Goddess in the Middle

by Stephanie Julian

  On the far side of the pond, Amity stood over Cal’s crumpled body as Perrin shakily brandished a pair of blades that had to be Cal’s. Behind Perrin, X slumped against a large boulder that seemed to have been thrust up out of the earth from below. Remy didn’t see any blood on X, but the guy was clearly dazed.

  In front of them stood a male who couldn’t be more than twenty, his dark hair frat-boy short, his Etruscan features set in stoic lines. He held one hand stretched toward Perrin and Amity as if he were beckoning them to come with him.

  Remy didn’t stop to think. The man smelled dangerous and stood much too close to Amity and Perrin. He raced toward the man with the intention of taking him down—

  And found himself sprawled on the ground when a powerful force shoved at him. It picked him up off his feet and blew him yards away. Luckily he didn’t hit any tree trunks on the way or his insides might be spilling out right now.

  This scassacazzo was strong. And not just physically. He vibrated with power.

  “There you are.” The guy’s tone sounded like they’d just met during a social event. One where they weren’t trying to kill each other. “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, Remy. And you too, Rom. So glad you could join the party.”

  “Run,” Amity pleaded and it took a few seconds before Remy realized she was talking to him. “Please. He’s only here for the two of you. Get out now.”

  Remy snorted, shaking his head as he tried to clear it. To hell with that plan. There was no way Remy or Rom were leaving her alone so they could run and save themselves.

  But the guy was strong. And he had help on the way.

  The only choices were to take the guy down… or get Amity and Perrin into the dream plane. The question was, how did they do that when Cal was out cold and X was injured?

  Remy made a split-second decision and recalled his pelt. It left him vulnerable for several seconds but the Mal merely watched, making no attempt to attack.

  “Who are you and what do you want?” Remy began to close the distance between them. The cool air covered his skin in goose bumps but it wouldn’t slow him down. In fact, it made him more focused.

  The Mal shook his head. “You don’t need to know who I am. You and your cousin simply need to come with me. If you don’t, I’ll hurt the women and then you’ll come with me. Either way, it works out the same.”

  Amity drew in a sharp breath. “Remy, don’t—”

  “I won’t hesitate to hurt them,” the guy said. “And they’ll be bleeding when we leave.”

  Remy smelled the truth behind his words. He didn’t care if he hurt Amity or Perrin. He had one goal and that was to get Remy and Rom.

  “First tell me who you are and why you want me.”

  The guy smiled, something vaguely reptilian about it that made Remy’s skin crawl. “Oh, not just you. Good try, though. No, you and your cousin, who I know is lurking behind me, will come with me. I’m sure you’ve figured out why already.”

  Yeah, he knew why the Mal wanted them. To make them slaves.

  Fuck that.

  But did they have a choice? Right now, the guy seemed to be invincible. Remy had flown through the air like he weighed all of twenty pounds.

  They needed X to help Amity and Perrin into the dream plane, then he and Rom would take care of this guy before his backup arrived.

  “So you work for the Mal. But you’re not Mal, are you?”

  “Again, not something you need to know. You’re stalling, waiting for the other men to wake. If you and Rom come with me without a fight, I’ll allow the women to live.”

  Then Remy got an idea. A fucking brilliant idea, if he did think so himself.

  He was pretty sure Rom would think it was crazy, but then they didn’t have much choice. And not much time to think of anything else. Remy sent the thought to Rom a split second before he lunged for the guy. At the exact moment, Rom called his pelt and shifted into his wolf directly behind the guy.

  And just as Remy had hoped, the guy split his focus and his power.

  The stream of power he sent at Rom deflected off the controlled magic of his shift but managed to knock him to the side. Remy wasn’t as lucky. He caught the blow directly in his chest and staggered back several feet into a tree trunk, where he hit his head. Flashing lights appeared in his eyes but he blinked them away as fast as he could.

  Not fast enough. The Mal, probably sensing he was most vulnerable, ran at him. The guy’s mouth moved, weaving a spell.

