Dark Dream’s Unraveling

by I. T. Lucas

  “Or you can sit on my lap.”

  She smiled. “I can do that.”

  “Okay, Master Parker. Let’s start,” Amanda said. “You’ve demonstrated that you can compel Ella to do what you want, now let’s try your mother.”

  Julian’s eyes widened. “Compulsion? That’s his talent? It’s impossible.”

  Ella patted his arm. “We will find out soon enough.”

  “Mom, give me ten dollars,” Parker said.

  Vivian shook her head. “I don’t feel anything.”

  “You need to really want it,” Ella said. “Ask for a steak dinner every night for the rest of the week.”

  Parker grimaced. “Right now I don’t want any. My gums are hurting.”

  “So think about something else that you really want, and that Mom wouldn’t normally agree to.”

  Parker scratched his head, crossed his legs, looked up at the ceiling, and then smirked. “I know the perfect thing.” He looked at Vivian. “Sing me that lullaby you used to sing when I was little. The one about me being your sunshine.”

  Ella snorted. “That’s a good one, Mom. I know how much you hate singing in public.”

  Vivian’s cheeks turned red, and she shook her head, but she started singing. Very, very quietly.

  “Louder, Mom. I can’t hear you.”

  It was evident that Vivian was struggling against the compulsion. Nevertheless, her voice got louder.

  She really was a lousy singer. Not tone deaf, she was on key, but her voice was cracking like a teenage boy’s.

  “Okay, Mom. That’s enough. You can stop.”

  Vivian let out a breath and then looked at Ella. “Now I know how you feel. It’s terrible.”

  Amanda clapped her hands. “Amazing demonstration, Master Parker. Now we need to try it on an immortal.”

  Sitting on a bar stool and facing a room full of adults, Parker was grinning from ear to ear. The kid was eating up the attention.

  “Julian, come play video games with me.”

  Julian wasn’t sure whether he felt something or not, but he found it easy to refuse. “Sorry, kid, I’d rather take your sister out for a walk.”

  “Try me,” Magnus offered.

  Parker smirked. “No problem. Just remember that I have a good excuse.”

  “Go ahead.”

  “Magnus, give me your beer. I want to taste that Snake Venom you guys keep chugging.”

  Magnus held out the bottle as if handing it to Parker, but then shook his head and laughed. “Not working, buddy.”

  “Bummer.”

  “Did you really want to taste that beer?” Ella asked.

  “I did. And I tried really hard. But I guess it doesn’t work on immortals.”

  Amanda walked up to him and kissed his cheek. “You did very well. Your powers are just starting to develop. I have no doubt that you’ll become formidable.”

  Parker looked at her with hopeful eyes. “You really think so?”

  “I’m positive. You just keep practicing and flexing those mental muscles of yours. Just make sure you don’t do that on unsuspecting victims. You need to tell people before you try it on them. Compulsion is a very serious matter and doing it without getting permission is considered a crime. The only exceptions are the same as for thralling. If it’s in self-defense or to defend others and to keep the secret of our immortality.”

  He nodded. “I get it.”

  “Good. Now I want you to try something that is most likely not going to work, but it’s worth a try. Command Ella to talk about Mr. D.”

  Julian sucked in a breath, and so did Ella.

  “I’ve got my fingers crossed.” She lifted both hands to show everyone. “Go for it, Parker. Give it all you got.”

  The kid swallowed and nodded. “Ella, tell me who Mr. D is. Now!”

  “Logan,” Ella blurted out and then clapped her hands. “It worked! I can’t believe that it did!”

  She jumped off Julian’s lap and ran up to her brother. “I love you.” She wrapped her arms around him and tried to lift him off the stool, but he was too heavy for her. “Crap, you’re getting big.” She wiped her eyes.

  “He calls himself Logan?” Kian asked.

  Ella turned to him and nodded. “Not very imaginative, right?”

  “Tell us a little more,” Amanda prompted. “I want to make sure it worked.”

