by Jen Robyn
Just the way she liked things.
“Still so angry, you don’t want to come back to bed?” she asked.
He turned to her with a knowing smile. “You know anger’s never a deterrent between us where that’s concerned,” he replied softly. “No, I was merely thinking how to handle another current problem, regarding a certain old adversary of mine.”
Sireni gave a bored sigh, leaning back against the pillows again. “I won’t ask which one that is. Dual, you really should end this vendetta of yours against Dominick. You always end up at an impasse, and if the pendulum swings any one way, it’s on his side.”
“Ah,” he laughed, waving one finger at her. “But not this time. Not when I have his friend Alarius held hostage.” Sireni bolted upright, knowing instantly where this was coming from.
“Since you mention Alarius, did you get the treasures?” she asked breathlessly.
“As monetary as ever,” he replied with a low laugh, walking over to stroke her cheek. As she shrugged his hand aside, impatient for him to continue, he obliged lightly. “Unfortunately, Alarius attempted to find the treasures first, and disappeared with the map.”
Sireni’s eyes darkened as she hit him once on the chest. “You idiot!” she yelled. “How could you let that inferior half-elf get the upper hand over us?”
Grabbing her wrist, Dual tightened his grip to silence her. “You didn’t let me finish, my clever viper,” he hissed, immediately regaining his earlier nonchalance. “Quell and I prevented his complete escape, obtaining both the map and the treasures from him. Half of which we’ve brought back with us already.” He gave a short laugh. “Ironically enough, we’re storing them in the same place that we’re keeping poor Alarius, fool that he was to interfere.”
She sighed at the last. “Why bother with him?” she asked with annoyance. “If you have the treasures, let him return to his family and be done with it. After all, if Chaos finds out he’s missing, you’ll be at the top of his list of suspects.”
“I know,” he replied offishly. “I adore living on the edge, despite that pitiful excuse for a ruler.”
“A ruler who could use his powers to destroy you, if he chose,” she reminded him. “You certainly didn’t choose very wisely to become an enemy of his grandson.”
“Ah,” he said, touching her chin lightly. “But then one cannot choose whom one hates... or loves, now can one?”
Sireni cast her head back with a forced laugh. “Love!” she replied derisively. “I know better than to believe that emotion exists between us, so don’t hint otherwise. But do tell me what Dominick’s done this time to incur your wrath.”
“He was the one who gave the map to that simpleton,” hissed Dual, “and the one who stole it from the castle ruins to begin with.” Sireni groaned in frustration. “Before you consider the matter so trivial, remember that the self-same map was responsible for bringing in your portion of the treasures.”
That did put things in a different light, she thought.
“So what do you intend to do with Dominick this time? Send another death battalion after him in his dreams?”
“Interesting notion, but no. Not this time.” Dual’s smile became a dark grin. “He’s gotten off too easy in the past. This time, I intend to seek out a vulnerable weakness in him, and then strike hard where it hurts him most. After that, I imagine he’ll think twice before interfering with my plans anymore.” Reclining leisurely against the headboard, he reached out one hand to cup Sireni’s cheek. “Tell me, my fair-haired vixen, do you know of anything I might be able to use against this eternal enemy of mine?”
“Funny you should mention that,” she said, smoothing her hair back. “When I was over at Lost Limbo today, I learned that there are rumors among the dreamphasers that Dominick’s sending out invitations to his friends to appear for a gathering tonight for some reason.”
Dual warded this off with one hand. “I’m sure it’s nothing important,” he replied. “That bunch always seem to pack together like drow-beasts.”
“Hmmm, maybe, but let me tell you the rest. Since further rumors have declared Dominick absent in meetings with his friends over the past few weeks, it’s been assumed that there’s something going on, leaving everyone curious to find out what. Naturally, those who’ve overheard the communicated invitations have told others, so nearly all the other dreamphasers also plan to appear at the scheduled location in the dream-state.”
His easy smile faded into a dark expression. “That does sound a bit peculiar,” he decided in a low voice. “And perhaps worth looking into.”
“Does that mean you’re intending to be there without his knowing?” she inquired.
