Dreamscape (20 page)

“Well, I hope so!” she says in a falsetto that makes her
sound like a southern belle. “You’re the one that brought me here. If you don’t
know what you’re doing, we’re both in trouble.”

“Oh, I know what I’m doing, and soon, so will you.” I lean
heavier against her as we walk. “I have a feeling you’re going to be
magnificent.”

Sweat stings my eyes before I can wipe it away. Somehow
when Seth suggested we train, I didn’t quite have this in mind. He’s chased me
around his gym until I’m ready to fall down, but I still haven’t managed to
outrun him.

I hold up my hand as he stalks toward me…again. “I give,” I
say. Too bad he’s not listening. Each time he catches me, I am more
disheartened. The pit in my chest takes another dive when he lunges at me. He’s
got this wicked glint in his eyes that shoots fear straight to my bones. He’s
so into this, he’s not even responding any more. I zag away from him just
before he catches me around the waist. His fingers graze my side, trying to
find something to grasp. I squeal. “Come on, Seth! I’m tired. I’ve had enough
already!”

He dips his chin and comes at me again, giving a grunt as
he rushes forward. He’s totally not fooling.

“Seth! I said stop!”

Darkness glitters behind his blue eyes, making full-out
fear blossom in my gut. Has something happened to him? More animal than man, he
won’t even respond in anything other than grunts.

When he makes another move, adrenaline jolts through me,
and I sprint away. Leaping over the weights strewn across the floor, I dodge
the punching bags. Once I’m past the blue mat, my feet do a better job of
propelling me forward.

His presence stalks me as I race through the halls toward
anywhere but here. When I realize I’m heading for the library, I groan. I
really need to pay more attention to where I’m going. There is only one way out
of that place, and there is no freaking way I’m letting him corner me in his
crimson den of pleasure with the way he’s acting.

Seeing no other option, I dart down a hall I’ve never been.
It’s dark and eerie, as if no one has stepped a foot in here since the place
was made. A thin light ahead gives me some hope.

I listen for any sign of Seth pursuing me, but the only
sound that registers is my rapid breath. My pulse thumps in my throat as my
mind frantically searches for an escape.

The dust covering the cool floor makes the experience ten
times worse. Why exactly did I take off my shoes?

Only someone completely comfortable in the presence of
someone else should ever remove footwear. I never expected Seth to wig out like
this. It’s like he’s Hyde or something. He really could be this close to losing
it and I wouldn’t know.

Seth has the attributes I loved so much in Jason, but he’s
also got some major issues Jason never exhibited. Why is it that the first time
I attract a guy he’s a total nutter?

I just don’t know what to think anymore. Needing somewhere
to hide, I twist at the last second into a dark room off the hallway. I’m
hoping for a side door or a convenient little rabbit hole. It wouldn’t matter
if it was a doggie door, I’d take anything about now.

The rational part of my brain tells me I’m overreacting.
Seth has never really hurt me…well, he almost fried me with that wicked fire
wall of his right after he brought me here, but—

I don’t have time for another thought.

My arm hairs stand straight on end while an electric chill sizzles
through my veins. I freeze where I am, listening for any hint of his pursuit.
My breath stills to a low rustle. Nothing seems out of place, yet everything in
me screams
run
.

When I whirl away from the doorway there’s a stinking wall.
I don’t think much about it before I command the barrier to become an exit. If
I could create an entire countryside, I sure as hell should be able to create a
door. If not, I’ll smash through the drywall.

In an instant a passageway appears in front of me. I rush
forward, not caring where this thing leads.

My next thought makes me trip forward. As I’m falling the
question solidifies in my mind. What if I could create a door out of here now?
I throw my arms in front of me to protect myself, but I’m plucked from my fall
by a pair of strong hands.

Seth pulls me tight against his chest and for the briefest
of moments I think he’s going to snap my neck…or sink his teeth into me.

Instead, he rests his face against the back of my shoulder,
panting in huge breaths. His skin is slick with sweat, as is mine. Neither of
us speaks for an uncomfortably long time.

He finally breaks the silence with a labored sigh. “How did
you get in here?”

Not exactly what I expected him to say. I stiffen. He’s in
such trouble, yet he seems to have no idea just how pissed I am. “How the hell
would I know?”

His chuckle rumbles through me. Since he seems to have
recovered from his monster moment, my anxiety withers away to the point where I
can actually find out what I did to provoke him. “Why did you take after me
like that?” Once I have answers, I’ll sucker punch him for scaring the crap out
of me.

When I turn my neck to look at him, he steps away,
releasing me. “I have to push you. I have to know you will be safe in the
Dreamscape.”

I narrow my eyes. He considered that training? “You’re
really starting to scare me with the mega-drama.”

He doesn’t even flinch. “It’s not drama. There is no way
for me to train you adequately here. I wanted—” he shakes his head, “—needed
you to understand the danger. If you had been in the Dreamscape and I had been
Erobos, you would now be mine.”

