Dark Flame

by Caris Roane

  Fergus’s nostrils flared again, and he released a soft wolf-like grunt. That bastard has way too much power. He glanced at Juliet. So, how do you do this thing?

  Juliet squared her shoulders. First, I’ll need physical support for the time I’m out. She fixed her gaze on Brannick. He’d essentially need to hold her while she fell into a half-sleep. It would probably be best if you held me, but I could sit on the floor, my back to the wall if that would work better for you.

  Brannick shook his head. No, I’m going to hold you in my arms. If we need to move in a hurry, I’ll be ready.

  Brannick, I know this isn’t what you want. The closeness, I mean. Tears suddenly burned her eyes.

  Hey, listen to me. Right now all that matters is finding Mary and getting her out of whatever hellhole Roche has her in. I don’t think it’s too much of a sacrifice to have my arms around you while you locate her.

  Juliet would have expected nothing less from Brannick. He was a complicated man in many ways, but not in his essential character. He might have started out his adult life as a businessman, but he was a protective warrior at heart, and she warmed to him all over again.

  Fergus asked, So how does the dreamgliding work?

  She told him what to expect, especially the kinds of reactions he’d witness as she sank into her meditation.

  Fergus lowered his chin. I understand. His expression grew grim as he took two steps away from her. She could smell the rise in his musk.

  Brannick moved closer to her, even sliding his arm around her shoulders. The alpha was definitely approaching his mate-hunting cycle. She’d heard the wolves could become ruthless in their pursuit of a woman they deemed worthy of mating.

  Brannick suggested she step up onto his boot and hold onto him as though they’d be flying together. That way, when she fell into the dreamglide state, he’d already be holding her and he could cradle her in his arms through the duration.

  Juliet experienced an odd combination of dread and excitement. There was no place she’d rather be than in Brannick’s arms, but once she entered the dreamglide, she feared encountering Roche. He was a male fae of tremendous power and probably wouldn’t have to lose even a small level of consciousness to reach her in the dreamglide.

  This reality also made her wonder if Brannick’s recently acquired fae abilities would include something similar. As she stepped onto his booted foot, a sudden shiver of excitement traveled the length of her.

  You okay?

  Sliding her arm across his massive shoulders and around his neck, she tilted her head. An errant thought.

  She was so close to him. The heat of his body through her thin blouse felt like heaven. When his arm gripped her waist in his familiar, strong hold, she couldn’t help herself as she relaxed against him. She recalled all their lovemaking and knew it was just a matter of time before Brannick did as well.

  Despite Fergus’s presence, she reached up and cupped his face with her hand. Her gaze fell to his lips. How many times had he kissed her in the dreamglide? A thousand? Ten thousand?

  A lot.

  Ready when you are, Juliet. Even telepathically, his voice sounded resonant and had a husky edge she knew extremely well.

  She looked away from him, leaning her head against his shoulder. She closed her eyes and began her descent. From years of practice, it didn’t take long to arrive in the dreamglide. At the same time, she felt herself falling physically. As Brannick had promised, he caught her up in his powerful arms and now cradled her.

  But the moment she entered the dreamglide, Brannick’s voice was suddenly in her head. Juliet, hold up. I’m getting something. I can feel that I’m supposed to be with you. I’m going to sit on the floor and join you. Fergus will stand guard.

  Okay.

  Because the dreamglide for the present occupied the same space behind the row of planters, she watched Brannick sit down against the wall and arrange her body to lean against him. Fergus moved to stand at Brannick’s feet his Glock in his hand.

  The moment he closed his eyes, however, he appeared right next to her in the dreamglide.

  She actually jumped. You’re here?

  I am.

  Juliet had never been more stunned. What was happening between herself and Brannick that he could be in a place only the most powerful fae could achieve?

  When he turned toward her, however, she realized this wasn’t the Brannick in a half-conscious state sitting on the floor. Instead, this was the man who had been her lover for months.

  He held out his arms to her. Come to me, Juliet. I’m sorry my conscious self is being such a pain. I’m doing my best to work through my shit, but right now I’m here, nothing held back.