  Remy knew he didn’t want to be on the receiving end of any spell this guy could come up with. He had a split second to consider strategies before Rom leaped for the guy’s throat.

  And X and Amity began to finish what they’d started.

  Remy slammed into the guy just as Amity began to chant in ancient Etruscan, the alien-sounding language spilling from her lips as easily as English. Remy only understood every couple of words, but he didn’t have time to concentrate on that. Rom needed his help.

  Remy briefly thought about taking one of the swords Perrin was holding—and found himself holding it a second later.

  “Holy shit.”

  He spared a quick glance at Perrin, who looked as dumbfounded as he felt. Then he forced himself to clear his head and concentrate only on Rom and their ability to protect Amity.

  As she continued to chant, Remy lifted the sword and went after the Mal.

  Rom had his jaws clenched around the guy’s arm but was taking an awful lot of abuse from him. The Mal looked like he was about to level another spell.

  Remy aimed the point of the sword for the guy’s throat, figuring that was the most vulnerable spot, and it would cut off his ability to chant. Remy really didn’t want to be around when the guy unleashed another spell. And he sure as hell didn’t want Amity near here if the Mal pulled it off.

  A second before he would’ve skewered the guy, the Mal rolled, ripping away from Rom’s sharp teeth. Blood splattered and Remy regrouped to take another stab.

  Only, the ground rolled beneath him and he pitched to the side just as Rom leaped for the Mal again. And missed because the Mal stumbled, as well. Rom tackled Remy instead and Remy had to drop the sword to make sure he didn’t cut Rom as he caught the brunt of the hundred-pounds-plus wolf.

  As they scrambled back to their feet, the Mal made a run for Amity, who had her gaze trained on the pool of water, which didn’t seem to be affected at all by the shaking earth. In fact, its surface looked as smooth as glass.

  Remy felt a surge of red-hot power blast through his body, a power that wasn’t totally his. He sensed a portion of it coming from Rom. And fueling it…

  Remy put his hand on Rom’s scruff, felt the same power coursing through his cousin.

  And, in a flash of insight, knew exactly what they could do with that power.

  ***

  Amity spoke the last few words of the spell she had wrought with X and watched as the surface of the pool took on the sheen of a mirror.

  One great big magic mirror to step through into the dream plane. How was that for straight out of a fairy tale?

  Avoiding looking at the fight taking place on the other side of the small pool, she reached behind her.

  “Perrin, take my hand and don’t let go.”

  “What’s going on?” Perrin asked, but she did as Amity had told her.

  The woman sounded frightened but not paralyzed with fear. Good. She’d need that strength in the next few minutes.

  “We’re going to use the pond as a conduit into the dream plane. Kind of like Alice Through the Looking Glass.”

  “I stopped believing in fairy tales a long time ago.”

  “Well, you’re about to cross over into Wonderland.”

  Now Amity dared to look across the pond. And what she saw made her gasp.

  Remy had one hand on Rom’s scruff. In the other…

  Blessed Goddess, in the other he held a glowing red ball of fire.

  In the next split second, Remy flung it at the M
al.

  The fire consumed the younger man and he cried out in pain.

  “Amity, go now!” Remy shouted.

  “We have to go together. You have to jump.”

  “I don’t know if the fire will contain him while we’re gone. Cal isn’t—”

  “We’ll be fine,” X said. He’d already gotten to his feet and was hauling a sluggish Cal with a shoulder under his arm. “Go now.”

  Amity looked at Perrin then again at Remy and Rom. Then she took a deep breath and waded into the water.

  Since she’d never done this before, she hadn’t been sure what to expect.

  She only had time to realize the water was no longer water. And the ground had disappeared below their feet.

  ***

  Rom watched Amity step into the pool—

  And disappear as if she was wearing cement shoes.

  Blind panic hit him like a bomb blast, and he nearly tripped over his paws and Remy to get into the water.

