Dreamscape

by Christie Rich

  Ian stutters, “Do-Douchebag?” A rouge tinge creeps into his face. “No one calls me a douchebag and lives to say another word.”

  Amelia laughs, cocking her head and flipping him off—with both hands.

  Oh, bother.

  When Ian lunges, I grab him in a bear hug. “Go back to headquarters. I’ll be along shortly.”

  “What about our meeting? We have things to discuss, and you’ve just loaded us with a major problem.”

  “Later,” I tell him. “Go.”

  He stiffens, no doubt attempting to assess a way out of my hold. To my surprise, he leans into me, leering at Amelia over my shoulder.

  “I have a long memory, chit. Just you wait.”

  “You will leave!” I tell him.

  “Yeah, sure, brother. Zed will be furious. We don’t have time for distractions. You should have warned us you’d picked up a warm body.”

  I had hoped to drop Amelia at my office before I met up with him. “I will be there shortly!” I tell him. “I will deal with Zed. You cannot help me here.”

  He storms away, looking back with acid in his stare before he shifts into a crane, soaring into the distance in a matter of moments.

  A relieved sigh bubbles out of me. I had hoped to keep Ian from meeting Amelia for a few days. A few centuries would be preferable. Now, I will have to rethink my strategy.

  When I face Amelia, she’s staring into the distance, a worried veil over her eyes as she tracks Ian’s departure. She should be worried. Ian is this close to converting to Erobos. He doesn’t need her to help him along the way. I will have to be careful. I will have to make sure Amelia and he do not meet up again anytime soon.

  What the hell? That guy has the temper of an erupting volcano. A deep frown pulls on my mouth. I may have made a mistake. I thought he’d banter with me. He seemed like he was playing, having some fun. I was trying to feel him out, not incite him into wanting to kill me, but he kept pushing my rather faulty buttons. His type is usually all talk. Bravado, piss, and wind. Unfortunately, he’s no poser.

  That has to be a record. Usually, it takes at least a half hour to get someone I’ve just met close to strangling me.

  I’m normally pretty good at reading people, but that guy was not people. He was something else, which makes me more aware that the man standing in front of me is also something else. He’s not human.

  How has it taken me so long to recognize that for what it is, to understand what the differences could mean for me? Does Seth have the potential to be volatile like his brother? I eye him up and down, not pretending at all. He needs to know I’m assessing him. He needs to know I’m wary.

  Seth reaches out to me. “Come, I’ll take you back to your world.”

  It takes me a second to process what he said. I lock my knees and fold my arms. “I don’t want to go.” I glance around the nondescript field we landed in, trying to take in as much as I can. The dewy grass licks at my knees through my dress. “I thought you were going to show me around.”

  He shakes his head mournfully. “That was before you antagonized my brother.”

  “I did no such thing. He’s a beast. Didn’t your mother ever teach him how to behave?”

  Seth cocks his head to the side, shaking it in a scold. “I never said I had a mother, Amelia.”

  “Everybody has a mother. It’s how the world works.”

  He lifts a quizzical brow. “Your world.”

  I flip my hair out of my face, pulling out more of the pins that are digging ruts into my scalp. One by one, I toss them onto the grass. Seth watches my every move as if I’m a mechanical doll he’s trying to figure out.

  He wants me to believe he just poofed into existence? Not likely, but the truth is I have no idea how he came to be. I guess everything has to be created.

  Unfortunately, I don’t have time for chicken versus egg postulating. A choke comes out of me as my imagination glitches an image into my head. What if Seth hatched from an egg? Even if he did, he’d still have a mother. Stifling a giggle, I give myself an inward shake and focus. I have to convince Seth to let me stick around.

  If I agree to go back to my dream world or whatever, who knows how long it will be until I get out again. To stay, I have to make myself useful.

  “Okay,” I say, and he raises his other brow. He’s so on to me. Maybe I could use a few lessons in suave too. I raise my brows back at him. “I thought you had a job for me. If you take me back now, how’s that going to happen?”