  She gave a cry and within the dreamglide leaped into his arms. He held her tight, then kissed her, a thorough, familiar exploration of her mouth that had her writhing against him, her arms encircling his neck.

  He kissed her chin and her neck, suckling lightly on her throat. Her heart swelled about twice its size. Brann, I’ve missed this. And you really don’t like me to call you by that name.

  He kept kissing her throat and her neck. I’m an idiot, what can I say.

  She had so many questions, though. She drew back, but couldn’t quite bring herself to let go of him.

  Now that he was in the dreamglide with her, they could talk, really talk, voices and all. His face took on a familiar affectionate expression, and he smiled as he looked at her hair. “I love your curls. Have I told you that?”

  “Yes, many times.”

  He played with one of the tendrils close to her face, then met her gaze. “Again, I’m sorry my conscious self is so resistant.”

  “I think I get it. The dreamglide is a safe place for me as much as it is for you. The real world isn’t. But your ability to be here with me so easily is stunning. How are you here?”

  “It’s the sharing of powers and something more. I bring my vampire strength to everything that’s fae.”

  He glanced around and released his hold on her. She could feel his sudden tension. “What is it, Brann?”

  “Roche. I can feel him moving at the edge of our dreamglide. He knows we’re in the Village now, so we need to get a move on. The thing is, I’m not sure I can create the dreamglide. I can be here, right now, with you, but what we do is up to you, at least for now.”

  “I think I understand.” She let her fae energy flow. “I’ll focus on Mary.”

  Brannick nodded as she created an image of Mary within her mind. The fae female wasn’t hard to locate. She called to her and because Mary had a lot of ability as well, she quickly entered Juliet’s dreamglide.

  Mary, wearing a loose, beige smock, hugged her. “You found me. Oh, thank God.”

  Mary released her then offered her hand to Brannick. “And you’ve come as well, Officer Brannick. Thank you so much, though I won’t pretend I can understand how you’re here.”

  Mary was tall and quite beautiful, a blond with light brown eyes. She could have been a model in her human form; instead, she’d been a veterinarian. Even in Five Bridges, she’d had a thriving practice. She also owned several cats and birds, most of them rescues. She didn’t care for alter wolves, though. As a part-human, part-animal form, she thought them disgusting.

  Brannick said, “Roche tried to trade you for Juliet. We’re here to get you out.”

  Mary’s lips compressed. “He’s every vile thing that’s wrong with Five Bridges, and I loathe him.”

  What Juliet noticed right away were the dark teal flame marks on her throat and cheeks as well as the dull light in her eyes. “You won’t be able to rescue me,” Mary added. “I’m in a heavily guarded jail cell. Roche has dozens of security personnel.”

  Brannick merely smiled. “Tell you what, why don’t you show us in the dreamglide, then we’ll go from there.”

  Mary agreed. Her lips parted as though she found it hard to breathe. Her cheeks were drawn as well.

  Juliet caught her arm. “Roche really shot you u
p with dark flame, didn’t he?”

  “Yes, but it’s also made it easy for me to respond to your search.” She glanced around. “You dreamglide really well, Juliet. I had no idea you had such clarity of detail. You’ve been holding out on me.”

  Juliet had never shared her secret about Brannick, and she had no intention of doing so now.

  But at that moment, Juliet felt an entity moving near the dreamglide. She knew at once exactly who it was. “Roche is here. Mary, listen. We’ve got to get going and I mean fast. Can you pilot my dreamglide back to your cell?”

  Mary frowned for amount. “Okay. I get it. That way, when you leave the dreamglide and you’re back here in the food court, you’ll know the way to Roche’s sex shop.”

  “You’ve got it.” Juliet was grateful that Mary understood right away.

  Mary faced the southern avenue. Juliet watched her shoulders grow very relaxed as she summoned her own dreamgliding power. A moment later, the dreamglide began to move and quickly picked up speed.

  The underground world might have had more than one exit, but the corkscrew paths at the Fae Cathedral were the only ones Juliet knew about. Once they had Mary, they’d probably need to leave by the same path.