  Disorientation hit him hard, nausea and dizziness combined as he fell.

  He sailed through darkness, the light cutting off as if a switch had been thrown. And had just enough time to think Holy fuck, how the hell far is it to the bottom, when he hit.

  Hard. So hard, he went lights out for several seconds. Which didn’t mean a damn thing because, wherever he was, it was completely dark.

  Get up.

  He had to get up. He had to find Amity. Had to make sure she was okay. Had to trust that when Remy followed, he’d find them, as well.

  Pushing himself to his paws, he did a complete body shake, making sure nothing had broken.

  A few aches and pains. Maybe a few more pains than aches, but he could stand. And if he could stand, he could walk.

  Taking a deep breath, he let his eyes get accustomed to the gloom.

  Damn, was it always like this? Had they really made it to the dream plane? Amity would know. He had to find her.

  He turned in a slow circle.

  For as far as he could see, there was nothing but open space. The ground beneath his feet looked like dirt, but he had the sense that it only looked that way because that’s what he expected to see. Which was weird but not as weird as the landscape that started to spring up around him.

  Trees, shrubs, brush. A forest, but unlike any he’d ever seen. The trees were misshapen, the trunks bulging in odd places, and the limbs bent in unnatural ways. The bushes were brightly colored and their leaves strangely geometric. And none of them were taller than him.

  Very weird.

  Don’t panic.

  Good advice for unintentional interstellar travelers and lucani who found themselves in the dream plane. Now if only he had a towel. And Remy complained that he didn’t have a sense of humor. Of course, it could be the beginning stages of hysteria.

  Where the hell were Amity and Perrin?

  A flash of light caught his eye and he spotted what looked like a falling star. Shining bright as it made its way from up there, which was utter darkness, to down here. Which was gloomy.

  Then he caught a faint hint of a scent he recognized.

  Remy.

  He took off as fast as he dared, the tree limbs pointed and sharp—

  Shit. Remy would be impaled.

  The forest disappeared in the blink of an eye and Remy hit the ground with an oddly muffled thud.

  Rom reached his cousin’s side in seconds, sticking his muzzle into Remy’s cheek. He chuffed with relief when Remy groaned but sat up rubbing his head with one hand and his naked back with the other.

  He must have taken the time to put on pants before he’d jumped into the pool. And grab a sword, which lay next to him on the ground.

  “Damn. That’s really gonna hurt in a little while. Right now, it’s slightly less than agonizing. Where’s Amity?”

  Rom shook his head as Remy stood, one hand reaching up to rub his nape as he looked around then looked back at Rom.

  “We need to find her. Can you pick up her scent?”

  Good question. Rom closed his eyes, stuck his muzzle in the air and inhaled.

  At first, there was nothing. Hell, he barely smelled Remy. It was as if smells didn’t exist here.

  Panic wanted to build but he forced it down. And concentrated. Damn it, where—There. Just the faintest hint but it was her. Then he caught another scent and his heart tripped over itself as he began to run, Remy right on his heels.

  Blood.

  Chapter 15

  This was her fault. All her fault. Amity never should have agreed to bring Perrin.

  When she’d landed, Perrin’s head had taken the brunt of the impact against the marble ruins and now her blood stained the cracked stone she’d fall on.

  Amity had no idea why the ruins looked so familiar or even why they were here on the dream plane. She only knew Perrin was injured.

  “Heal her.”

  The deep male voice startled her and Amity looked up to find Charun standing over them.

  She hadn’t seen him in more than a millennium but he hadn’t changed. His sharp features and dark, piercing eyes gave him a deadly air that wasn’t imagined. The God of the Underworld wasn’t known for his mercy.

  But the way he was staring at Perrin…

  Amity felt something other than simple professional curiosity from him. It rocked her back on her heels for several seconds as she stared up at him. He cared for Perrin, she could sense it.

  “Heal her,” Charun repeated. “She’s going to die. You need to fix her now.”

