by I. T. Lucas
Visiting immortals in dream world had always been out of the question because whoever he dream-shared with would talk, and he wanted to keep it a secret.
Humans he could either thrall or compel to forget the dream encounter, but he had no such power over immortals.
Carol provided a unique opportunity to test his talent on an immortal. If he were successful in entering her dream, he could try entering Kian’s or Arwel’s.
For what purpose, though?
Ella had taught him a valuable lesson. Gaining access to her dreams didn’t mean barrier-free access to her mind. If an eighteen-year-old managed to keep secrets from him, it wasn’t hard to do. Besides, entering Kian or Arwel’s mind was as good as signing his own death warrant. Fearing the intrusion, Kian would no doubt order his immediate execution, or if he was feeling merciful, stasis.
31
Carol
It was after midnight when Carol’s eyelids finally started drooping. She’d watched two movies, but the love stories had only depressed her more, so as a last resort she’d turned the comedy channel on and had a few good laughs while watching South Park.
With a sigh, she clicked the television off and snuggled under the blanket, hugging a pillow.
Fates, she missed her old, carefree life. But after her capture and torture, she just couldn’t go back to that. Going to clubs, alone or with friends, was always accompanied by a residue of fear.
It didn’t matter that she never left the village without a gun in her purse, or that she was one hell of a markswoman and had killer aim with that thing, or that she was now capable of kicking serious butt.
Carol went anyway because she wasn’t willing to surrender to fear, and she needed to get her fix at least once in a while, but it wasn’t as much fun as it used to be.
It wasn’t carefree.
Drifting into sleep, she imagined herself sunbathing on the shore of a tranquil lake, with a soft breeze caressing her face and birds chirping in the trees. It helped her relax, which most nights translated into peaceful dreams.
Sometimes, though, the nightmares came back. Less and less often, thank the merciful Fates, but it required vigilance with her nightly relaxation ritual before falling asleep.
Thankfully, the lucid dream turned into a real one, and as sleep claimed her, she was still lying on the grass in the meadow abutting her lake.
A soft kiss on her lips had her open her eyes. “Lokan? What are you doing here? Am I dreaming about you?”
He was crouching beside her, gazing at her with those nearly black eyes of his and looking devilishly handsome.
“We are sharing a dream. I wasn’t sure I could do it with you, but here I am. I came to apologize.”
Propping herself on her forearms, she squinted to get a better look at him. Instead of the slacks and dress shirt he’d had on before, he was now dressed in a plain black T-shirt and jeans, looking more like someone she could’ve bumped into at a store and not the prince of an evil empire.
“You look good in jeans.”
“Thank you. Can I sit next to you?”
She moved to the side, making room on the blanket she had spread over the grass. “You can lie down. I don’t mind sharing my lake with you.”
He did as she’d instructed, lying on his side with his head propped on his hand. “Is it a real lake, or did you make it up?”
“I call it my tranquility lake. It exists only in my mind.”
He lifted his head and looked around. “You must spend a lot of time here. The scenery is very detailed for a made-up dreamscape.”
“I do. I imagine it before falling asleep to ensure peaceful dreams.”
He frowned. “Do you suffer from nightmares?”
“I do. But I don’t want to talk about it. You said that you came to apologize.”
“Yes, I did. I mean, I do. I realized how hypocritical it was of me to look down on the providers of a service I use, or rather used, on a regular basis. If there is anything degrading about it, it goes both ways, and since I didn't feel degraded by it, my partners in crime shouldn’t either.”
“Partners in crime, eh?”
“Prostitution is still illegal in most countries.”
“Not yours, though.”
He chuckled. “The entire island revolves around it. It’s the main attraction and a major source of income for us. I don’t approve of it because it is not consensual. But if it were, I wouldn’t have a problem with it.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “So, if by some miracle you became the king of the island, you wouldn’t shut down the brothel?”
“That would be a sure way to cause a riot. Not even my father’s compulsion could prevent it. Since it’s an island and there is nowhere for the warriors to go, the brothel is essential for them. But I would make sure that the ladies were recruited and not kidnapped, and that they got a decent cut of the proceeds.”
“I guess that’s pretty progressive thinking for a Doomer.”
Turning to lie on his back, Lokan crossed his arms under his head. “I have many more progressive ideas for the island, but at this point, they are just pipe dreams.”
“Because you are imprisoned?”
“Even before that. I wasn’t powerful enough to effect changes on my own, and my brothers were not about to cooperate with me because they are under my father’s influence.”
He sounded sincere, but Lokan was a master manipulator and an exceptional liar. He might have been telling her things he thought she wanted to hear.
“What other changes would you enact?”
“My vision for the island is to make it a real community that provides a good life for my people. First of all, I would allow the dormant females to transition, and the warriors to take them as mates and form family units. Over the years, the need for the brothel would subside.”
“With our miserable fertility rate, it would take many centuries. That’s why our clan is so small, while your father has tens of thousands of warriors.”
