The Knight of Her Dreams (Dragons and Dreamphasers)

by Jen Robyn

  The pair eyed each other with scowls, but gradually, they reached forward to clasp hands, their features softening. Riff spoke first. “I’m sorry I doubted your feelings for Julianna, and for the incident the other night. It won’t happen again.”

  Dominick nodded once. “All right then, I accept your apology,” he said quietly. “And for what it’s worth, I’m sure you’ll find love someday.”

  “Julianna indicated as much when things calmed down,” sighed Riff, “though I find it hard to believe that day will ever come.”

  Dominick smiled slightly. “I once thought the same thing, remember?”

  Riff nodded slowly.

  “And…” Dominick continued, brightening, “if you can stick to your words, maybe you’d consider being my best man at our future wedding.

  Riff’s face lit up considerably. “Are you sure about that, Phase?” he asked, half expecting a hidden jest.

  “Very sure, unless you go to great lengths to change my mind.”

  “Then I accept,” Riff replied with a grin, exchanging a rare hug with him. “It ought to be the wedding of the decade, since Chaos will no doubt have a hand in it. Which reminds me, where did I put that number for the dancing girls...?”

  As he started rummaging around a small book, Dominick gave a low groan. Leave it to Riff to cast aside any semblance of a serious subject, let alone to send the wheels of chaos turning. Reading his thoughts, Zantarl chuckled quietly, whispering to him, “Maybe you and Julianna would be better off eloping instead.”

  “Believe me, it’s tempting,” Dominick whispered back, even as Riff’s expression suddenly darkened.

  “Look what the guardian devil dragged in,” he said in a low voice, gesturing towards the door. All three men focused on the new arrival, and all shared looks of unmasked loathing.

  Grinning as if he owned the world, a confident Dual strode into Lost Limbo, waving boisterous greetings to his friends, while remaining impervious to many cold stares. But then, nothing seemed to bother him on this world or in the dream-state.

  Ever a renegade, the dark-haired man bore a most striking resemblance to Buddy. Thanks to his shared looks to the guardian angel, Dual often took great amusement in attempting to fool Jarissa into mistaking one for the other. Not to mention the fact that he’d made many attempts to seduce her away from Buddy, although she’d once claimed she’d rather return to the Guardian realm permanently than do that.

  Not very flattering to say the least!

  One of the most apt and notorious dreamphasers on Chavernos, Dual easily used his powers to gain access to the party the night before. His trait for granting nightmares to his enemies, his persuasive ability for corrupting innocents, not to mention his assassin missions, had earned him a dark reputation among all but the baser inhabitants of Barokka. So it wasn’t surprising why his presence affected many in Lost Limbo quite negatively.

  Not only in Buddy’s case, but especially Dominick’s. Many times, the latter had avenged those that Dual had wronged, usually amongst the females, also disrupting many of his other dark plans over the years. One time, he’d even rescued Jarissa from Dual’s dark intentions, his constant opposition only fueling their bitter enmity.

  And now there was the added incident of the map.

  Just thinking of the truth he’d learned from Alarius, Dual was determined to get back at his longstanding enemy yet again, but only when he deemed it a suitable time.

  Turning to catch sight of the trio at the bar, a slow smile spread across his face. Sitting down at an adjacent table, he then turned his back to them in order to converse with his own friends. Dominick and the others realized full well that he could easily eavesdrop, but all silently recognized that Dual was a difficult slime to get rid of.

  “It’s been months since he last came here,” Zantarl quietly told the pair. “I wonder why he’s decided to foist his presence upon us this time.”

  “Let’s hope it’s a very short visit,” murmured Dominick. “Of all the times when I don’t want to deal with him, it’s now, with word of my engagement circulating about.”

  “I wish I could have been there last night to hear it firsthand, son,” Zantarl replied with a sad smile. “But alas, a dreamphaser I’m not. The best I can hope for is that one day you’ll find a way to bring your bride here, so I can meet her at your wedding.”

