Dreamscape (14 page)

Baltek races ahead, bounding off every surface he comes
across. He climbs onto a large boulder and drops the stick before he sits on
it.

A high-pitched gasp reaches me and I stiffen. Baltek’s
brown eyes set on something near the door.

What is she doing here? When I check the time, I realize
it’s been nearly an hour since she left.

I turn, making it look casual; I hope. “Ah, Amelia,” I say,
taking in every inch of the beautiful girl standing not more than forty feet
away from me. The afternoon light showers her in radiance. She makes breathing
obsolete. She has become my life’s source.

If I ever had restraint when it comes to her, I don’t know
where it has disappeared to because it’s taking all my resolve to stay where I
am.

She nods at me and steps deeper into the room. Her eyes
sweep every inch of the space before they find mine again, questioning,
accusing.

“It is not what you think,” I say hastily. “This room is a
reflection of your world. Nothing more, no matter how badly I wish it were.”

Her jaw clenches and she shrugs. “I think I’m going to go
to bed now, Seth. I’m just really tired. Do you mind?”

This response is not what I expected. Why isn’t she asking
me about the conservatory? Why isn’t she demanding an explanation?

Before she turns, I glimpse a wet trail on her cheek. I’ve
upset her. This, I cannot allow.

I beat her to the door and block her path.

“Get out of my way,” she whispers, her voice full of venom.

“You don’t understand, Amelia. Please let me explain.”

Her arms cross while she taps her foot against the grass.
She still won’t look at me. Not a perfect situation by any stretch, but I must
take what I can get. “I’m sorry for not showing you the rest of my house
immediately. I realize now that was a mistake.” Her brows lift. “This probably
seems like the perfect place to escape, right?”

She cocks her head to the side and gives me a mocking
frown. I ignore her posturing and proceed with what I need to say. “Let me show
you.” I walk a few yards over to one of the largest trees in the place.
Glancing back at her to make sure she is watching, I push the tree into the
glass. The crash is deafening.

Pretty soon she stands right by me. She doesn’t say a word
as she climbs to the top and inspects the intact glass, running her fingers
over the glittering surface. Before I can comment further, she launches her leg
at the window. When her attempt fails she cries out in pain and what sounds
like frustration.

Thankfully, I reach her before she can inflict anymore
damage to herself, and I lift her into my arms. Once situated, I jump to the grass.
Baltek bounds over to us and licks her dangling hand.

No longer is she merely crying; she sobs into my shoulder,
her body shaking against mine. I place her gently on the grass and run my hand
over her ankle. In between her tears, she winces. It’s already swollen. It may
even be broken, which only shows how deeply she wants to escape me.

I silently curse myself for putting her through this. I
should have chosen someone else. I should have allowed her to live her life,
but I had to be selfish. At this moment I hate myself for what I have done to
her.

Seth makes cooing noise at me as I writhe in pain. I’m so
stupid, and that’s what hurts more than my leg ever could. I couldn’t help
myself, though. If I don’t do something soon, I will be stuck here until I die
because I will not want to leave, which scares me the most. I can’t trust him,
but worse, I can’t trust myself to be around him.

He clears his throat and his gaze shifts away from mine
until he’s looking at his dog. “I’m sorry,” he says. “If I’d known what you
intended to do, I could have stopped you.” He gazes up at the not-so-fragile
glass roof. “This place was meant to be a comfort, yet I’ve found nothing but
heartache here.”

Without another word, he gathers me into his arms. At the
moment I can’t think of anything I’d rather he do. I need to feel him next to
me, and that troubles me more than finding out if I broke my leg. Every step he
takes shoots pain into my thigh. My ankle is nearly numb. Probably just
adrenaline.

How I thought I could break through glass that a few
thousand-pound tree couldn’t budge is beyond me. Who knew I was that delusional
about my ninja moves, but the proof is in the outcome.

Without letting myself over think it, I wrap my arms around
Seth’s neck. He’s a comfort I need right now. If there is one thing I’ve
learned throughout this ordeal, it’s that whatever he is, he’s not a sicko that
just wants to molest me.

His muscles tense for just a moment when I pull myself
closer to him and bury my face in his neck. His arms tighten around me, and he
says, “I have some medical supplies, but I might have to use some
unconventional methods for this one.”