“Perhaps. At least until I find out what’s going on.” Twining a strand of her blonde hair about his fingers, he pulled her closer with a suggestive grin. “But that won’t be until later,” he whispered, kissing her quickly. “Until then, let me demonstrate my appreciation for your helpful information.”
Sireni merely smiled in pleased responsiveness.
*****
Julianna hadn’t been able to concentrate on anything today, so it was only by some miracle that her work got accomplished, partially due to some helpful assistance by her concerned friend. When Marybeth asked if she was well, she’d said she was. Yet inwardly, she couldn’t deny the mixed emotions plaguing her.
She was engaged to marry the man she loved, who treated her with more love, respect, understanding, and devoted affection than she’d known with anyone else.
An engagement to be announced solely in a dream tonight.
And alas, the possible prospect of only being allowed a few hours a night with Dominick for the rest of her life couldn’t help but sadden her. Rather like Cupid and Psyche, except those two both existed on the same world, and at least they could ultimately be married.
Although she wouldn’t burden Dominick with her other concern, she was also truly saddened by the knowledge that they couldn’t have children unless they reached each other. Watching Sammy playing now, she sighed with regret. She would have loved to have a child with Dominick someday.
But who knew? Maybe one day it would be possible.
She’d already decided that she’d rather be happy with Dominick for the allotted time they had, than be subjected to a life of unhappiness without him. For she knew that she could never love another similarly, nor could she see sacrificing so much as she was willing to for Dominick.
Right now, what bothered her most was that she couldn’t tell anyone of her engagement, lest they think she’d lost her mind entirely. Hell, it wouldn’t be hard for her to believe so either, if not for Dominick’s recurring appearances every night... and if of course, she didn’t love him so much.
Now home, sitting on the sofa, she absently touched up the sketch she’d been drawing of him, which she’d been working on for an hour. She hoped her minor art talent combined with her vivid memories could do her future husband justice. It would seem so, because once she held back the picture to appraise it, she felt a wave of immediate longing. This might well be the only way she’d ever see him in reality, and it pained her terribly.
She wasn’t even aware of the tears in her eyes, until she felt Sammy’s little hand patting hers gently. “Aunt Julie, why are you crying?” he asked, his eyes filled with curiosity. She had to smile in spite of herself. Young as he was, there was little her precious five-year-old nephew missed.
“I’m all right, sweetheart,” she told him, brushing the tears away. “Just a bit of dust, that’s all.”
“You look sad,” the boy persisted.
Maintaining her smile, she brushed a loose strand back from the boy’s forehead and nodded. “Yes, I am a bit sad, Sammy,” she replied softly. That was all her adoring nephew needed to hear. He instantly jumped on the sofa, hugging his arms around her and gazing up expectantly for a reason, just before he noticed her drawing of Dominick.
“Who’s that, Aunt Julie?” he asked.
Julia
nna was about to disclaim its being anyone in particular, but just the notion renewed tears in her eyes. Without much thought, she whispered, “Someone I care about very much.”
“But who is he?” She looked down at her nephew with fond sadness, knowing she couldn’t tell him the truth either.
But then again, she also knew that children often had an odd capacity for understanding and believing in what adults didn’t. Surely it wouldn’t be wrong to mention Dominick lightly, as he himself had inquired about Sammy.
“He’s a dear friend of mine,” she began. “His name is Dominick, and he lives far away from here.”
“In another state?”
If only it was that simple.
“Well... not exactly.” With a smile of conspiracy, she lowered her voice. “If I tell you where he’s really from, you’d have to promise to keep it to ourselves.”
“You mean, like a secret?”
“Exactly. Promise you won’t tell anyone else?” He nodded vigorously, a smile lighting his features too, as it seemed like a fun game, and he sensed one of Julianna’s creative stories about to begin. “Dominick comes from...” She cast a furtive glance in both directions to seem more dramatic, and lowered her voice. “Another world, Sammy!” At his intake of breath, she had to stifle a laugh as she nodded.
“You mean like Mars?”
“Well, not Mars. He comes from a hidden planet on the other side of the sun known as Chavernos.”