  “A hope we share, believe me.”

  “Any word from the folks yet?” asked Riff.

  “No,” sighed Dominick. “But unfortunately, there has been word from Julianna’s ex-boyfriend. His name’s Roger Collins, and she used to have strong feelings for him since they met as teenagers.”

  “Really? Well then, are you sure she wouldn’t go back to…”

  “No,” Dominick interrupted adamantly. “He’s hurt her badly emotionally, fooling around with another woman as retaliation when she didn’t want to sleep with him, and she wants nothing more to do with him. The problem is, now that Julianna and I are happy together, that bastard’s decided that he’s sorry for the way he treated her and wants another chance. She doesn’t want to give him one, but it seems he refuses to leave her alone. He keeps calling her.”

  “And you’re sure she harbors no old feelings for him?”

  Dominick considered this silently, his mind playing back the memories of their time together. Over the past few weeks, Julianna had only mentioned Roger in passing, regarding his bothering her. Dominick had asked her how she felt about this, and she firmly stated that she’d sooner become a nun than have Roger so much as touch her now. The conjured image had been so amusing to both, considering their nightly encounters lately, that they were soon overcome with mutual laughter. After that, they’d used the remaining hours of the night to remove any notions of her setting down the celibate road.

  “After all the time we’ve spent together, I’d swear that she doesn’t.” The unfocused, nearly absent look in Dominick’s eyes confirmed that he was once more lost to those memories, earning a knowing smirk from Riff.

  “Considering your probable notions of a never-ending honeymoon with Julianna, if you bring her to our world, Chaos should have no problem getting those great-grandkids he wants so badly. If not for the impossibility of having kids in the dream-state, I’m sure I and everyone else would wonder if you didn’t have to marry her by now...”

  Dominick elbowed him sharply in the ribs, only bringing forth soft laughter from his endlessly joking brother. Inwardly he knew that this side of Riff’s humor was harmless, and that he only did it to annoy him, but it was often difficult to remember this all the time.

  From where he sat, Dual grinned at what he’d just overheard. So that tempting morsel Julianna had another admirer on her homeworld, did she? And someone she’d known for years. Dominick must surely be thrilled by that knowledge! he thought. It certainly brought him no little amusement to hear of his enemy’s problems, to provide for what might otherwise be a rather uneventful visit.

  Come to think of it, why not add to the amusement? he decided, getting up to walk over to the bar counter. The three men looked up at him suspiciously, but said nothing.

  “Zantarl, get me something with a little kick in it,” he said nonchalantly.

  “I’d like to give him a kick...” murmured Dominick, quickly calmed by his attentive brother.

  Feigning surprise, Dual turned to his frowning adversary and grinned again. “Ah, by the dreams of night, if it isn’t Dominick of the Westbrooke brothers. It would seem those nightmare beasts I sent after you a few months ago haven’t roughed you up any worse for the wear.”

  “Nor has one managed to rearrange your sick attitude,” hissed Riff, locking angry gazes with him for a moment before Dual gave his annoying smile again. If nothing else, both brothers shared the same hatred of him.

  As if he’d disappeared, Dual returned his attention to Dominick, who was doing his best to ignore him. “So how has your sweet betrothed Julianna been lately? Still as lovely as she was at the annou
ncement of your engagement the other night?” As expected, Dominick’s head spun around to face him.

  “Keep your filthy thoughts from my fiancée,” he growled in warning. “She’s done nothing to you, so leave her alone.”

  “And why would I wish to harm her?” he laughed. “I found her to be a most enjoyable companion that evening.”

  Dominick nearly jumped out of his chair, stopped only by Riff and Zantarl on either side of him. “Liar. She was with me that night!”

  “Not when she ran away from you, remember? A most remarkably beautiful woman when one sees her in the proper light. Long auburn hair that curls most enticingly around her, brown eyes that sparkle in the light, soft skin just made to be touched...”

