Sandman (Forbidden Love Series II Book 5)

by Danielle James

  Jessica smiled at her, but did not answer the question. “I had a vision of you and Somnus. You were fighting the demon. He has been draining the power from the dream gods he captures.”

  “She’s not going anywhere near that son of a bitch,” Somnus growled.

  “Actually, she is,” Azerial said. “You know as well as I do that Jessica’s visions are never wrong. So, we’ve taken some precautions, but the time will come, and you will fight.”

  “We will help wherever we can,” Gage told him. “But I think it’s going to be the two of you.”

  “Why her?” Somnus demanded. “Why does it have to be Rachel?”

  “Because she is the one he wants,” Jessica said. “I saw it. He wants her power.”

  “She’s the only one who can interact with him in her dreams,” Frankie told him.

  “Ah-hm…I’m sitting right here,” Rachel reminded them.

  “I’m sorry,” Frankie said. “I know this is hard to wrap your head around, but you have always been able to interact with your dreams. You have always been able to see through the illusions set in front of you. We’ve made a potion along with a binding spell. I know that Somnus doesn’t want to kill him.”

  “I want to,” he corrected, “I’m not allowed to.” It turned his stomach to finally know what had become of his missing comrades. He’d hoped that eventually they would be found alive. Now, he knew different. Now, he wanted to kill that demon more than he wanted to preserve the balance.

  “Then, we must bind his power,” Azerial said. “We have to trap him in his own realm and prevent him from hurting anyone else.”

  “How do we do this?” Rachel asked, standing up. She realized that not only was she ready to fight, but she was ready to protect her family. She was ready to put this demon to bed. Permanently.

  “You go to sleep,” Serena said. “I’m going to give you the potion and teach you the spell. While you’re dreaming, we lift the protective wards on you. That way, he will come for you. When he does, hit him with the binding spell.”

  “Seems easy enough,” Rachel said. “When do we do this?”

  “Hold up,” Somnus said, putting himself in the middle of the room. “What in the fuck makes you all think that I’m going to just let her go up against that bastard? No. Not just no, but hell no. Are you all insane?”

  “Somnus,” Rachel said softly, “I can do this.”

  “I know you can,” he said. “But there is no way in fuck I’m letting you go in there all alone.”

  “She won’t be alone,” Jessica said. “Like I told you, both of you were fighting. It will take both of you to defeat him.”

  “We can do this,” Rachel assured Somnus. “We are stronger together.”

  “As soon as Rachel starts dreaming, you get into her dream. We can’t risk either of you going in alone, but she’s right. Together you’re stronger.” Angel sat down hard on his chair. “I don’t like it either, but if we don’t stop him, no one will.”

  “We defeated him together before,” Rachel reminded Somnus, taking his hand. “We can do it again.”

  “He didn’t know what you were before,” Somnus shot back. “We got lucky and caught him off guard. This time he’ll be prepared. He’ll be ready for us.”

  “But he won’t be ready for Rachel to have control of her power,” Frankie said. “He won’t be ready for her to be able to use it. He’ll be looking for blind rage. Not a plan. You’re going in prepared this time.”

  “I don’t like it. Not at all.”

  “Stay here tonight,” Jacque told them. “If anything goes wrong, anything, you’ll be here where we can help you.”

  Somnus nodded. “You’re sure about this?” he asked Jessica.

  “I wish I wasn’t,” she said. “It has to be you.”

  Rachel knew deep down that what they were saying was true. She’d known it from the first time her Fury exploded from her body. That demon was something evil, something that no regular human could fight. For the first time, she felt like she had a purpose, as if she’d been created just for this purpose. She didn’t fear the demon any longer. In fact, she was full of confidence and determination. “When do we start?” she asked.

  “Tonight,” Jessica told her. “It happens tonight.”

  ***

  Somnus couldn’t seem to stop touching his mate. He knew she was strong enough. He knew she was brave enough. He knew without a doubt that she would follow Frankie’s instructions to the letter, and the spell would go over exactly as planned. Why, then, was he so damned afraid for her?