“Ka-ven-us,” he replied, testing the syllables.
“More like Kah-vern-ohs,” she corrected gently. The next time he said it, he’d recited it properly, earning a grin of admiration from his aunt at his quick learning ability.
“If he’s so far away, how’d you meet him?”
“Ah...” Julianna said dramatically. “Through a special magic power he has.”
The boy’s eyes brightened like stars as she told him how Dominick had appeared to her in her dreams every night—carefully omitting, of course, the romantic aspects of their nightly meetings, since those things certainly weren’t meant for a child’s ears!
Sammy didn’t seem to mind, fascinated by Dominick’s rescuing his aunt from some bad guys, involving their daring escape from the space ship. Julianna altered its ending slightly, since it hadn’t been very pleasant at the time.
From her words, Sammy mentioned wishing that he could have been there to see a real spaceship, and that he would have helped Dominick protect her. She nearly laughed, but instead told him quite solemnly that she knew the bad guys wouldn’t have stood a chance against the two bravest men in her life, earning a smile of pride from her nephew.
Unknown to both, Vicki was standing just outside the doorway, listening in to this rather strange tale of Julianna’s. If nothing else, she’d admit her sister certainly had one hell of an imagination! Having arrived in time to overhear most of the tale, she’d carefully avoided the pair’s notice, but had to force down laughter several times. It was after secretly eavesdropping for nearly ten minutes that Crystal came up behind her, startling her slightly.
“What are you doing?” she asked, earning a quick shushing from Vicki. “Why are we whispering?” she continued in a softer voice.
“Julianna’s regaling Sammy with another story,” replied Vicki, giving a short laugh. “This one’s about her meeting a man in her dreams every night, who’s supposedly from another world. Really, Crystal, I don’t know where she comes up with her far-fetched stories. The way she’s talking now, I’d think she’s beginning to believe her own words.”
Crystal gave a soft smile of amusement at that. Knowing she had other things to attend to, she was about to walk away. But... since Julianna’s story seemed to have piqued even Vicki’s curiosity, she couldn’t resist listening in for a few moments herself. Without another word, both pressed closer, although still undetectable by the pair in the room.
By the time Julianna had finished, Sammy asked when he could see Dominick in person, wanting to meet this man who sounded like a hero from the adventure movies he’d seen.
“I’m afraid that’s why I’m unhappy, Sammy,” she confided. “You see, last night Dominick asked me to marry him, and I said yes, but...”
“Really?” the boy interrupted eagerly. Outside the door, Crystal and Vicki exchanged worried glances. Julianna was carrying this fictitious story a bit far, wasn’t she? “Will he come live with us too, and be my uncle like Aunt Vicki’s friend Luke?”
“I suppose he will be your uncle someday,” she agreed. “But I’m afraid Dominick and I can’t be married—at least not yet—until he can find a way to travel from his world to ours.”
“Not yet?” gasped Vicki. “What’s she talking...?”
Quickly clapping a hand across her mouth to silence her, Crystal pulled her aside and then called out loudly, “Julie, are you home?”
Flustered, Julianna held a finger up to shush Sammy, reiterating the need for secrecy. The boy promised to keep quiet about all she’d told him, and then innocently went back to his earlier game.
“Sammy and I are in here,” she replied finally.
Moments later, Crystal and Vicki strode in, the former giving her younger sister a bright smile.
“Hello, you two,” she said cheerfully. “Been keeping busy I see.” Casting a shrewd eye to the sketch in Julianna’s hands, Crystal gave it an approving nod, even as she silently tried to identify the man in the drawing. No, he didn’t look familiar, and he certainly wasn’t Roger. Was it someone she’d just met, perhaps at work, that she simply didn’t want to mention yet?
Before she could comment, Vicki jumped in. “Cute guy,” she said, trying to hide her amusement with minimal success. “Who is he?”
“You mean from this?” murmured Julianna, touching the sketch lightly. “Oh, it’s just a drawing.”
“Hmmm. Anyone you’ve met recently?” she drawled.
Julianna shook her head, unsure where this was heading. “I told you...”
