fist slammed down on top of the
desk with a giant bang, frightening my heart into my throat. Cirrus
lowered his head into his arms as a tentative knock sounded on the
door. "I'm sorry . . ."
    "Cirrus?
Maggie, is everything ok in there?" Marty asked hesitantly from the
hallway.
    "She can take
care of herself, Martin," Cirrus said loudly from between his
fingers. And it was as if those words sprung him suddenly into
action. He seized the contract and the pen from the desk and held
it out to me expectantly.
    "Sign the
paper, Maggie," Cirrus said, his voice breaking slightly into a
plea. "I need to sleep again."
    "How can I help
you sleep?!"
    "As I was with
your uncle, I can be with you," Cirrus said. "Your protector, your
guardian . . ."
    My eyes
narrowed defensively. "You were never my uncle's guardian."
    "Of course I
was. Who do you think made sure his dreams never ate him alive?"
Cirrus responded quickly. "Make no mistake, unless he put that
poison into his veins, I protected him. His sleep was cool and
calm. And now I can protect you."
    "I really doubt
that –"
    "Don't fool
yourself, Maggie. Someday you'll be like your uncle: lonely and
unappreciated, pent up alone because no one understands your
creativity, or dreams, or whatever you might possess," he snarled.
"But I can be in your mind the way I was in your uncle's mind. And
in the darkness of your sleep, I can escape from those monsters
outside. I can find peace ."
    "But what if I
say no?" I insisted, my voice climbing in volume. "What if I say
that you can have my uncle and have my throne and go straight to
hell?!"
    This brought
Cirrus up straight. His sharp face was temporarily confused and I
let the shocked silence settle in heavily.
    God, I need
another drink.
    But he regained
his composure quickly, too quickly for me to think of anything
smart to continue on with. His forehead smoothed and he calmly
placed his glasses back on his face. But the jaw was set. And his
eyes were fierce.
    "I am already
in hell. I would rather die than live in this nightmare of waking."
Cirrus said calmly. "Call it selfish, but I'm past caring. And if
this world has no one to rule, it will collapse into anarchy. And
my monsters will feast."
    "I want to
leave now," I said quietly. "You're obviously upset."
    "Am I scaring
you? Maggie, you should never be scared of me." Cirrus was suddenly
the definition of composure as he walked gracefully back to the
fire. "I am only trying to be fair. Enter the Reign Walk and save
your uncle and lead your people. Lose and I will shape this nation
into a new world. With you." Cirrus's eyes locked onto mine and I
found I couldn't move. I stood frozen as his gaze bore into every
crevice of my body. "Let me share your soul, Maggie," Cirrus said
softly, "and I'll let your uncle's go."
    In those eyes,
shifting back to green, I saw that he was deadly, madly serious.
And despite the madness, I knew it was one of those moments where
you can't conceivably believe it, but you have to move forward.
Because you don't know where you came from anymore and couldn't go
back if you tried.
    "I don't have a
choice," I said finally.
    "Of course you
do, but you're a smart girl." Cirrus smiled and pulled out his
pocket watch. "It doesn't work, you know. But it's my symbol." He
clicked it open to the watch face and tapped the glass softly. "Eye
on the prize, sweetheart."
    I walked slowly
to the desk and picked up the necklace. It was cool and weighed
hardly anything at all as I lowered it slowly over my neck. It
rested lightly on my chest above the white neckline of my tank top.
My symbol.
    Cirrus's shadow
fell over the table as he settled behind me. "A dreamcatcher. I
take it the irony isn't lost on someone as clever as you." He
rested his hand lightly on mine when I placed the pen back on the
desk. "For the first time in my life, I feel a certain sense of
relief," his low voice spoke in my ear.
    My heart
pounded like a drum. His