Dream Warriors 1 - Gareth

by Cyndi Friberg

  He threw back the covers and shook her gently. “Meagan, wake up. You must wake up.”

  She didn’t respond.

  Sheri rushed to the bedside. “My God, what’s wrong with her?”

  He slipped his arms beneath Megan’s trembling body and tried to lift her. A pressure far greater than her body weight resisted his efforts. “Come on, sweetheart, fight it! Come back to me.”

  “What are you doing?” Sheri’s hands closed around his upper arm, tugging him away from Meagan. “She needs an ambulance.”

  Shaking off her persistent hold, fear and frustration burst through his calm. He needed help and he didn’t dare summon anyone with this meddling woman in the room. “Get out!”

  “Not a chance!” Sheri responded just as vehemently. “What’s wrong with her?”

  “The incubus is upon her.”

  Sheri’s laugh sounded hollow and harsh. “You’ve got ten seconds to explain what this is about or I call the cops!”

  Good. She hadn’t done so already.

  Meagan whimpered, shifting restlessly. He reached for her again and Sheri wrapped him in a bear hug from behind, trapping his arms against his sides.

  “What did you do to her?”

  “I must get her to…I need help.” He gritted out the words between clenched teeth. “I cannot fight this alone.”

  “Where do you want to take her? Is she drugged?” She paused, panting. “Where are the rest of your clothes? How did you know she was in trouble?”

  He’d heard enough. In one violent motion, he raised both his arms and set her away from him. “Do not interfere again.”

  “Go straight to hell, buddy.”

  He ignored her.

  Gathering energy to himself, he pulled Meagan’s listless body close to his chest and lifted with his legs. Battling the force of the incubus, he managed to dislodge her from the bed. A distressed cry escaped her throat, but Gareth ignored that, too. His fear mounted with each moment she remained despondent. He had to get to Morpheus!

  Sheri ran to the door, blocking the exit with her outstretched arms. “You’re not going anywhere with her. Put her back on the bed!”

  A faint, golden shimmer coalesced behind her. Gareth kept his angry gaze on Sheri’s face, careful not to give Ryder away. It’s about time, he complained to the other Dream Warrior.

  Ryder manifested with his hands hovering to each side of Sheri’s head. He sent a sleep pulse into her brain and she crumpled to the floor at his feet.

  “Better late than never,” Gareth muttered, stepping over the prostrate woman.

  He carefully maneuvered the stairs with Meagan cradled in his arms. Clutching her tightly to his heart, he reached out with his very soul and summoned the Dream Master.

  * * * * *

  “I’ve never seen anything like this,” Morpheus admitted, his slender hands hovered over Megan’s head, moving slowly as he scanned.

  Gareth’s human heart missed a beat. “How is that possible? You’re a god.”

  Morpheus’ obsidian eyes flared with crimson intensity, illuminating his shadowy features, before the darkness closed in. “What does that have to do with anything?” He straightened, facing Gareth across the bed on which Meagan lay. “The incubus operates within my territory, but I didn’t create it, and I don’t control it. I no longer sense the actual entity, but he has locked her within some sort of trance.”

  With all the care and tact of his first transportation, Morpheus had jerked them through space and slammed them into Meagan’s apartment. He’d stood beside her bed, waiting for them. A bruised shin and banged head were a small price to pay for privacy and the counsel of his master. Or so Gareth thought until he’d heard what Morpheus had to say.

  “Who controls the incubus?”

  “Good question. When you have the answer, let me know.”

  Gareth ground his teeth. This was no time for Morpheus to be difficult. “How should I proceed? What can be done for Meagan?”

  Turning from the bed with a swirl of dark robes, Morpheus paced the small room. “Kane and I will continue our search for information. This creature cannot be acting alone. Incubi are minions. We must unmask his master.”

  “What about the other human, Sheri Vellmos? Her memory must be purged, but how do we keep her from interacting with Meagan until we’ve vanquished the incubus?” Gareth rolled his shoulders, his gaze drifting back to Meagan’s pale face. “What a tangle.”

  “Actually, Sheri Vellmos’ name has come up before. I’ll assign Ryder to the situation.”