  He ran his hand down the side of her arm, down her side to her hip and then back up again. It was as if, if he kept touching her skin, then he could somehow infuse her with even more power.

  She had turned on her side half an hour earlier, placing her back against his chest, the potion bottle clutched in her hand tightly. Her whole body lay against his, and even though he had a painful erection, sex was the last thing on his mind. Could he really let her do this?

  The moment his magic told him that she was dreaming, Somnus knew the choice had been taken out of his hands. Frankie had lifted the extra wards from the house, allowing Rachel to be found. Somnus didn’t wait, but slipped into her dream.

  Rachel was standing on the boulder he’d seen so many times in the painting in his home. She stood tall and proud, her wings out behind her and her hair flowing with the breeze. The orange and yellow flames licked at the air, daring anyone to come closer to her. Her black fury eyes blazed with so much courage he thought his heart might melt right there.

  “’Bout time you got here,” she told him. “I can feel him. He’s close.”

  Somnus could feel the demon too, but not like Rachel could. She could feel his evil lurking in the distance. She could feel him getting closer.

  “You don’t have to do this,” Somnus told her, joining her on that rock. “You can wake up and we can save this for another day.”

  “No,” she said definitively. “We end this. Now.”

  Somnus nodded and took her hand into his own. He was ready to fight.

  “Aww, well isn’t this just about enough to make even a cold-hearted demon sigh,” the demon’s voice chimed from all around them.

  “Show yourself, Baku,” Somnus demanded. “Come out and fight us.”

  “You’ve come to end me then,” the demon said on a laugh. “How sweet. I will take you both.”

  Rachel looked at Somnus and he knew what she was going to do. He barely had time to cover his ears before she threw her head back and screamed.

  This was unlike any sound he’d heard her make. This scream was mournful, angry, and full of power. He could feel the soundwaves bouncing off the trees in the dream realm, making everything around them vibrate. The demon appeared about fifty feet in front of them, covering his ears. Rachel had forced him to lose his cover. Somnus smiled and jumped at the demon.

  He sailed through the air, fist at the ready, until it met with the demon’s face. A loud crunch meant he’d hit the mark, and the demon staggered back. As soon as Somnus’ feet hit the ground, the demon had shaken it off and was charging forward, head down, horns in front.

  “Now!” Somnus shouted.

  Rachel flew overhead, opening the vial of binding potion. “Alliges duplicia!” she shouted in a commanding tone. She turned the bottle upside down and let it pour over the demon’s head.

  It shook its head and stepped back, not having expected the potion. Rachel swooped down, screaming into the air. As she passed its face, her claws raked across its red skin. Black, oozing blood welled up in the wake of her claws as she passed by again. Somnus kicked at its legs, pushing them out from underneath him. The demon swatted at Rachel, narrowly missing her as she passed by again.

  Somnus jumped onto its chest, slamming its face again and again with his fist. “How dare you come near her!” he shouted. “I’ll kill you!”

  Rachel turned and circled back. Just as she passed, the demon roared and
shoved itself off the ground. Somnus fell back, but jumped right back to his feet. The demon had snatched Rachel out of the air and was holding her small body in its meaty fist. “What a prize,” it hissed at her. Rachel screamed again and the demon squinted his eyes and turned his head as if he could escape the pain in his eardrums.

  She fought him harder than he thought possible, but Somnus could see what was happening. The demon was draining her! Without a thought for his own safety, he charged forward, teeth bared. He landed on the thing’s back and sank his fangs into its head. Rancid blood raced out, filling his mouth and making him gag, but Somnus held on. While his teeth drained the demon of blood, he smashed one of the horns with his fist. It cracked and the demon howled in pain. Somnus grabbed it with both hands, releasing his bite, and pulled with all he had. The horn snapped off and the demon screamed.

  Rachel fell to the ground as the demon reached up for Somnus.

  “Nope, time to wake up,” Rachel said, flying over Somnus and grabbing his arm.