  He growls and shoves his fists into his hair, tilting his head to the darkening sky. “Why couldn’t you just be silent? Ian is a threat to you now. Do you understand that?”

  I frown. “He made it pretty clear.”

  “Not clear enough, apparently.”

  “What’s he going to do? Like you said, my body is safely tucked away in your realm. He can’t do any real damage, no matter how much he tries.” My skin still burns from that nightmare’s icky lick, but I’m not telling him that. When I wake up, this will all have been a dream.

  Seth inches closer, until his chest blocks everything else from view. I crane my neck to look up at him. Jeez, he’s tall; I will not let him intimidate me.

  Instead of yelling at me more, like I expect, he glides his arms around my neck, pressing my face into his chest. “I couldn’t stand it if anything ever happened to you, especially if harm came to you by my brother’s hand.”

  “I’ll be fine,” I tell him, giving him a good squeeze around his waist. I linger a little too long, but I can’t seem to stop myself from touching him. After a moment, I make myself move away. “Have a little faith, will you? With you on my side, what could possibly happen?” Somewhere inside this strange man is the guy I fell in love with—a friend and lover that would do anything for me. The thought comforts me. I just wish I remembered agreeing to come here. I sort of hoped I would remember when I came into the Dreamscape, but it’s as if those memories are locked tight inside me.

  Seth groans, and I bite back the disturbing thoughts that answer my question. If I’m going to ever gain my freedom, I have to help Seth first. He’s just as trapped as I am, more so. I don’t want that for him. He’s a good person…so why was he cursed…how did it happen?

  A realization makes my knees watery. Somewhere along the way, I’ve become attached to him. I care about what happens to him. Even if I could escape now, how could I leave him to the horrible solitude of his realm?

  Another realization slams me in the head. I’d miss him.

  How did that happen?

  I take a deep breath to steady myself, but the only thing I manage to do is sway from the smell of him. He has the same effect on me as sniffing gasoline. I’ve got to snap myself together.

  His hand trails down my back, under my jacket, and back up to my hip. His warm fingers lap at the exposed flesh of my back. Fire explodes in my belly. I need to keep a safe distance from him, but is there such a thing? Why did I have to cave like this? I want nothing more than to erect a barrier between us again, but it’d just be made of noodles—transparent ones at that.

  Seth laughs. I tip my head back and eye his smirking mouth. Unease slithers inside me as I look around for the source of that chuckle—soft as it was, it was still there.

  I push his chest to get away from him. “You have superpowers I don’t know about? Were you reading my mind?”

  He shrugs, but there’s a twisted light behind those blue eyes.

  I slam his chest again. “What kind of messed-up world is this?”

  His fingers capture my hands, his smile melting into serious. “I’ve tried not to violate your privacy, but sometimes your thoughts are harder to stop than a screaming locomotive.”

  Gritting my teeth, I let my eyelids flutter closed. What else don’t I know about him?

  “I’m no different than any other man. I have both negative and positive qualities.”

  “This is just so weird, Seth. How am I ever going to learn everything? It’s too much.�
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  “So is the thought of conquering the Erobos as a whole, but one by one they will fall. You shall learn one thing at a time until you are an expert at slaying the darkness.”

  I smirk at him. “I thought you said you were the darkness.”

  I give a little laugh, remembering the moment I had Amelia in my arms for the first time. “I was overcome by you. I got a tad carried away.”

  She throws back her head and laughs. “A tad?”

  A broad smile covers my mouth. I can’t help but stare at her. Every movement is a testament to symmetry. She inflames me. She is my everything.

  I’m tempted to pull her into my arms again and kiss her until she is really senseless, like I used to do in her dream world. She’d been easy to intoxicate back then, and I wonder if I still have the ability.

  Inconvenient that I have to work right now. If Amelia wishes to stick around, I’ll let her. I had planned on introducing her to my team, and it is imperative I do so, Ian or no Ian in the way.