  An image of Sheri’s appreciative gaze moving over Ryder flashed through Gareth’s mind. “She has seen Ryder with me, or rather Justin. He must remain invisible.”

  “I’ll tell him.”

  “And Meagan? What should be done with Meagan?”

  “You are uniquely qualified to deal with Meagan. You must find a way beyond this trance. Stimulate her senses, take her virginity if you must, but find --”

  “I will not force myself on an unconscious woman,” Gareth insisted.

  “Even to save her life? The incubus may have submerged itself so deeply within her subconscious that it only seems to be gone. The only way to know for certain is to access her subconscious, and only a combination of corporeal and non-corporeal stimulation will accomplish this task. Gareth and Justin are going to have to work together on this mission.”

  “That isn’t funny.”

  Morpheus didn’t argue. He blinked out of sight.

  Chapter Seven

  Stretching out beside Meagan on the bed, Gareth studied her pale face. Fine wisps of mahogany hair feathered across her forehead and framed her cheeks. Faint purple smudges shadowed her eyes. Her serene expression concealed the trauma triggering her condition. Gareth wished the spindle of a spinning wheel had triggered this repose, but nothing as innocent as a fairy curse was responsible for her trance.

  He brushed the hair back from her face and traced the soft curve of her lips with his thumb. If only this were a fairy tale. If only a simple kiss would break the spell and release her from the realm of dreams.

  Understanding unfurled as his fingertips memorized the petal soft texture of her lips. It was never really the kiss that broke the spell. It was the meeting of two hearts destined to live happily ever after. True love. An unfamiliar tingle danced across his skin and warmth expanded in his chest, his abdomen. He felt an emotional link with this woman, had from the first moment he saw her. That was his weapon, his plan of attack.

  Pleasure for pain.

  Tenderness for terror.

  He must find her in the darkness and surround her with…his love.

  Gently, oh so gently, he pressed his lips to hers, forming a connection, a bond. He cupped the side of her face with his palm and eased his other arm beneath her neck.

  Meagan, feel me. You’re not alone. I’m here with you.

  He sent the thoughts deep into her mind, infusing them with warmth and tenderness. Molding his mouth to hers, he stroked her neck, caressing her throat with his fingers. She remained unresponsive.

  He focused his emotions. Recalling the warmth that pervaded his being when their eyes met. He thought of his fascination with her quick mind, and the nearly overwhelming protectiveness that had overshadowed his actions since he first saw her weary smile.

  Open for me, sweetheart. Let me in. Let me slay this dragon!

  Her breath hitched and her lips trembled.

  Gareth angled his head, sliding his lips back and forth across hers. She murmured something soft and low.

  Fight, my love, make a way for me, and I will do the rest.

  Distant and subtle, her resistance to the incubus was nearly undetectable. Gareth sensed a faint weakening in the barrier surrounding her subconscious. Centering his attack on the anomaly, he poured energy into the disturbance, expanding the disruption and opening a small gap into the dream realm. He concentrated his essence into a thin stream and projected himself through the tear.

&
nbsp; Sulfur, rot, and sweat combined in a stench so putrid Gareth gagged, covering his nose and mouth with his hand. The incubus hadn’t bothered to create an illusion or it no longer possessed the strength. Gareth still stood in Meagan’s bedroom, but here in the dream realm, the incubus couldn’t disguise its presence.

  The creature sat on the bed, propped against the headboard with Meagan sprawled across its lap. She was naked, her eyes wide and staring, her body battered and bruised.

  “You will die slowly for this,” Gareth vowed. Fury clawed at his composure, driving every thought from his mind except murder and retribution.

  Fluctuating between substance and shadow, the incubus moved in and out of focus with sickening undulations. Its only discernable feature was ice-blue eyes, eyes without emotion, flat and soulless.

  “She is so sweet, this woman of yours.” Its shadowy hand passed over her breasts and descended along her abdomen.

  Gareth roared and dove for the bed. His fingers closed around the creature’s throat for only a second before the incubus shifted and Gareth’s hands passed right through its body.