“It’s a picture of Uncle Dominick,” Sammy supplied with a grin. At Julianna’s sudden look of dismay, he clasped his hands over his mouth, his eyes apologetically wide.
“Uncle Dominick?” Vicki asked with deliberate slowness, a laugh breaking through. “What happened, Julie? Anything we should know about? Did you get married behind our backs without telling us?”
Instantly, Julianna felt her face color—Vicki’s questions adding to her curious suspicions as to what she and Crystal might have overheard—but she was unable to say anything on the matter as Jerry appeared in the hallway.
“What is this?” he chuckled with a grin. “A family meeting?”
“You might say that,” laughed Vicki. “Or better make that a soon-to-be-family meeting.” A piercing shush from Crystal cut her off, just before she turned to smile at her husband.
“I think it’s about time for you to put a certain young man to bed,” she decided, gesturing towards Sammy. Sighing once, but compliant under the circumstances, the boy gave his mother a quick hug, and then Vicki. When he reached Julianna, he still seemed to feel a bit guilty, shifting his feet and at a loss for words.
Seeing this, Julianna brightened reassuringly and patted his shoulder. The last thing she’d do was to let her caring nephew blame himself for something that she’d indirectly brought on herself.
“Don’t worry about it, Sammy,” she whispered. “We’re all human, and everyone has a slip of the tongue now and then. Now wipe that frown off your face and come here.” As she opened her arms to him, Sammy gave her a tight hug and she reciprocated, smiling against him warmly.
“I hope Uncle Dominick comes here soon,” he said quietly, so as not to be heard by the rest.
“So do I, Sammy,” she replied, patting his back and allowing Jerry to scoop him up for a piggy-back ride out of the room. As the pair retreated upstairs, Julianna noticed the equally puzzled stares of her sisters and grimaced. “Shall the inquisition begin?” she asked.
“Inquisition?” laughed
Crystal. “My, what you must think of us. We’re just curious what Sammy meant when he called the man in your drawing ‘Uncle’. After all, he doesn’t usually drop such titles accidentally.”
“Yes, well... there’s always a first time.”
At the evidently flustered way she’d spoken, Crystal sat down beside her sister and rested a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Julie, I’m not going to lie to you. We overheard your story, and we’re worried about you.”
“Worried that you’re losing your mind is more like it,” laughed Vicki. “When you throw yourself into that wild imagination of yours, you don’t miss a trick. A future husband from another planet? Julie, if you’re that desperate for a man, you really should try to find someone real, rather than a fictitious dream guy.”
During her short speech, she completely missed the way Julianna’s face drained of color while her hands clenched tightly, but Crystal didn’t, her eyes narrowing. “All right, Vicki!” she snapped, quieting her again. “You’ve made your point. Now why don’t you head back to the kitchen and find something to stuff in that big mouth of yours?”
“As you wish, your highness,” sneered Vicki, casting a last glance to Julianna before exiting amidst more laughter.
Sighing once, Crystal turned back to her. “She didn’t mean anything by that,” she said quietly. “But to be honest, Julie, that story wasn’t your typical bedtime tale.”
It isn’t a tale at all! Julianna nearly shouted, feeling even more miserable at the incredible joke that Fate had played upon her. She’d finally found the man of her dreams—literally—and he existed a million miles away. Much more, in fact, since it was nearly a hundred million miles to the sun alone, and his world was twice as far. So even if he was truly in this galaxy, she still had no proof to offer anyone.
“I assure you I’m fine,” she replied finally. “I was daydreaming, and it just came out as a story.”
“Is that really all there is to it?” asked Crystal.
Forcing a smile, Julianna gave her exactly the response she wanted. “Of course that’s all,” she replied, through an equally forced laugh. “The next thing you’ll be asking is whether or not dragons are real.” Maybe so in actuality, if Dominick’s words about them were true. “Dominick’s just a man from my dreams, that’s all,” she continued, feeling tears well up in her eyes. Before Crystal could notice them, Julianna stood quickly to head for the staircase. “Look, if you’ll excuse me, all this amusement has tired me out for one evening.”