  The street, though wide at the outset, narrowed in stages until it was the width of a car. The beauty of the courtyard had long since ended and most of the walls were rough-hewn rock with connected alleys and passageways and a few dim lights. At a main intersection, where a golf-cart lay overturned, Mary turned left.

  The quality of air changed as well and the redolence of the teal-colored dark flame became more prominent. Even though they were still within the dreamglide, it was possible for fragrances or darker odors to permeate the space. In real-time, these scents would be much more profound.

  “Can you smell the dark flame?” Mary glanced at Juliet, then shifted her gaze immediately back to the passageway. The dreamglide kept flowing, the edges of the space blurred.

  “Yes,” Juliet said.

  “Even if he hadn’t used a hypodermic on me, I think breathing the air would have made me addicted. One of the guards let it fall that Roche’s laboratory is in the vicinity.” She made a right, then a quick left.

  The whole time the dreamglide moved, Juliet could feel Roche hovering around the edges, looking for a way in. She focused on the blocks that had kept Roche away for so long. But instead of engaging only her fae abilities, she drew on what had become a high level of integrated vampire power. She could feel the blocks solidifying, one after the other. She could also sense Roche’s frustration and knew the moment he gave up.

  She hoped this was good news. But given Roche’s fae skill level, she wasn’t letting her guard down.

  Finally, Mary began to slow, then drew to a stop. “You can take the reins, now, Juliet, because right around this corner is the back entrance to Roche’s sex club. I’ve stopped you here because once we turn the corner, you’ll see the guards, the whole set up. You need to be prepared. I wasn’t ready for what you’re about to see, either. It’s very distressing.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Brannick felt a profound urgency to get on with things. His fae instincts told him time was critical. But when he started hearing a lot of screams coming from a different part of the underground building, he froze. “What the hell is that?”

  “Roche showed me around when he first brought me here. Unfortunately, dreamglide sex combined with real-time often involves violence. The women Roche uses for his high-class clientele have strong dreamgliding skills. But he murders the women who don’t perform and of course sometimes they don’t survive the sex itself. This is a brutal place.”

  Brannick’s jaw tightened. “Bastard.”

  “He is at least that.”

  Brannick reached for Juliet’s hand. He was surprised by her initial resistance. But when he glanced at her, the restraint in her expression disappeared. He thought he understood. He knew he was two different men with her, but he treasured his time in the dreamglide. It had come to mean everything to him, the reason he’d started feeling hopeful, like maybe he could have a life in Five Bridges.

  The problem was, his conscious self was dug in and so far had only allowed a couple of memories to break through his refusal to engage with Juliet. She’d no doubt experienced his real-time distrust, and she’d responded accordingly.

  But she drew close now and even held his arm as together Mary guided the dreamglide to the back entrance.

  The double doors were wide open and four powerful, muscled fae warriors sat at a table playing cards. They were blurred so that Brannick knew the men weren’t actively inside the dreamglide, but rather part of the real-time setting.

  Mary led them to the left then to the right and down what proved to be a double row of cells. Though she didn’t need to, she spoke in a quiet voice. “The dreamgliders, all women, live in cells like prisoners. Each is fed once a day, but injected with dark flame in the morning and at night. I’m the fifth on the right and sound asleep.”

  Brannick saw that each woman wore the beige shift that Mary had on.

  Mary answered his question, before he asked it. “No, they don’t perform their services in these sacks. When on duty, they’re sent to be cleaned up, hair styled, nails manicured. They’re then dressed in a costume the client has requested. After being used for the night, they return through the same process only in reverse, stripped naked, scrubbed in a shower, hair washed, nail polish removed and shot up with dark flame.

  “Most hardly care because of the drugs. But I’ve watched them pass by. Every other woman returns cut and bruised. It’s a horrible, perverse situation.”

  Brannick glanced into several of the cells. The women were either sitting on the side of a cot, staring into space, or passed out cold. Each had a toilet and a sink.