My eyes narrow. “Somehow, I think there’s more to it.” Even
with the little contact I’ve had with the Erobos, I already know they are
freaky scary. Realization that they might be worse than I’ve imagined snakes
around my mind, while creating more and more questions. I finally decide on one
to ask him. “What would they want me for?”

His eyelids flutter before he stares at his shoes, as if he
can’t or won’t look at me. “You are the most gifted Sibylline I’ve ever seen.
You have not only created your own space within my realm, you have opened up
places that have long been closed off.”

I can’t quite decide if he is leaving something out, or if
he is afraid to lay too much on me at once. “Yeah, I already know you think I’m
cooler than whipped cream, but what aren’t you telling me?”

His lips twitch into a smirk. “What makes you ask that
question?”

“You’re evading.”

“How do you know that?”

“Body language, mostly.”

Lightning blue eyes meet mine. Entranced, I move closer to
him to get a better view. I’ve never seen such emotion in his gaze. It scares
me how much he’s showing me right now, but I can’t make myself stay put.

I’m ensnared in Amelia’s stare. My whole body vibrates from
her energy, and for not the first time, I question my plan.

If she is this potent in my realm, she will have full reign
of any reality she can conjure in the Dreamscape. I recoil from the thought,
but not from her. She is not Rhea and I will not treat her as such.

She steps into my personal space, making my pulse jump with
excitement. Does she feel the same pull I do? Do I make her heart sing?

She is everything I could have hoped for, and everything
I’ve ever feared. If this woman ever became my enemy, I would be completely
lost to her will.

The same thing could happen if she ever became my mate. She
has not accepted me as such yet, but I wonder if I should continue to pursue
that course so hastily.

I should allow her the chance to train, to prepare for the
experience of the Dreamscape in bits and pieces. I’m not being fair to her, but
what other option do I have?

If I delay until she is ready, the Erobos will likely have
completely infiltrated the Dreamscape, no longer relegated to the icy lands of
the Metaspace. The numbers Daegan had at his command startled me. They were
physically present, not mere transmissions through dreams. They have found a
leak in the Metaspace, but how? Who is helping them cross over?

With so much at risk, I must consider more than my growing
feelings for Amelia.

I give her a small smile. “There are a few things I’d like
to share with you.” She nods, so I continue, “As I’ve told you, the whole of
Earth is in danger. If the Erobos can connect with enough mortals, they could
obtain enough energy to create a portal to the Earth and then to the
Netherworld, once again. Before our numbers fell, we managed to erect a barrier
that prevents access to the Earth through the Netherworld, but it is weakening
as we speak. Only Oneiroi life force can pass through. You must become Oneiroi
before you can free us. You must accept this life and me for my plan to work.
The Oneirio were created to protect the souls of men. Even if you try to
traverse the Metaspace as mortal and you manage to bypass the barrier, in the Netherworld,
it is easy to lose track of how many times you might splinter. Without a
complete soul, humans are relegated to the Netherworld forever, which wouldn’t
be so bad if the place wasn’t infested with the most unsavory creatures from
every world that has ever existed. Thanks to Volos, the Netherworld is more
nightmare than paradise now.”

When Amelia takes another step toward me, I head for the
door. I have no desire to stay in this place. I’d rather go skinny dipping in a
piranha-infested swamp.

“Hey,” she huffs. “Where’re you going?”

“I have work to do,” I tell her, not bothering to glance
over my shoulder.

Her voice deflates to a harsh whisper. “You’re leaving
again? After laying something like that on me?”

Steadying myself on the doorframe, I take a deep breath.
“I’ve been neglecting my duties, and I must return to my work. My team needs
me.”

Her energy slides up against me far before she actually
touches me. “I can’t stay here alone anymore.” When she takes another step
closer, I freeze. Cool fingers glide around my forearm. “Do you understand me,
Seth?” Her face inches nearer until all I can focus on is her mossy green eyes.
When she speaks, I hear her words, but my focus has shifted to the movement of
her mouth. “I can’t take it a second longer. I have to do something. I have to
get out of here. It doesn’t matter how big your place is; it’s still a prison.
I don’t deserve to be here. I don’t know what you did to land yourself here,
but it wasn’t right for you to pull me into your curse. You want me to accept
you? You want me to become Oneiroi? Show me that I should.”

I can barely find my breath. Her chest brushes my torso
with every ragged inhalation she makes. Without even thinking about it, I tuck
her silky dark hair behind her ear.

Her gaze shifts questioningly to my hand then back to my
eyes, demanding an answer I cannot give her.

She passes her hand in front of my face. “Hello? Anyone in
there? Why aren’t you answering me?”

“I understand you, Amelia.” She closes her eyes when I
touch her cheek. “I know perfectly well how oppressive this place is. I also
understand your need for companionship, as well as excitement. I want nothing
more than to bring you into the Dreamscape with me; however, I must think of
your safety.”