“I’m okay,” I tell him, even though my entire leg is
throbbing again.

He pats my back and even that causes me to wince. “Sorry,”
he says. “I’ll just…hurry.”

He steps up his pace without jostling me around. He’s gonna
have to teach me to move like that. It’s like his limbs glide instead of
bounce.

By the time he sets me down, I’m nearly asleep. I could
easily drift into a dream, which totally perturbs me because I haven’t slept
well since he brought me here.

Once I’m on the long, flat table, he runs his hand down my
leg, starting mid-thigh. I prop myself onto my elbows to keep the glare from
the overhead light out of my eyes and do my darnedest to ignore my speeding
pulse. He’s not even touching skin. I’m so in trouble where he is concerned.

He gives me a conspiratorial smile, and for a moment I
consider that he might be able to read my mind. The thought is only disturbing
because of how much he affects me. Normally, I wouldn’t care if he knew what I
was thinking, but right now, that might pose a problem.

I take a deep breath when he reaches my ankle, bracing
myself for the pain. His fingers move over my pant leg to the hem. He pushes
the material up past my knee, his warm fingers leaving a trail of fire in their
wake. I swallow and command myself to think of something else. Who knew leather
was that pliable?

Seth steps back and his gaze travels over my leg like he’s
scrutinizing every curve and indent. Then his fingers follow the path his eyes
just took, and my head rushes with dizziness.

I groan and my head hits the pillow. He’s immediately by my
side, running his hand along my forehead.

“Are you okay, Amelia?” he asks.

That’s the question, and unfortunately, I don’t have an
answer.

I bend down close to Amelia’s face and press my cheek
against her temple. Her pulse pounds a rhythm so fierce I’m worried she will
lose consciousness any moment.

She still hasn’t answered my question. Her pain must be
overwhelming her senses. I move to the medicine cabinet. Not wasting a moment,
I cast bottles aside, grunting when I find nothing that will help her. Using
strength I should be saving, I call some pain medication and a glass of water
for her.

She lifts her head when I come closer, but she still won’t
look at me.

I could heal her, but I’m not sure she would react well to
my abilities. Perhaps I should aid her in falling asleep, but I’m worried about
her slipping into the Dreamscape without me. Now that she knows what it is, she
will not be limited by her own dream world. She could find her way into another
world. The risks are too great with Daegan involved.

Her eyes call to me, but I will not look at her right now.
As our time together continues, I’ve had a harder time controlling my desire
for her. I’ve vowed to give her time, but she may take longer than I’m willing
to wait.

In the end, I decide to heal her. I cannot stand the
thought of her being in pain.

She stares at me and for a moment I think she will refuse
me, but she takes the pill.

“Your leg is broken. Will you allow me to heal you?”

“You can do that?”

I smile. “It takes some concentration and power, but yes.”

“Why do I suddenly think that’s a bad thing?”

“It will be fine, but I might require some additional help
in the Dreamscape.”

Her dark brows furrow. “You want me to go with you?”

When she gives me a sultry smile, desire surges through me.
I want this woman more than I could ever have imagined. Using what restraint I
have left, I take a step back, glance at her injury, and focus on what I need
to do.

She cocks her head. “Seems like a pretty handy skill.”

Pressing my lips together, I attempt to keep my serious
façade. “It has aided me a time or two.”

I tilt my lips in a smile I do not feel. Repositioning her
leg, I let my mind take over as I knit the bone back together and reduce the
swelling to a manageable level. Tension creases the corners of her eyes and I
send a wave of peace through her. She stares at me, and all I want to do is take
away any pain she has. I concentrate harder on my task.

She squeezes my hand. “Wow. That’s amazing. It hardly hurts
at all anymore.” I smile at her and she lowers her gaze. “Thanks for taking
care of me.”

I swallow and stare at her. “Always, Amelia. I will always
take care of you.”

Her hand lowers to the table and she glances away before
she tries to sit up. Disappointed, I place my hand at her back just in case she
is not stable.

“Am I okay to walk on this?”

“You should be. Here, let me help you.” I ease her onto her
feet, staying right by her side.

She tests her weight. “Hey! It hardly hurts at all.” Her
eyes find mine and she smiles.