Unless Merlin’s intervention worked, but she didn’t hold out much hope for that.
He turned to look at her and smiled. “We are immortals. We have time. And the low fertility rate is a blessing. Imagine the world overrun with our kind. Humanity would eventually become an endangered species.”
“Why do you care? Doomers have little regard for humans.”
Riling Lokan on purpose to make him slip, Carol expected him to get angry.
Instead, he sighed. “We are superior to humans in almost every way, except for our brains and our emotional makeup. We are not smarter, and we are ruled by the same primitive impulses of love and hate, loyalty and competition. The fact is that there are billions of humans on this earth, and the future of this planet depends on their best and brightest combining their brain power and making it a better place for everyone, including us. Bottom line, we need them, but they don’t need us.”
She waved a dismissive hand. “Speak for yourself. The clan has been helping humanity along since the beginning, providing it with technological knowhow and promoting democracy and equality for all. You guys, on the other hand, have been doing everything in your power to hinder its progress.”
“That is true. But just as you were not personally responsible for all that good work, I wasn’t personally responsible for all the hindering. We are just two cogs in two different machines.”
“Yes, but I’m a tiny insignificant cog, while you are a prince. I’m sure you could have done more.”
He chuckled. “I assure you that I couldn't. I followed orders like everyone else, and all the careful scheming I’ve done over the years has borne very little fruit.”
He was good. She had to give him that. Listening to Lokan, one could think that he was a pure soul who’d been secretly laboring to improve his people’s lives.
Perhaps his intentions had been indeed good, but Carol would believe it if he could support his claims by actions.
“Talk is cheap.”
“What would you have done differently if you were the queen of the island?” Lokan asked.
32
Lokan
“I haven’t given it much thought. Your ideas aren’t bad, just incomplete.”
He liked listening to her talk, not because of what she had to say, but how she said it. She could be talking about the most boring subject, and still sound as if she was trying to seduce him. Everything about her was tempting, from the way she moved those lush lips of hers, to the slight raspiness of her voice, and the stubborn tilt of her chin.
“Give it a try.”
“I’m a café manager, not a politician. I’m not even leadership material. All I know is that people should be free but still held in check by laws that protect the community from those who seek to take advantage by unfair means. As for the outside world, the Brotherhood needs to find a different goal for its existence than global domination, and it needs to stop instigating wars. The trafficking needs to stop too, and all those women you force into prostitution should be set free. Just don’t ask me how to achieve that because I wouldn’t know where to start. I thought that seeding new and better ideas in the minds of the soldiers might lead to change from the inside, but if Navuh is compelling their loyalty, it’s not going to happen.”
“Not right away.”
“Why, do you have a long-term plan?”
“I’m still working on it.”
She waved a dismissive hand. “It’s hopeless. Unless…” she smirked, “you find a way to eliminate the brothel. You said that even the compulsion wasn’t going to help Navuh if that happened. The warriors would revolt.”
He leaned closer. “Sex makes the world go around, not money. Money is just the means to get sex.”
She focused on his lips. “Is that so?”
“Indeed.” He cupped her cheek and kissed her softly, just a brush of his lips over hers.
Her eyes fluttering closed, she wrapped her arm around his neck and kissed him back, her small tongue seeking entry, which he allowed.
If only this was happening in reality and not in dream world. The sensations were all there, but they were somewhat muted.
Carol went deeper, lifting up and pressing herself against his body. The feel of her soft breasts on his chest aroused him, but he still couldn’t help thinking how much better it would be to really hold her in his arms.
Leaning away, she sighed. “It’s not the same. I want to kiss you for real, to feel your hard body against mine and your strong hands touching me everywhere.”
Even in the dream, he felt his eyes blaze fire. “Then come to me.”
“You’re a very tempting devil.” She smoothed a finger over his brows. “I’ve never seen an immortal’s eyes glow red.”
“I’m one of a kind.” He put his hand on the small of her back and pressed her tighter against him, letting her feel his dream erection.
“Oh, wow. That feels real enough. Have you ever had dream sex?”
“I did. But she was a human. I don’t want my first time with an immortal to be in dream world. But I’ll take it if that’s the only way I can get it.” He cupped her bottom and gave it a squeeze. “I know it’s going to be mind-blowing with you and not just because you are an immortal. You are exquisite, Carol. The sexiest, most tempting female I have ever met.”
Worrying her bottom lip, she took a moment to contemplate his offer. “I like it when you call me exquisite.”
“Does it mean that you’ll come?”
“Arwel is not going to like it, but I don’t care.”
He hadn’t considered that it might get her in trouble. Sleeping with the enemy was going to be frowned upon at best. She wouldn’t be the first though. After all, Kian’s sister had set a precedent. Then again, what Amanda could get away with, Carol might not.
“Are you going to get hell for this? I don’t want you to get in trouble.”