  The incubus laughed. “Not so mighty as you thought, Warrior?”

  Think, Gareth. Calm yourself. Concentrate!

  Morpheus snapped the directives within his mind, but Gareth knew he heard echoes of his long years of training, not a literal manifestation of the Dream Master’s voice.

  Reining in his emotions, Gareth concentrated entirely on the entity now facing him across Meagan’s bed. He studied his enemy. It was only semi-corporeal, even here in the dream realm. It was a creature of energy.

  “Would you like to hear all the things I did to her?” It taunted. “Or better yet, I’ll show you. She kept screaming your name, expecting you to save her. Where were you, Gareth? Why didn’t you come?”

  Bile rose into the back of his throat, but Gareth kept his gaze fixed on the creature, refusing to so much as glance at Meagan. He must vanquish this fiend!

  He felt her hand touch his hip, but kept his eyes trained on the incubus. She moved in his peripheral vision, struggling to her knees on the bed. Gareth licked his lips, seething with useless energy. He wanted to brawl, to pummel the creature and rip its flesh to ribbons.

  She slipped her arms around his waist and pressed her body against his chest. “He feeds on my energy,” she whispered. “He hasn’t…fed for several hours. He’s weak. I can feel his hold slipping.”

  Battered and abused, but not broken. Relief rushed through Gareth with painful intensity. The incubus hadn’t shattered her spirit! He held her carefully, tenderly, stroking her back, tucking her head beneath his chin.

  “Let’s get out of here.” Gareth shot a challenging glare at the incubus and went to work.

  Filling the room with cool currents of rain freshened air, he drove the evil stench out the window. The incubus shuddered, its glacial stare flashing like blue diamonds. Gareth formed a silk robe and wrapped it about Meagan, shielding her from the creature’s leering stare. He gathered her into his arms and ruptured the room, propelling everything outward in one violent burst of energy.

  The incubus howled, shriveled, and twirled like a leaf on the wind.

  Gareth clasped Meagan to his heart, grinning triumphantly.

  But a moment later, the incubus found its bearings and solidified. “You can’t protect her forever, Warrior. I will return the moment you leave her unguarded.”

  “Then, I will never leave her side.”

  The creature cackled, taking an unsteady step toward them. “And make her a prisoner in her own life? Guarded night and day?”

  They stood in the rubble of her room, surrounded by a black abyss of shapeless space. She clung to him, silent and defenseless. Why was the creature still here? It should have vanished with the energy burst.

  “Push harder,” Meagan whispered. “His hold on me is weakening. I can feel it.”

  Her voice wasn’t loud, but Gareth was pleased by the calmness in her tone.

  The incubus took another step, its shape nearly disintegrating before it managed to reform. Gareth gently moved Meagan behind him. He couldn’t allow the incubus to touch her, to restore any measure of its energy.

  “This illusion is dismal at best,” Gareth drawled. “How about something more pleasant?”

  The incubus launched itself into the air, flying directly into Gareth’s face. Raising his arms, Gareth deflected the creature’s attack. The darkness rolled back, exposing a bright blue sky. Thick blades of grass sprang up around his feet. Leafy trees shot into the air and wildflowers dotted the gently rolling hills, which undulated toward the horizon. Physical interaction was useless, so Gareth forced the creature to battle the illusion, draining its depleted energy.

  Writhing and moaning, the incubus twitched wildly, while sunlight passed through its essence, exposing its evil, saturating its shadow.

  I will return. The threat was whispered on the wind as the incubus faded from sight.

  Turning, Gareth caught Meagan as her knees gave out beneath her. She was shaking, her face devoid of color, her lips tightly clenched.

  “It’s over, love. You’re safe.” He sank to the grass, arranging her on his lap, cradling her lightly in his arms.

  “How can you say that? It will come back. It always comes back.”

  He tried to draw her near, but she pushed him away.

  “I want to wake up now. Can you make me wake up?”

  “Yes, but I need to explain --”

  “No.” She turned her face away. “No explanations. No justifications. Just wake me up!”