  “I met Logan when I was with Gorchenco. Then he started popping up in my dreams. At first, he was really creepy and scared the hell out of me, but then he learned to behave, and now he’s okay. He even helped me out right after the rescue. When I was feeling down, he complimented me at a time when I really needed it.”

  Julian felt his fangs starting to elongate. The way Ella was talking about the Doomer, it sounded as if she was fond of him. He knew she was supposed to pretend when Lokan invaded her dreams, but there was no reason for her to pretend now.

  Kian got up, walked over to Parker, and clapped him on the back. “Parker, my boy. You have no idea what a great asset you are to the clan. You’re the first clan member with the power to compel, which in itself is a miracle. But that you can remove a compulsion, or rather overpower someone else’s, is an even bigger one.”

  Embarrassed, Parker lowered his eyes. “Thank you.” But his momentary shyness didn’t last long. “So, does that mean that I can be a Guardian? You need me, right?”

  Kian chuckled. “The clan needs you, Parker. And yes, you’re welcome to join the Guardian training program once you reach majority. Which is seventeen in our culture.”

  Parker waved a dismissive hand. “That’s silly. Why wait so long? I can be helpful right now.”

  Kian shook his head. “I know. But you’re still a kid. We will see. The clan's needs will have to be balanced with yours. And naturally, your mother will need to approve every time we ask for your help.” He glanced at Magnus. “And once the adoption is complete, your stepfather will have to approve too.”

  Parker squared his shoulders. “My mom and Magnus are both cool. You have nothing to worry about, Boss man. They will approve.”

  17

  Ella

  “It’s such a relief to be out from under his control,” Ella said, just to say something.

  Walking hand in hand through the lush village grounds could’ve been pleasant if not for the big fat elephant lodged between her and Julian.

  It used to be easy to talk to him, about anything, but that was when Ella hadn’t felt like a cheater.

  “I can imagine. Parker saved the day.”

  She chuckled. “Yeah, he did. From now on, it’s going to be a nightmare living with him and his overblown ego. It’s not good for a kid his age to have such power.”

  “Magnus should have the talk with him.”

  She lifted a brow. “About girls? I don’t think it’s necessary. Mom already did that, and I’m pretty sure Parker watches porn.”

  “Not that kind of talk.” Julian spotted a bench and headed in its direction. Sitting down, he pulled Ella into his lap. “It’s the talk every newly turned boy gets. Mostly it is done by the mothers, but sometimes one of the male immortals gets involved. Especially if the boy gets in trouble.”

  Ella wished he hadn’t done it. Sitting in such an intimate way after dream-kissing another guy felt wrong. Then again, refusing to sit in his lap would hurt Julian’s feelings. Good thing that she’d become such an adept actress. If she played it right, Julian might not notice the change in her. And if he did, she could come up with plenty of excuses.

  “What kind of trouble?”

  “Let me put it this way. Being able to thrall and refraining from using it requires a strong moral code that many teenage boys don’t have. You think being good-looking leads to feelings of entitlement? Imagine what being a powerful immortal among humans leads to.”

  “Dropped panties?”

  He nodded. “But not for the right reason, and not voluntarily. That’s why the talk is necessary. The penalty for abusing the thrallin
g power is severe. I’m sure the same applies to compulsion.”

  It reminded her of Logan’s behavior in the first dream they’d shared. Apparently, Doomers didn’t get the same talk as the clan boys, and thralling an unsuspecting human female into having sex with them was the norm. That’s why Logan had just gone for it and had forced a kiss on her without bothering to check if she was interested.

  Entitlement.

  He was the son of a powerful leader, which probably made him much worse than the average Doomer in that respect. Heck, the human sons of politicians and rich people weren’t much better.

  She’d read about that. The son of a well-known CEO had raped a girl in his Ivy League college, and it had been covered up.

  Power and money were morally corrupting. Or maybe it was simply that some people were naturally moral or amoral, and the amoral ones acted upon their urges when they were guaranteed immunity.