  With my mind made up, I say, “I’d like to show you something.”

  She gives me a curious glance. “What is it?”

  “Headquarters.”

  She laughs. “Sounds official.”

  “It’s where all the magic happens.”

  Her thoughts stray to the bedroom, which doesn’t help matters. Someday, hopefully soon, I will approach her with another offer, but she has to understand what she will be giving up if she agrees to be my mate.

  I long to make her truly mine. I long to bind her to me for eternity.

  I once thought another woman would fill that spot, but she is nothing more than a blip from my past. Occasionally, I wonder if she ever truly existed. From time to time I’ll recall a memory, but it has been too long to feel real anymore.

  With a sigh, I shove thoughts of her deep. I would rather not remember Rhea. She betrayed me, and if she still exists in this universe I will find her eventually. When I do, I will kill her. She is the cause of the plague I face every day. I will never forget what she did, and I will never forgive.

  I set out for the next portal, not waiting for Amelia to follow. She must learn to navigate the Dreamscape herself and the first step in her learning how to manage it is for me to let her discover on her own.

  She falls in line beside me, lifting my sullen mood a fraction when I see the light in her eyes. I nod toward the forest in front of us. “We’re headed for another portal and you need to learn to detect them.”

  She doesn’t hesitate with her answer. “Give me the deets.”

  I make a face at her slang, knowing it will take a long time to keep up with her, but go on. “Erobos also have portals within each world in the Dreamscape. You must learn to distinguish between the two. Our portals are protected against their infiltration through a spell cast by each of my remaining brothers and myself. We have changed the gates to only allow Oneiroi energy.”

  A visible shudder falls over Amelia. “Are you saying I have Oneiroi energy?”

  “Yes, you and I are tied.”

  “Hmm,” she says, her focus sharpening onto my face. “What would happen if I went through one of theirs by mistake?”

  It’s a good question, and I hate that she even has to ask it. “They have used portals to trap their prey in the past. You would be in grievous danger. I can’t stress enough to you how much danger you would be in.”

  She nods. “I think I have an inkling, so no going through Erobos portals. Not that I would ever want to, but how can I tell the difference?”

  “At first, you will have to pay attention to where we go. If you and I get separated within a mission you will have to look for the markers.”

  “Which are?”

  “Each portal has five qualities. Number one is opacity. The portal must be a reflective surface. This could be a mirror, pool, metal, even stone—in some instances.”

  “Window,” Amelia cuts in. “I get it. It has to be shiny. What else?”

  “It will have conductive properties.”

  “Doesn’t glass insulate?”

  “Depends, but glass conducts thermal energy.”

  “Okay, what else?”

  “It will be warm to the touch, even in low-temperature situations.”

  “Wait, I haven’t felt hot or cold in this world or the last one.”

  “What about your dream world?”

  “I don’t really remember.”

  “Next time we’re there try to pull the memory with you into your conscious state. The portal will also emit a low tone, like a humming sound that only Oneiroi can hear.”

  “And the last thing?”

  “It will stand out, but will not necessarily be large. It could be as small as…” I reach out and pull a dangling pin out of her hair and hold it out to her.

  “A hairpin?” she asks, eyeing me as though I’ve lost my wits.

  “Not just a hairpin. It would be extraordinary, something that draws your attention, even if you’re surrounded by people, especially so.”

  “Right,” she says. “It should sing to me, is that it?”

  “More or less. We are approaching the spot. Let’s see how developed your senses are.”

  She twists a smile at me, walking ahead a few paces, her gaze shifting from place to place. Pride swells inside me.

  I have chosen well.

  I have no freaking clue what I’m doing, but Seth doesn’t need to know that. Clearing my mind of thoughts that include him is about as realistic as a priest forgetting to mention Jesus in a sermon. Taking a deep breath I press forward, searching for the easiest of the properties Seth mentioned. Something shiny should stick out among the deep green and shadows of the forest…unless the shadows affect the portal. There’s still so much I don’t know.