A resultant smile slips in place before I pull her against
me, not able to care at the moment if the contact makes her uncomfortable.
“Just promise me you will not attempt to break through enchanted crystal again
anytime soon?”

She laughs and shifts away. “You got it, boss.”

It is difficult, but I let her go. “If only you will be
that compliant in the Dreamscape.”

“I’ll be the poster child of obedience.”

Shaking my head, I move ahead of her. “This, I have to
see.”

When Seth steps in front of me, I allow myself to take a
breath. His expression when he promised to take care of me shot straight to my
heart. He meant every word he said to me. My leg already feels much better.
He’ll probably need proof that I’m okay before we can train again. I’ve got to
reel in my stupid gene. It’s just really hard to think straight when I’m around
him. Who wouldn’t have tried to break that glass?

My inner wimp tells me my brain failure is because I have
real feelings for him, but how can I have feelings for a lie? My teeth hurt
from clenching them so hard. I consider what he said, about why he wanted me to
think he was a different person than Jason, and it makes sense, even though I’d
like it not to. Jason and I got pretty heavy in my dreams. He even told me that
he loved me.

Being the sucker I am, I ate it up. I even told him I loved
him too, and I did. I just don’t know what to do with those feelings now. Jason
was a total fabrication, or was he? Seth is like him, most the time, until he
gets his game face on. It’s like he flips a switch in his brain or something.

It’s really kind of cool how he can detach himself from
feelings like that. My detachment is something different. It’s based on fear,
not control.

I hope he can teach me how to manage the coward inside me.
I grit my teeth and stifle my thoughts. What am I thinking anyway? I won’t be
here long enough to learn anything of real value from him.

In and out. That’s what I have to focus on. Once I find
that key, I’ll be able to choose. Until then I’m stuck.

When I do leave this place I’m gonna take the money in my
room. I stashed it in the closet for safekeeping.

We’re silent as we trek through the hallway and into his
room. I allow myself a glance at the pit where the fire comes from. It’s a long
line that seems to stretch forever. The pendulum swings back and forth and back
and forth.

“Seth?” I ask.

“Mmm?”

“Is that some kind of clock?”

“I guess you could call it that,” he says, noncommittal.

“Yeah, that’s not much of an answer.”

He turns us around, just before we are at my door, and
peers at the pendulum. “It marks the hours of my curse.”

I stare blankly at him. “Curse?”

He nods.

“Why were you cursed?” I ask, more curious than I should
be.

“I did not fulfill my calling. I made a mistake and now I
pay for that mistake every second of my life.”

This was bound to come up, so why is it so difficult to
tell her what I did? I don’t want to admit my mistake, but that doesn’t take it
away.

She shifts in my arms and catches my gaze. I could stare at
her delicate features all day and not get bored. If only I could get her to see
that she was made for me. Her kind is rare in the mortal realm. Out of billions
in my care, there are only fourteen true Sibylline alive at the moment, half of
which are old women. The others are either too compromised or too weak. I would
like to think I had other options, but Amelia is the only woman among them with
the fortitude to survive in my world.

Her strengths have come from her weaknesses and those are
the qualities that endure.

The corners of my mouth lift while I motion for her to sit.
Once she is settled, I sit beside her. Her eyes shift away from mine. “It is
okay, Amelia. You may ask me anything.”

She gives a half nod. Her fingers find the edge of her
quilt to worry. When she speaks, it is her fingers she stares at, not me. “Will
you tell me about it?”

“It’s simple. I became too arrogant. I thought myself
invincible, and I lost to a foe I never expected to fight.”

She flinches, making me wonder what she is thinking. Has
she already lost faith in my abilities? Has she
any
faith in my
abilities? I shake off further thought to continue, but she beats me to it.

“Who was it?”

“A former lover of mine,” I say without emotion. I’ve
already expended enough of my life on Rhea.

She frowns. “Is she the girl Daegan mentioned? The one with
Volos? She betrayed you?”

I nod. “She betrayed all of us.”

She grits her teeth. What is happening in that mind of
hers? I cannot wait to get her into the Dreamscape again. There, all my
questions shall find the answers I seek.