  What she wondered, though, was whether Logan’s behavior had improved because of her influence, or just because he knew he needed to do better in order to entrap her.

  Most likely, it was the second one. But then again, maybe not. People could change, right?

  “What are you thinking about that makes you frown like this?” Using his forefinger, Julian massaged the crease between her eyebrows.

  Crap. She didn’t want to talk to him about Logan.

  What she was doing was already bad enough. She didn’t need to hurt his feelings too. But what about honesty?

  Looking at her hands instead of his face, she shrugged. “I was thinking about my dream encounters. Doomers don’t get the talk you mentioned. They think that they can take what they want either by physical or mental force.”

  Julian’s entire body stiffened. “Did he force you to do anything in the dreams?”

  She nodded. “The first time he invaded my dreams, he kissed me against my will. But, later on, he mellowed down. I don’t know if it’s because he wants me to like him, or because he’s realized the error of his ways.”

  His eyes blazing blue fire, Julian snorted. “He’s trying to play you. Don’t fall for that.”

  “Yeah, that was what I thought too. But the joke is on him, since I’m playing him back.” With that admission, Ella looked away once more.

  She hadn’t disclosed any details, but Julian was a smart enough guy to figure it out.

  When a long moment passed, and he didn’t respond, Ella chanced a glance at his face and wished she hadn’t.

  Not because of the glowing eyes or the pointy fangs that had punched out over his lower lip, she was no longer scared of those, but because of the inner emotional battle that was raging on his handsome face.

  “I don’t want you to do that.”

  Ella sighed. “I know. And I don’t want to do it either. Even though it’s happening in dreamland, it feels real, and it’s like a replay of what I had to do with the Russian. But this is too important an opportunity.” She looked up at him. “You must realize that.”

  “Did Kian ask you to do it?”

  She shrugged. “You were there with me, so you know what he asked for. But I have a feeling he is going to ask for more. Kian doesn’t want to involve me in this either, but guess what? I’m in it whether I want to be or not, so I’d better make the best of it and get something valuable for the clan.”

  Julian nodded. “Logically, I get it. Emotionally, every cell in my body rebels against it. I can’t stand the thought of you smiling at the Doomer, let alone doing more than that.”

  Ella tilted her head. “Is it because you are jealous, or because you are afraid for me?”

  “Both. But mostly I’m jealous.”

  She liked that he was honest with her. Two points for Julian.

  “Don’t be. I only pretend to like him, but you I like for real.” It was the truth, just not the whole truth. She wasn’t going to fess up to her annoying attraction to the bad boy.

  Letting out a breath, Julian rubbed a hand over his jaw. “Perhaps it would not be so bad if you weren’t distancing yourself from me. I can feel you pulling away.”

  She was, so there was no denying it.

  “I’m afraid my feelings for you will seep through into the dreams. He can’t know that I’m serious about you.”

  Julian arched a brow. “You are?”

  “Of course, I am, you silly.”

  “Then prove it. Kiss me.”

  Ella preferred for Julian to do the kissing. “Why don’t you kiss me?”

  He shook his head. “I told you. All the power is yours. I’m not going to pressure you into anything.”

  “You are not pressuring me if I’m asking you to kiss me.”

  Letting out an exasperated sigh, Julian cupped the back of her head. “But I did. I've already broken my own rules. I asked you to prove that you like me by kissing me.”

  “Semantics. Just kiss me, Julian.”

  His lips were soft on hers, gentle. Julian wasn’t demanding anything, he was coaxing.

  It wasn’t what she wanted, and for some reason she felt annoyed, which made her feel like a jerk. But even though Julian was pouring his heart into his gentle kiss, it wasn’t doing anything for her, and Ella hated the lukewarm response his kiss was eliciting.

  Why wasn’t this enough to ignite her passion?

  Frustrated, she threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled him down to her, kissing him the way she wanted to be kissed.