  Maybe I should concentrate on that humming he mentioned, instead of the obvious. The breeze blows softly, melding with the symphony of a creek somewhere.

  Could it be the water? He did say pool.

  I track the sound, stopping every so often to make sure I’m still headed in the right direction. It’s strange because I can’t quite place where it’s coming from.

  A hedge of trees and shrubs blocks my path, but I have to get around them or, maybe, under them to follow the sound. Seth is much bigger than I am. I should be concerned about him being able to fit in the spaces I squeeze through, but it’s his problem. I’m on a mission.

  I lower to my belly and army crawl through the bramble. The menagerie of sticks littering the ground seems intent on skewering me, so I duck my chin to lead with the top of my head toward the light in the distance. Better a cut on the scalp than a gouged-out eyeball.

  When I emerge, I give a glance over my shoulder to see how Seth is faring. He grunts, untangling his pocket from an exceptionally lodged twig. I laugh, leaning down to help him. His shirt has risen up his torso, exposing the thick bands of muscles that line either side of his spine. When my fingers brush his skin, he stills, looking up at me with his eyes glowing intensity.

  My belly flutters spastically, and I look away. I swallow hard, making myself study our new surroundings instead of thinking about the warmth of his skin, or how surprisingly silky it is.

  We’re at the edge of a cliff that plummets into a gaping ravine. It’s got to be more than a hundred feet from base to top. The water must be down there, but how the heck are we supposed to descend a rock face without harnesses and rope? I’ve always wanted to try climbing, but we never really had the funds, and to be honest the heights involved have been more of a deterrent than money ever could be.

  I remind myself that this is a dream. My body is safely tucked away in Seth’s palace, so what have I got to lose?

  When I turn to ask Seth about gear, he’s right behind me. I gasp, taking a step back, but he catches me before I can fall to my…I chuckle…death.

  He gives me a broad smile, stepping back to right me. I had no idea I’d gotten that close to the edge. This place has thrown off my senses. It’s as
though a filter has been deposited in my brain that takes out my normal fear reactions, unless I’m specifically thinking about something that should bother me.

  “Thanks,” I tell Seth. He gives me a token nod then looks into the ravine. I stand beside him and follow his gaze. “Have any ideas how we can get down?”

  He speaks softly, as if to not drown out the noise of the river below us, or is it something else? “Are you sure that’s where you want to go?”

  I frown. “Is there a reason I shouldn’t?”

  He doesn’t give me a single clue as to what he’s thinking, nor does he answer me right away. I stare at him, waiting, while he continues to scan the ravine.

  “So, I’m wrong?” I ask, a little deflated because I thought I was on to something.

  He leans back and eyes me. “I didn’t say that.”

  Giving him a good eye roll would feel really great about now, but I’m worried that I’ve made a mistake and I don’t want to eat crow later. I also don’t want to encounter another one of his brothers, or one of those nightmare thingies.

  Seth’s expression is completely unreadable, except for the tiny bit of laughter crinkling the edges of his gorgeous blue eyes.

  I’m supposed to figure this out on my own, and I’m supposed to follow my instincts. The worst thing that could happen—no, I’m not going there. There’s no use in worrying over something that hasn’t happened. Keeping on task is harder than it should be. I take a deep breath and look for hand holds and crevices that might have the chance of supporting my weight.

  Not seeing anything where I’m standing, I trek the ledge, attempting to locate something suitable. About twenty feet in front of me there’s a bend in the ravine. I follow the edge, only to discover a passable option a few feet from where I just stood.

  I lower myself over the edge, checking my footing and holding on to a largish rock, hoping it’s not going to give under my weight. It’s slow going as I find my way into the ravine. When I look up, Seth has followed me, taking my exact course. I let myself smirk for a moment before I get back into it.

  The minute I’m on solid ground, I do a victory dance. Seth jumps the last few feet to the spot beside me. For a second, I think he’s going to hug me, but he takes a gander behind me, his expression darkening.