  Not a dreamphaser to be held back when provoked, Dominick pulled free of the rest to connect a direct hit on Dual’s jaw, knocking him into another table. Giving a lopsided malicious grin, Dual was up in moments, scoring a few punches against his enemy. About evenly matched, Dominick’s anger gave him a slight edge though, and with a sharp jab to the stomach, Dual was finally downed.

  Glancing up with a bleeding mouth, his eyes shot fire as he pointed a menacing finger towards Dominick. “You’ve just made a big mistake, Westbrooke,” he hissed. “Up until now, I only chatted with your precious Julianna. But no more... because now I finally know how to strike where you’ll feel it in your guts forever. You’d just better watch your back, my not-so-wise enemy... and hers!”

  Dominick’s own expression darkened warningly. “If you touch her, Dual, there won’t be a grave deep enough to hold all the pieces I’ll break you into!”

  Before he could step forward again, Zantarl gripped his shoulders, turning an ominous look to Dual. “You’ve been warned. Now you’d better leave, lest I decide to press charges for your brawling in here like a madman.”

  Dual was about to protest, but then thought better of it. “Clever, Zantarl, considering he was the instigator. But I have other sport to plan, so I’ll let it go this time.” Shooting a last meaningful glance at his enemy, Dual added, “By demon’s teeth, it’s not over yet between us, Westbrooke. Not to mention, your supposed bride-to-be. Enjoy having her all to yourself while you can, because it won’t be for long.” In moments, he’d departed.

  “I should kill him,” hissed Dominick.

  “And be forced behind iron bars where you’ll have even less chance of spending your life with Julianna?” Zantarl asked firmly. “No, son, I think not. Better you forget this meeting with that black-tongued demon and simply look forward to your wedding. His barbs will probably lose their poison by the end of this day.”

  Slowly, Dominick shook his head. “I’m afraid Dual doesn’t operate that way, Zan,” he said knowingly. “But so help me, he’d better think twice about bothering Julianna. Because if he ever touches her, then threats of jail will be a minor penalty for bringing his miserable life to an end.”

  He never noticed the pair who appeared behind him, faces grim.

  *****

  Last night’s bridal shower in the dream-state—due to Dominick’s thoughtful friends—had been quite a surprise to Julianna. Having expected to be with her fiancé, she’d instead found herself in another location with Kiri and the gals, who quickly explained that although they couldn’t give her the typical bridal shower presents until she came to Chavernos, they could certainly get a head-start on the party itself. In the meantime, they mentioned that Dominick was being similarly thrown a bachelor party by the guys.

  That last met with some concern from her, knowing all too well what could go on at those parties on Earth, and what was no doubt the same regarding dreamphasers in the dream-state!

  “You’re absolutely right,” agreed Kiri, folding her arms. “Men and their bachelor parties... why, if I ever decided to get married—especially if it was to Riff—I’d show up as a dancing girl at his bachelor party and really give him something to stare at!”

  “No doubt wielding an axe,” murmured Psych.

  “Or a spiked mace,” added Jarissa.

  “Gals, gals, hold on,” interrupted Kiri, resting a sisterly arm around Julianna’s shoulder. “Now I think we’re all unanimous on our opinions about the men and their bachelor party, but we’re not going to let our little bride-to-be spend the night worrying about it, are we?” There was a chorus of negation from the pair, earning a broad smile from Kiri. “Good!” she said, turning to Julianna cheerfully. “We’ll show those men that they don’t bother us with their shenanigans.”

  “Fine by me,” she decided with a smile. Inwardly, their soothing words were nothing less than Julianna expected from her newfound friends.

  What she hadn’t expected was their plans for her bridal shower.

  Moments later, the lights dimmed around them, earning her curiosity. No doubt a show of some sort, she thought, just before realizing what kind it was. As stage lights came on, several very handsome—very stripping—men appeared who won the cheers and applause of the many other observing women.

  For long minutes, Julianna could only gape, eyes wide, until she suddenly heard Jarissa shout, “Over here, honey! This one’s planning on getting married soon!”