Her green eyes snap to mine. “How awful for you,” she says,
her voice soft with compassion.

“Thank you for your concern, Amelia, but it has been many
years. Besides, it was as much my fault as hers, if not more.”

Her eyebrows knit together. “What do you mean?”

“The Erobos are cunning. They are also extremely alluring.
Stronger than she have fallen for their deception. I merely assumed she was
ready for them, but I was wrong. She had already been compromised when I took
her into the Dreamscape.” I’m oversimplifying the story, but I don’t want to
get into it right now. I’d rather focus on my future…with Amelia. I also don’t
wish to frighten her.

She stops fiddling with her quilt and closes her eyes. “How
long has it been?” She hesitates before she adds, “Since you lost her.”

I consider this for a moment and shrug. “More than five
thousand of your years. I lose track of time easily these days.”

Her back stiffens ever so slightly. “I want to be
completely ready before you take me into the Dreamscape.”

I smile at her and this time she doesn’t flinch. Perhaps I
am getting better at it. “We are in agreement then.” When I stand, I have to
stop myself from leaning in to kiss her cheek. She still isn’t accustomed to
physical contact.

She offers me a casual smile. “I won’t try to go in there
without you.”

I nod. “That is very good to hear. Thank you for trusting
me.”

She opens her mouth as if to comment, but stares at me
instead. After a moment she finally says, “I’d like to know more about how you
ended up here, cursed.”

It takes quite a bit of effort for me to swallow. “No more
tonight. I have to leave.”

Something changes in her face, a visible tension I do not
like to see in her. She glances away from me, so I sit back down beside her and
take her hand into mine.

“It’s okay,” she says. “Go.”

“I would stay if I could.”

Her lips stiffen. “It’s no big deal. Just leave already.
I’m kind of tired from all the training today. We can talk more tomorrow.”

I give a good squeeze to her fingers. “Very well,” I say.
“Good night, Amelia.”

Without another word, she walks into her room and shuts the
door. How long she will stay in there is anyone’s guess.

I lean back against the pillows and clutch a hand to my
pounding chest. Somehow, just knowing I can move about Seth’s place eases my
tension. He’s either got ESP or he knows me better than I’d like him to. I’m
betting on the latter and that so annoys me.

Seth is a problem that I have no solution for. I want to
keep a comfortable distance between us, but I’m starting to think that isn’t
possible. He’s all I have to even speak to until I go into the Dreamscape, and
as tempting as it is for me to want to rush in there so I can find a way out of
here, I believed what he said about his former
lover
.

Brother. It shouldn’t bother me that he’s been in love
before, but it does. Why is that? I don’t want him.

Period.

The end.

Not wanting to think about him anymore, I get up. I
consider soaking in the tub, but I’m not feeling it at the moment.

What I really want to do is explore his place. How much
more of it is there? From what I’ve seen, I wouldn’t be surprised if it is some
kind of mansion.

Seth is sweet, in his own way. I just wish I could remember
the dreams he claimed we had together. Could it be possible I agreed to come
here? It is kind of compelling to think about a place that could literally take
me anywhere, even to different worlds.

What girl gets a chance like that? If I go back into the
real world, what do I really have there? I don’t even have a home. Sure, I
could take Seth’s money with me, but then what?

Would I ever be able to forget this place, or Seth? Not
likely.

I press my cheek to the door and listen for him. Has he
gone already?

Man, I hope so. The last thing I want to do is open this
door and find him naked or, who am I kidding? Seeing him in the buff has risen
to the top of my bucket list.

Pathetic I am, but I’m not stupid.

When all I hear is my pounding pulse, I square my shoulders
and barge into his room. A quick scan tells me he’s gone. The firewall flickers
a familiar scene I’d love to walk right into, but I promised him.

I let a smile eat up my lips then head for the hallway.
Halfway there, I rethink my priorities. Seth is gone and I’m in
his
bedroom. Being nosy is probably stupid of me, but I want to check it out. You
know, get a feel for who he really is—if that’s even possible.

I stare at the fluttering wall of fire, wondering if he’s
stuck around, but all I see are flickering trees and the waterfall. I’d say
this entry is an upgrade compared to the dingy park he had before. Nothing
exciting ever happened there, no matter how many times I hoped it would.