  He was absolutely right.

  She had to save Perrin, even though her injuries were so severe, Amity might not have any power left for Charun to harvest when she was finished.

  She closed her eyes.

  “What are you doing?” Charun demanded, his voice a distraction amidst the chaos of her emotions.

  “What you told me to do. I’m healing Perrin. Now shut up and let me work. It’s difficult to concentrate with all the pain and agony.”

  “Welcome to my world.” Charun’s softly muttered words fractured her concentration. This time, she knew she’d heard something in his tone, felt some emotion she wanted to pause and consider.

  Yet she knew she couldn’t. She needed every ounce of her focus to heal Perrin. Two millennia ago, she would have been able to heal a score of people at the same time. Those days were long gone.

  Time to read the writing on the wall.

  She’d been avoiding it for so long. These last stolen days with Remy and Rom had been wonderful, but now she knew her time was up. She wouldn’t be returning to her men. But neither would she allow Charun to consume her power, what little she had left.

  Because truly, she’d only been siphoning it from Remy and Rom. Channeling it from them and using it for her own purposes. Which didn’t really make it hers.

  Sinking deeper into herself, she split her focus, using her hands to direct the remaining energy in her body into Perrin’s.

  The head wound had caused bleeding in the brain and there were additional internal injuries. She’d already lost so much blood.

  Amity just kept funneling power.

  When she was finished… well, maybe Charun would still welcome her into Aitás even though she’d have nothing left for him. Or herself, for that matter.

  ***

  Remy and Rom ran toward the scent Rom had picked up. Remy prayed they wouldn’t be too late.

  He barely noticed when the ground suddenly became littered with ruined marble columns and broken cobblestone roads. He only knew he could sense Amity. She needed them.

  It didn’t take long to find her. And when they did, neither of them hesitated to rush toward her, even though Charun stood over her.

  Rom leaped at Charun, uncaring that the God of the Underworld could crush him with one hand.

  “Stay back.” Charun flung out his hand, and Rom went flying through the air without being touched and landed with a sickening thud.

  With a roar that would have made a de
mon flinch in fear, Remy ran at Charun. He’d kill the bastard god or he’d die trying.

  He got close enough to actually land a punch but Charun grabbed him by the throat and shook him, Remy’s feet dangling inches off the ground. “You fool. You’re going to kill them both by diverting her attention.”

  He struggled against Charun’s grip, tearing at the strong fingers around his throat. If Charun exerted just a little more pressure, Remy was pretty sure he wouldn’t need to breathe because he’d be dead.

  He had to try. Had to get to Amity to shore up her strength. He wanted to tell Charun that he needed to go to her, put his hands on her so she could draw power from him.

  “I… can help. Let… me… go.”

  His throat burned with every word as he clawed at Charun’s fingers.

  When he finally fell to the ground, he knew it was only because the god had allowed him to fall.

  “Then do it.”

  Remy was already scrambling toward Amity. Sitting behind her, he bracketed her between his knees and gently wrapped his arms around her waist. He didn’t want to break her intense concentration, but she needed to know he was there. Bending his head, he pressed his lips to her neck and forced his energy into her.

  He’d never tried to do this with anyone other than Rom and only when they were working spells. This was totally different, but it was the only way he could think of to get her to accept his help.

  He immediately felt his energy flow out of him and into her. His head began to pound, the throbbing in his temples and between his eyes made him light-headed, and his stomach churned.

  The sound of a scuffle caught his attention but he disconnected from everything but Amity. She needed him. And he wouldn’t fail her.

  ***

  Rom knew he had several broken bones, probably a concussion and other internal injuries.

  If he shifted, the broken bones would heal themselves, as would most of the internal injuries. If they weren’t too severe. If they were… he could do serious damage if he shifted. But he had to risk it.

  Someone had followed them through.

  He knew Remy was helping Amity, giving her his energy, practically forcing her to take it.

  That left him to deal with the Mal.