  * * * * *

  Deep in the heart of the Underworld, Chaos paced his bedchamber. Firelight played across his muscular body and accented the changeable quality of his thick dark hair. The shoulder-length strands transformed from crimson to black and back again.

  Delilah lounged upon his massive bed, naked and sated, for the moment. Delilah wasn’t her real name, but learning her name would allow any being to enslave her, so she guarded the secret more fiercely than life itself. Never again would Delilah subjugate herself to anyone, be they man, woman, god, sorcerer, or king. She had fought too hard, sacrificed too much, to endure such an existence again.

  She stretched, effortlessly shifting into a different form. Her lovers never knew what they would find when they glanced her way. It was part of her allure, and she enjoyed the ability to the fullest. Arranging her long, lithe body to showcase her small, firm breasts, she silently demanded Chaos’ attention.

  “Your brother failed.” Chaos growled the words, his eyes, like his hair, alternated red and black.

  Tucking a lock of shiny black hair behind her ear, she smiled. The blue highlights perfectly matched the sapphire flash of her eyes. This was one of her favorite forms and she chose it now because it pleased her. Chaos preferred curvaceous blondes. “Zared left the human. That doesn’t mean he failed.”

  One dark eyebrow arched, mocking her argument. “He was forced from the human by a Dream Warrior. He was vanquished.”

  Delilah scooted to the edge of the bed and studied her companion. He stood framed by the marble fireplace, a striking combination of crimson and gilt. The entire room seemed fashioned of crimson and gilt. Delilah smiled. Savage and uninhibited in his nakedness, Chaos contrasted beautifully with the regal décor.

  She shouldn’t have told Chaos what she sensed, but she’d been too shocked to lie. Her link with Zared was powerful, and when she felt Gareth force her brother from the mortal’s subconscious, Delilah had been dumbfounded.

  Well, she must now assure Chaos they had only begun to fight. “You would have to see a woman after Zared has finished with her. Meagan will be incapable of coherent thought, much less scientific discovery.”

  Chaos stalked toward the bed, his red/black hair fanning out behind him, muscles rippling. Heated tingles bounced along her nerve endings, calling her senses to aching awareness. It had been too long since a lover genuinely excited her.

  �
�I risked much to free you, Delilah. If my father were to realize --”

  “If Hades realizes I bested him -- again -- I will ensure you are kept from the conflict.”

  Chaos grabbed her upper arms and pulled her up until she knelt on the bed. “Empty promises fall readily from your lips. My father is beyond your control, as am I. You and I work together toward a common goal. That is all! Now locate your brother and find out what went wrong.”

  He gave her a little shove and stalked back to the fire. Gloriously naked, he stood there contemplating the leaping flames. Damn him! Her eyes narrowed on his sculpted back. There was far too much of his father in him. Of course, his mother was Hera, arguably the biggest bitch in the universe. Little wonder Chaos was arrogant and difficult and utterly attractive to her.

  Delilah shook away the thought and climbed from his bed.

  “I will expect your report before nightfall tomorrow.” He didn’t bother to turn around.

  His curt order made her pause, her gown bunched about her shoulders. Why was he provoking her? Releasing the diaphanous material to float about her slender body, she crossed the chamber to where he stood.

  “Expect whatever you like, Chaos. I do as I please.”

  With speed and agility that stole her breath, he sprang. He pulled her arms behind her back, locking them there with one large hand. His fingers tangled in her hair and he held her immobile as his face descended. “You will do as I please, Delilah, or I will return you to the pit. I may not be able to enslave you without your real name, but there are many ways to motivate cooperation.”

  “Threats and intimidation just happen to be your favorite?” Her voice held a soft note of challenge.

  “That was not a threat. It was an explanation of my intentions. You will please me, succubus, or I will return you to the pit. It is as simple as that.”

  “I understand,” she muttered, her gaze defiant.

  He laughed. “I don’t think you do.”

  Wrapping her in his brawny arms, he crushed her against his chest and took possession of her mouth. He moved his lips, urged, and guided. The instant she opened for him, his tongue thrust home. He touched her, tasted her, savored her with slow, deep sweeps of his tongue. She clung to his naked back, her senses inundated with Chaos, her head spinning.