  Chapter Thirty

  Somnus fell out of the bed, Rachel on top of him, rolled over and leapt to his feet. He pushed Rachel behind him and scanned the room. The demon was gone. They were back at his family home and they were safe. “Are you okay?” he asked. He could hear her breathing behind him and when he turned to look, she was seething with rage. “Rachel, come back to me,” he said gently. She was in full Fury mode again and this time, he wasn’t sure he could pull her out of it.

  Her chest heaved with every breath she took, her eyes as black as onyx. The dark accents in her skin were even darker than they’d ever been before and her hands were curled into claws that were ready to strike. “Rachel,” he said.

  She turned her head to look at him and Somnus knew that even though she was the Fury, she was in control of herself. Her eyes scanned the room, just as his had done, as if she didn’t really believe they were safe. “What went wrong?” she asked in the dual-tone Fury voice.

  “I don’t know,” Somnus answered. “We need to get those wards back up and fast.”

  A feminine scream ripped through the house and without thinking about it, they were both on the move. Jessica was running down the hallway, hell-bent on getting away from something they couldn’t see.

  “What happened?” Somnus demanded.

  “He’s here!” Jessica shouted.

  The whole family gathered around her, waiting for her to explain. “Who’s here?”

  “The demon!” Jessica shouted. “Get everyone out of here.”

  “Honey, I’m home!” the demon’s voice reverberated through the house.

  “How the fuck?” Gage cursed.

  “Doesn’t matter,” Samuel said. “Azerial, the humans!”

  The goddess clapped her hands together once and Brea, Jessica and all the human guards disappeared from the property.

  “Oh, no one wants to play?” the demon asked. “Come find me, if you dare!”

  Rachel hissed and leapt over the stairs, falling down to the foyer below. She hit the ground and began running toward the family room, everyone following her.

  Somnus didn’t know what to think. His mate was in full Fury mode, slashing at an enormous monster in the living room. The demon backhanded Rachel, sending her crashing into a wall. “Thought you could bind me?” he snarled. “I took what I needed from your precious mate and now I’m free!”

  Frankie raised her hand and a ball of magic flew toward the demon. He batted it away, sending it crashing into the far wall. The men had their guns drawn and opened fire on it. One bullet after another buried itself into the demon’s flesh, but the punctures didn’t even slow it down.

  "Oh, come now, surely the infamous Knight Clan has more to offer than those pea shooters?" Banku laughed. "I have seen what scares you all the most and I have it all right at my fingertips." The demon held his hands out, conjuring a smoky fog that circled his palms before spilling over and covering the floor.

  "What in the happy horseshit is this?" Gage barked, stepping back from the heavy fog.

  "Everyone! Get out of here!" Angel commanded. Of course, no one listened. They all stood together, Angel, Rebel, Gage, Sebastian, Frankie, Serena, Leigh, Samuel and Azerial.

  Somnus broke away and went to Rachel's side. She'd hit the wall pretty hard, and when he saw the blood on the side of her face, he roared.

  As the fog filled the room, the air became thicker and precious air became thinner. It was hard to breathe. Hard to think. They all fought it until there was no choice but to succumb to the fog as it overtook the house.

  ***

  Angel was walking in a field of daisies when he saw Breanna bouncing toward him. He laughed aloud and opened his arms for her as she ran into them. He breathed in the familiar scent of her hair and smiled. It was short-lived, though. Her body was limp in his arms and when he pulled her back to look at her, thick blood was covering her battered face. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and he could no longer hear her heart beating. He could no longer smell the shampoo in her hair or the flowers around them. All he could smell was the coppery tang of her blood. His mate, his beautiful mate, lay dead in his arms.

  Angel's knees buckled beneath him and he dropped to the ground. Pulling Brea's limp body over his lap, he curled himself around her, holding her close. The pain. There was so much pain. He couldn’t comprehend it and he couldn’t hold it in. Angel fisted her bloody hair in his hand, crushing her to him as he threw his head back to roar into the heavens. "No!!!!"