  He still held Juliet’s hand. Her soft voice broke through his horror of Roche’s set-up. “Mary, I see you now.”

  It was no wonder Juliet had been able to bring her into the dreamglide; she was in a profound sleep and hardly breathing. She must have been recently injected because the teal flames were bright on her bare arms and throat, even on her cheeks. In an odd way, it was beautiful.

  “So, what’s the plan, Brannick? Are you and Juliet going to bust me out, or what?”

  He shifted to look at Mary in the dreamglide. “That’s the plan. We have Fergus with us as well?”

  “Who’s Fergus?”

  “An alpha shifter from Savage. A border patrol officer.”

  Her nostrils flared. “Just keep him away from me.”

  Brannick stared at her, then remembered. Her sister had been killed in a shifter den during a dominance fight. She wasn’t a fan of the wolf population of Five Bridges.

  “Fergus is a good man.”

  Mary met his gaze, her eyes full of pain. But her shoulders fell. “Do what you must. The important thing is to get me out of here.”

  Juliet squeezed Brannick’s hand and shifted to telepathy, though he could feel her include Mary in a group communication. Mary, you can leave now. We’ll take it from here.

  Mary offered a faint smile then faded away to nothing. Even Brannick knew when she’d left.

  Juliet stayed with telepathy. Roche is here. He’s suspicious. Stay very still.

  Got it.

  Roche appeared at the top of the aisle, shoving his thick, red hair back with one hand as he looked down the row of cells. He was blurred, which meant he was part of the real-time environment and an excellent sign.

  Brann, as soon as Roche leaves my line of sight, I’m going to end the dreamglide, which will put us back at the court.

  Ready when you are.

  ~ ~ ~

  Juliet wouldn’t do anything until Roche was gone. So, she waited. She wasn’t sure what kind of temporal disturbance the cessation of a dreamglide could cause. But if it shifted the airwaves, Roche, as a powerful fae, would be able to detect it.

  Once he’d disappeared the direction he’d come, she sq
ueezed Brannick’s hand, then let go of him.

  When she woke up, she was in Brannick’s arms. She felt dizzy from the sudden shift and took a moment to orient herself.

  She glanced up at Brannick. He looked down at her, meeting her gaze, but he looked deadly serious. Jesus, Juliet I remember the entire dreamglide, especially how I treated you and what I said to you about my own issues.

  He slowly released her and rose to his feet, lifting her at the same time.

  Standing next to him, she asked, Did all your memories come back?

  He shook his head. No. I’m only remembering how I felt when I first saw you in the dreamglide. I’m experiencing the rush of seeing a woman who had been my lover for months. Jesus.

  Juliet stepped away from him. He reached for her, but his hand fell away. I owe you an apology. I didn’t know how conflicted I was about you or how much I was a full participant in our lovemaking. But enough of that.

  He seemed to give himself a shake as he shifted his attention to Fergus. Juliet felt him expand his telepathy to include the shifter.

  Sorry. We needed to exchange a few words.

  No problem. How we doin’ with Roche?

  Well, he’s got one helluva a setup, but I think we can get Mary out.

  Juliet listened as Brannick relayed the route to Fergus and described the setup at the back entrance, the guards and the row of cells.

  Brannick turned to her. Before we charge in there and disrupt the guards, is there anything else about Roche that you can tell us? Anything that might impact the mission?

  Juliet thought for a moment, but shrugged. I honestly don’t know much about what he does or how he does it, only that he’s dangerous. Just never underestimate his overall power. And I should warn you, he has a connection to the dark witch covens in Elegance.

  Brannick settled his hand gently on her shoulder. Okay. Good to know. Can you continue to use my vampire shield the way you are right now?

  Yes. No problem.

  Okay. Here’s how this will go. You unlock Mary’s cell, and I’ll keep Fergus shielded while we distract the guards.

  She loved that he’d touched her. For a moment, he felt more like his dreamglide self. Was it possible his two selves were merging a little more? It’s an excellent plan, and I can hold a shield. If I need to cover Mary, I can do that as well.