  With a tortured groan, Julian’s hand tightened on her nape, his fingers digging into her flesh for a brief moment before he loosened his grip.

  “I’m sorry,” he murmured into her mouth. “I got carried away.”

  18

  Magnus

  As Magnus collected the empty coffee mugs and carried them to the sink, he thought about the talk he had to have with Parker.

  The one every immortal boy got.

  The difference was that Parker was much younger than the average age that it was usually done at, and if not for his newly discovered talent, it could have waited for at least a couple of years.

  By then Vivian would have been familiar with clan laws and could have done it herself.

  Unfortunately, though, the task fell to him, and it was not going to be easy to explain to both mother and son the consequences of using compulsion or thralling on unsuspecting victims to one’s advantage.

  Cleaning the mugs by hand, Magnus took his time at the sink while planning his speech.

  If only he didn’t suck at things like that. Maybe it would be better to send Parker to Kian for the talk? If anyone was going to instill fear in the kid, it was him.

  But that was a cowardly move.

  If he hoped to be a father to Parker in more than just name, Magnus had no choice but to step up to the plate and give the kid the talk himself.

  Wiping his hands on a dishrag, he glanced at the living room. Parker was already gone, probably in his room gaming, and Vivian was wiping the dining table clean.

  When she was done, he walked up to her and pulled her into his arms. “One hell of a night, eh?”

  “Yeah, you could say so. I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. How come my kids’ talents are so powerful? My mother, who we obviously inherited the genes from, never exhibited anything out of the ordinary.”

  “How about her family? Any weird aunts or uncles? Eccentric grandparents?”

  Vivian shook her head. “I was a miracle baby who came when my parents were in their mid-forties. I had one grandmother who lived in Florida and died when I was ten, and she had no siblings.”

  “It’s a shame.” He leaned and kissed her lips. “Now you have an entire clan of relatives.”

  She smiled. “I love it. It’s so nice to have a big family.”

  “I agree.” He leaned his forehead against hers. “I have to talk to Parker about his new powers, and I need you to be there when I do it.”

  “Why?”

  “Clan law is very specific about the use of thralling, and the s
ame rules apply to compulsion even though it’s not specified. But since both can be used to gain an unfair advantage over humans, I’m sure the punishment for using either in an unlawful way is the same.”

  She frowned. “What’s the punishment?”

  “It’d be better if I explained it to Parker and you at the same time. You know how bad I am at things like that.”

  “You’ll do fine.”

  He definitely hoped so. “Do you want to call him out here, or should we go to his room? I don’t know what the protocol is for having a talk with a kid.”

  “I’ll get him.”

  “Thank you.”

  Without thinking, Magnus headed back to the kitchen, opened the fridge, and pulled out another bottle of Snake Venom.

  Like that was a good example to give the kid.

  Was that the message he wanted to impart on an impressionable boy? That when a tough talk was coming the way to go was to reach for liquid courage?

  Vivian expected him to be a positive role model for her kids.

  Magnus put the beer back and pulled out a water bottle instead.

  “You wanted to talk to me?” Parker asked as he sat on one of the barstools.

  “Yes. But let’s take it to the living room couch.”

  When Parker and Vivian were seated, Magnus sat on the coffee table facing them. “Remember what Amanda told you about asking permission before practicing your talent?”

  “What about it?”

  “I want to explain what she meant so there will be no misunderstandings.”

  “I got it. She said not to do it without asking permission first. What else?”

  “You shouldn’t use it on humans either. At times, you’ll be tempted to, and other times you might not even realize that you’re pushing compulsion on them. You need to pay attention and make sure that you don’t do it unintentionally.”

  Parker nodded. “I didn’t know I was compelling Ella to do the model walk. I just asked her to do it, and she did.”

  “Do you remember how you felt when you asked her? What tone of voice you used?”

  “I didn’t feel anything different, if that’s what you mean. I wanted her to do it and thought that she was being stubborn, or shy.”