The Children of Hypnos

[Vol. 2] Chapter 25: Siege

Moxie Vault and Daniel Temper stood in the scrubland in black armor and long white coats worked with the symbol of the North American Ward: the closed eye of Hypnos flanked by golden wings tangled with poppies. They were alone, and their weapons not yet drawn, though Temper's scythe gleamed on his lapel and Moxie's ballista hung from a chain on her belt.

"Hi, kids," Moxie said, hands on her hips. "Out for a bit of open rebellion?"

Ridley put her hands in the air as if Moxie had a gun pointed at her. Marcia growled and grabbed Ridley's wrists to yank them back down.

"They're not going to fight us," she said.

"No," Moxie agreed, "and we're not taking you back to campus, either."

Emery looked at Wes, who just seemed confused. "Then...the State sent you here to perform dream death," he said.

Temper burst out laughing. Moxie shot a dry look at him before saying to Wes, "No, hon. I wouldn't do that to any of you even if they told me to. We're here to help you."

"Help us," Marcia deadpanned. She jerked a thumb over her shoulder, at the castle and the swarm of nightmares. "With that?"

"When Ares told us you'd fled campus, I thought you could use the support," Moxie said. "He's not here, by the way," she added, at the fear that took over Ridley's face. "He's leading the search for you all. They'll come here eventually, but right now they're operating under the assumption that you've all deserted, and near your doppelgängers is the last place you'd be."

Marcia huffed at that and muttered, "He doesn't even think I'd show up?"

"Wait," Emery said. "I get you helping us—" she pointed at Moxie "—because you've been helping us this whole time. But you—" now at Temper "—why are you here?"

Temper sniffed at her. "I can't help my friend?"

"That's the second time I've heard Klaus called your friend, but I still don't think it's true."

"It isn't," Marcia said. "And I don't trust this asshole as far as I can throw him."

"You'll have to if you want to get in that castle," Temper said. "And yes, I poured bleach in his drink the one time, but that doesn't mean I want him to die—"

"Oh my god," Emery said.

"—and this is not how fighting a doppelgänger is supposed to go. This is..." Temper looked out toward the castle, at the surge of nightmares, at the moon high above it all. "This is hell. What they're doing to him shouldn't happen to any dreamhunter."

"Do you know what they're doing?" Wes asked.

"No," Temper said, "but if he's making that many nightmares, it's nothing good."

Emery looked to Marcia, who was staring Temper down. "You hate him," she said, voice low, "because he was always stronger than you. And you love the State, because they're the only ones who can give you more power. You helped make him poisonous. Why would I ever trust you?"

Temper said nothing. Marcia bared her teeth and raised her axe.

Moxie put a hand on Temper's chest and stood between them. "Do you trust me, Marcia?"

Marcia broke Temper's gaze only long enough to glance at Moxie. "Of course I do."

"And do you trust me when I say I want to help you all get into that castle unharmed so that you can fight your doppelgängers on at least some kind of fair turf?"

"Yes."

"Then I need you to trust him, too." Moxie patted Temper's chest. "He's my partner. We work together, and we both believe this is a bigger issue than the State is recognizing. If we wanted to take you back, we'd have done it already. If we wanted to perform dream death, we'd have done it already. Do you believe me?"