  ***

  The smell of the ocean was undeniable as Sebastian found himself in another place. He was standing on a pier, watching smoke billow up into the sky as the sun set. The burning pain in his chest threatened to consume him as he fisted his hands at his side. They would pay. They would all pay.

  No, this isn't right, he thought as he struggled with what he was seeing. He remembered this day like none other before or after it. It was the first time he'd lost his Jessica. Too many times he'd remembered this day and too many times he'd fell victim to the rage he'd felt. That was the day he became a monster. It was the day that his intended mate had been burned as a witch.

  Jessica had returned to him. This wasn't real. The stench of burnt wood and flesh smelled real enough. Sebastian knew that he could control this. He had to. He could never go back to the way he was.

  He looked down at his feet and saw that they were covered in straw and blood. Her blood. He'd killed her. Not by his own hand, but by not protecting her as he'd promised.

  All rational thought fled as the monster inside of him rose to the surface once again.

  ***

  Rebel smiled as Leigh held their newborn baby girl. Her black hair and golden eyes shone in the sunlight, filling the vampire with more pride than he'd ever felt before. "She's beautiful," he said out loud. His voice didn’t sound right. There was no echo. There was always an echo.

  Leigh dropped the baby from her arms and Rebel watched as she grew into the young woman that the baby had become years earlier. Toni, named after her late Uncle Antonio, was beautiful, smart, and a fearsome dragon shifter, just like her mother.

  A screech from the sky had his heart racing. A red dragon appeared, swooping down to snatch his mate and daughter from the ground in his massive teeth.

  No, Merrick was dead.

  That didn't stop his brain from conjuring the beast. Rebel leapt after him, only to be burned by the sun. Had he lost the shared powers from his mate? He pushed through the pain, chasing after the dragon who'd taken his family, but the sun was steadily melting Rebel's skin from his body. The faster he moved, the hotter the sun became and the further away his family got from him. He wouldn't be able to save them.

  ***

  Jacque held Frankie's hand tight in his own. "What the fuck is going on here?" he shouted as he realized they were in her dream world. Azerial was off in the distance and Frankie was trying to get to her. "I don't like this," Jacque told her.

  "I have to get to he
r," Frankie said. "I have to protect her."

  When they got closer, Azerial turned her back on Frankie and disappeared.

  "No!" Frankie screamed. "Don't leave us."

  The flowers and trees began die, withering away and turning to ash. The wind that blew scattered the ashes, leaving nothing behind but an empty shell.

  ***

  Samuel kissed Azerial hard, still unable to believe that she was his. A brilliant white light surrounded them and Sam's heart dropped into his stomach. He'd known this day would come.

  "Father," Azerial said into the light. "I don't want to leave."

  Samuel held her hand tighter, pulling her close to him, as if he could keep her from her father.

  "I understand," she said. She pulled away from Samuel and turned to face him. "I must go now. Father has realized that he made a mistake and I am too good for you. I must return to the Heavens now."

  And then she disappeared and the light faded, leaving Samuel alone and in the dark.

  ***

  Gage ran through the forest, his connection to Serena leading the way. She was out there, he just had to find her. As he pushed through the line of trees, Gage found himself in the middle of the desert. A line of fae soldiers lined up in the sand, weapons drawn.

  "I have taken back what is mine," Prince Amire said to Gage. "You will not pursue her."

  "She is my mate!" Gage shouted, "We have a truce!"

  "No longer," the prince said with a shake of his head. "Now, we are at war."

  Gage watched in horror as the soldiers raised their weapons and charged forward.

  ***

  Somnus knew that each one of his family members was being seduced by their worst fears. He had to do something, anything, but what? He feared that he was powerless to stop it. It was all in their heads!

  Angel was in complete despair, as were Samuel and Rebel. Gage and Sebastian were on the war path, striking out at each other. They didn’t know they were fighting each other, but the demon had twisted something in their minds. Somnus knew he had to stop them before they hurt each other in a way they couldn't just apologize for.