  Whirling to face her, she said in a piercing whisper, “Jarissa, what are you doing?”

  The latter merely grinned conspiratorially as one of the men jumped from the newly lit stage to stride over to their table. Julianna turned towards him slowly, feeling her face blush crimson. He looked very much like any other handsome brown-haired, blue-eyed muscle man, differing only by the aspect of his being garbed in minimal attire.

  “So you’re the gal Westbrooke’s marrying, are you?” he said jovially, earning a silent nod from her. “He chose well, ma’am. You’re a beauty indeed.”

  “Th-thank you,” she gasped out, trying hard to keep her eyes strictly on his face.

  “And since the groom seems to be elsewhere at the moment, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to get in a little dance time with the bride.” Before she could say a word in negation, he swept her up in his arms as lightly as a feather, carrying her towards the stage. “Come on, sweetie, smile,” he encouraged. “This is your night.”

  “N-no, really,” she protested futilely. “I-I’m not used to this sort of thing. One of the others...”

  He shushed her quickly, whispering in her ear, “Don’t worry, my lady. Your future husband understands the gals you’re with, and being a good friend of his, I’ll make sure these guys stay in line.” At her hesitancy, he added, “If it’ll cheer your mood any, he’s sent a message that he loves you alone, and that he has no desire to seek the company of the females brought to his bachelor party.”

  Julianna glanced up at his eyes. “You wouldn’t deceive a bride-to-be, would you?” she whispered back.

  The man laughed with a shake of his head. “No, fair maiden, and certainly not in your case. In fact, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if you’re removed from this party a few hours early, if your future husband has any say in the matter.” That did brighten her mood, and she smiled warmly. “Feel like dancing now?”

  “With stars at my feet,” she replied, earning the pleased cheers of her friends.

  All in all, it proved to be a most enjoyable evening. The men, while boisterous, turned out to be much like the first man, making her laugh as they danced. Jarissa and the girls—not to be left out, of course—fairly leaped from their table to join her at the invitation of one of the men, and thus, Julianna learned a whole new definition of what bridal showers could be like.

  Not that Dominick didn’t indeed show up to rescue her halfway through it, cleverly sneaking them both out to find time alone...

  Unknown to her, this action —when realized by the guys and the gals—incited a major ruckus among the separate groups who then sought each other out, arguing that the groom and bride-to-be weren’t supposed to disappear from their own celebration parties.

  It was a pointless argument though, since the groom and bride-to-be had cleverly gone
to a place other than their dream castle, and were nowhere to be found.

  As to what they’d done in their seclusion...

  Julianna smiled at the memory as she went about her work, feeling that nothing could remove her from the wave of happiness she was floating on.

  At first she thought she was imagining Roger’s voice behind her, now talking with Almira, but as the voices grew louder, her face drained of color and she stopped typing.

  “Our company has always admired the way you do business,” he said. “Which is why they’ve sent me as a representative to settle the details of the account you’re proposing. I hope we can come to a mutual compromise.”

  “Oh, I’m sure we will,” Almira replied with enthusiasm. “Mr. Collins... or may I call you Roger?”

  “Roger would be fine,” he agreed, folding his arms with a smile.

  “You’re kidding me…” whispered Julianna, shutting her eyes in frustration as her suspicions were confirmed. Roger had business ties here now? Maybe she could arrange for a transfer.

  Wait a second! her angry thoughts interrupted. If Roger is working with this company, he’ll be dealing with Almira alone. I have nothing to worry about, so what do I care what he does?

  Not one damn bit, she decided, typing more briskly.

  As if sensing her agitation, Roger glanced in Julianna’s direction, a smile curling across his mouth. Ah, so she knew he was here, he surmised. Good. Then maybe she wasn’t as immune to him as she seemed to think.

  He strode towards her, while Almira kept pace with him, looking ahead curiously to follow his stare. Miss Sherborne? she thought, surprised. What would he want with the likes of her? Now if he wanted a real businesswoman... she herself was more than available.