Smiling, she cupped his cheek. “It’s so sweet of you to worry about me. But I’m a big girl, and no one can tell me who I can or cannot have sex with. Not even Kian.”
“How soon can you be here?”
“Give me fifteen minutes. I need to force myself to wake up.”
“You’re going to suffer a headache, but only for a few moments.”
The last thing he wanted was for her to change her mind about coming because of that. Now that it was on the table, the prospect of losing it for any reason was intolerable.
He couldn't wait to experience no-holds-barred sex with an immortal female. And not just any female, Carol. Even without exposure to the rest of the clan’s fairer sex population, he had no doubt that she was incomparable.
“I’ve forced myself to wake up before, so I know what to expect. See you soon, lover boy.” She waggled her brows before winking out of the dream.
The speed with which she departed indicated practice. Carol must have woken herself often. The question was, why?
She’d admitted that she’d been suffering from nightmares, and he had a feeling it was a frequent occurrence. What was the source, though?
Had something happened to her?
Despite her diminutive size, Carol projected strength and resilience. Whatever she’d gone through must have been traumatic.
The thought of anyone hurting her was enough to wake him up without him even trying, and the moment he opened his eyes, two glowing red circles appeared on the ceiling.
If whoever had harmed her hadn’t been punished already, he would find a way to make it happen.
33
Carol
Nervous butterflies buzzing in her stomach, Carol got out of bed and rushed into the closet. She hadn’t brought a lot of clothes with her, so the selection was limited, but she’d packed some sexy lingerie.
Nothing over the top, just lace and satin in her favorite shades of pink. Well, the panties were a skimpy thong, with a little bow in the back, but from the front it wasn’t too revealing. The bra, however, was lacy and completely see-through, showcasing her nipples as if she was wearing nothing.
Carol’s signature look was all about blending the sweet and seemingly innocent with the sultry. Men found the combination irresistible, and she was sure Lokan would too.
The button-down silk blouse she shrugged on looked modest, but was great for stripping slowly, and since Arwel was going to let her in, she pulled on simple black leggings instead of the skirt she would’ve normally paired with that blouse.
A little eyeliner and mascara to accentuate her eyes, lip gloss, and she was ready to go.
But first, she had to shoot Arwel a text.
Sorry to bother you so late, but I’m coming down, and I need you to let me into Lokan’s cell.
His return text came right away. No problem. I’m awake.
Good. She’d been afraid he would make some snide remarks. Except, he was probably saving them for later.
When she got to the dungeon level, Arwel was waiting for her next to Lokan’s cell, leaning against the wall and smirking.
“I didn’t think you’d forgive him so soon.”
“He apologized.”
“When?”
“He dream-shared with me.”
That wiped the smile off Arwel’s face really fast. “That’s bad. If he can dream-share with immortals, no one is safe.”
“That’s why I’m here,” she lied. “I need to find out who he can dream-share with. If it’s only people he meets face to face first, then we need to limit who’s allowed to visit him. But in any case, I don’t think it’s a big deal. If Ella could keep him from reading her thoughts, then it is not so difficult to do.”
“I disagree. Ella had trained herself from a young age to block her mother. She knows how to protect her mind. When I was waiting outside the interview building in Washington, I couldn’t feel her.”
“That’s interesting. Even so, if an eighteen-year-old human can do it, I’m sure adult immortals would have no problem.”
“I hope you are right.” The smirk was b
ack. “Should I turn the volume down again?”
She shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
“I think I’ll do that. I’ll also lower the resolution and dim the display.”
“You can turn the thing off completely. I don’t expect any trouble, but if anything happens, and I get scared, you’ll feel it.” Which brought another thought. “Are you going to feel my other emotions as well?”
He grimaced. “And his. But don’t worry about it. It’s my curse, and I’ve learned to live with it.”
“You don’t have to stay so close. Can you feel us from upstairs?”
“It’s too far, and there are too many other people in between. But as I said, don’t worry about it.” His finger hovering over the keypad, he looked at her. “Does it bother you? Knowing that in a way, I’m sharing your experience?”
“A little. But not enough to dissuade me from going in there.”
“I’m glad that you’re not shy.” He punched in the numbers.
“You are a good sport, Arwel. I was expecting some snide remarks or comments about how wrong this is.”
He arched a brow. “Why? You’re just doing your job.”
Not really. But she didn’t mind him thinking that.
The truth was that she was using her spying mission as an excuse to be with Lokan and not the other way around.
When the door swung open, she waved Arwel goodbye and sauntered in. Except, Lokan wasn’t in the living room, waiting for her with a glass of wine as she’d been expecting.
The door to the bedroom was open, and the lights inside were off, but the dimmed light from the living room was enough for her to see the front of the room.
Could it be that he hadn’t woken up yet?
“Are you still asleep?” Carol crossed the threshold, realizing immediately that he wasn’t. Two glowing red eyes zeroed in on her like a couple of lasers from twin shooters.