Dreamscape (21 page)

“If you don’t get me out of here, I’ll slit my wrists
before you get back. I seriously can’t take another second.”

Normally, I would discount her threat, but her eyes are
wild and her breathing shallow. Other than her lips, her face has lost all
color. Hating myself even more, I pull her into my arms and hold her close.
“I’m sorry, Amelia. I should have left you be. I should have chosen another.”

Seth’s apology is more than I can take right now. His voice
is filled with regret, and the amazing part is I believe him. After how much
time we’ve spent together in my dreams, how could he not know the way I would
react to being locked up?

Silent tears roll down my cheeks. I let him hold me in his
strong arms for only a moment before I step away from him. “Are you going to
take me or not?”

“Are you going to consider my offer?”

I cock my head. “How could I not? The entire world is at
stake, right?”

He bites the inside of his cheek and stares at me for a
long moment before he nods. “How about a compromise?”

Doesn’t exactly sound promising. “What did you have in
mind?”

He tilts his head, his eyes softening. “I had hoped to have
Maybell teach you to dampen your energy before you enter active dream worlds.
You will not be able to affect the Dreamscape in the same manner as if you were
physically there; however, with your level of presence I believe with little
training you could be a real help to me.”

Lifting my eyebrows at him, I say, “Explain.”

He grasps my fingers and pulls me farther down the hallway,
out of this dilapidated part of his house. I’m tempted to ask him about it, but
if he’s considering letting me out of this place for a while, there’s no way
I’m going to distract him.

After a bit of silence he says, “Erobos gain power with
every moment I spend here with you. I waited too long to come for you.”

I give a hearty grunt, staring at him. “I thought you only
get a little bit of time out of your place every so often.”

“That is the truth. I have a window of opportunity, when
I’ve acquired enough energy to break through the barrier. The pull from my
realm is agony to resist, so I accomplish my tasks as quickly as possible. It
took me fifteen minutes to bring you here. I needed to save as much of my power
as I could. I’m sorry for the way I came for you, but I did what I thought was
best.”

I shake my head. How am I ever going to understand the
rules of his world? There’s a tiny part of me that wants to believe I am still
dreaming in my apartment...that I will wake up and find myself homeless. The
scariest part about it is I’m starting to see the advantages of being here. I’m
starting to realize just what Seth gave me when he plucked me from my life.

He’s right. I had nothing. Worse, I had no one. I would
have done my best to make things work, but without much money and only a
part-time job, where would I have gone? Being in a shelter wouldn’t have been
better than spending my time here. My chances at finding a roommate fizzled
once the girls I approached found out I wasn’t in college. They told me they
were sorry, but another girl needed the room more than I did. I had more
appointments, but in a college town, finding a place for a few hundred a month
wasn’t realistic.

Maybe I’m rationalizing; maybe I’m delusional? At this
point it doesn’t matter because one thing is certain: I’m curious, and I want
to see what this Dreamscape can offer me.

“I’ll take your word for it,” I tell Seth, eyeing him
speculatively. “As long as I’m not here rotting away while you’re gone, I don’t
really care what we do.”

A secretive smile spreads along his scrumptious mouth. “You
will be an instant hit.”

“Hit?” I ask, not sure what he means.

“Let’s just say in the Dreamscape new faces rarely appear
between worlds. Not to mention, my team will be ecstatic to have you. With your
level of control and presence, you can really make a difference for us.”

I smile. It would be nice to have people who wanted me in
their lives. “When will I meet them?”

“Soon, but I want to teach you a few things along the way.”

“So we’re going to world hop?”

He clasps my fingers, bringing them to his lips. Using the
lightest of pressure, he brushes a kiss along my fingertips, making my heart
lurch and the skin on my arm tickle. His gaze follows my arm up to my face and
he smiles again. “Amelia,” he says, “we shall discover the universe together.”

How can he be so beautiful and terrifying in the same
moment?

I’ve never had anyone speak to me the way he does, let
alone talk to me as though I am the only thing that matters to him. He’s such a
strange man. Maybe it’s because I don’t understand him, or maybe it’s because
he comes from a different time, a different world even, but he is a mystery and
I’m way too curious for my own good.

“All right.” I cock my head. “What exactly do I wear to
discover the universe?”

He laughs, and the deep sound resonates into my heart.
“Battle gear, remember?”

I frown at him, tucking my hands under my arms to suppress
a sudden shiver. “Won’t that just pin an
attack me
sign where those
Erobos people are concerned?”

His cool fingers pat my hand. “Not to worry. Once we are in
the Dreamscape, I will teach you to camouflage yourself. With enough training,
you can become anything or anyone you desire.”

I scrunch up my face. “No way.”

Not saying anything else, he merely smirks at me, pulling
me faster down the hallway toward our rooms.

I glance at him sidelong. “You’re not going to answer me?”

His voice dips lower. “I thought you were a show, don’t
tell, kind of girl.”

It’s my turn to smirk at him.

I can hardly stand the excitement bubbling within me. Not
only has Amelia agreed to my terms, she appears eager to experience the
Dreamscape.

My hopes have been realized. I do not have the time or
desire to give in to my doubts about taking her so soon. Even though she will
be anchored here, there will be risks to her soul.

I realized she would be curious, yet I had no idea she
would show such enthusiasm. She’s been guarded nearly the entire time I’ve had
her here, but perhaps she has accepted me? Perhaps she has yielded to the idea
of being here with me?

No doubt she will search for a way out. Rumors of an
entrance to the mortal realm still circulate the inner worlds, but to my
knowledge, no one has ever found the portal. For a moment, I wonder if that is
what Daegan is after. Does he think Amelia could find the entrance? Volos had
his memory wiped before he had completely converted, and he is the only one who
knew where the portal was. Only time will answer that question, and right now,
I have a recruit to look after.

I deposit Amelia at her room and instruct her to be ready
in five minutes. She gives me a shrug then closes the door.

I’m changed and ready to go in three. Impatient as I am, I
pace the edge of the fire wall. When she finally emerges from her room, clothed
in skin-tight black leather, I take her in, not bothering to hide my
assessment. A pretty blush infuses her cheeks, lessening the illusion that she
is completely in control and ready for any threat. Still, her reaction merely
enhances her beauty, her purity. Even with her harsh upbringing, Amelia has
never truly embraced evil.

My only hope is that she will be strong enough to withstand
the cunning manipulations the Erobos are known for. I could spend more than a
century warning her, but she is not the type who would benefit from such
training, even if I had the time to give her.

Taking a deep breath, I walk to her side. She fidgets with
her hair until I still her hands. “You are beautiful.”

She gives a huff. “I look ridiculous.”

What she looks is exquisite , but I do not let the thought
escape my lips. I brush my fingers over the spikes at her elbows. “Do you
remember what I taught you?”

When I lung at her, she twists away from me, taking a
fighting stance, her legs spread wide, her hands up to deflect any blow I might
throw at her.

“Good,” I say, offering a sincere smile. “Once in the
Dreamscape, follow my lead. If I tell you to run, do not hesitate. You must
memorize our entry point for each world. Remember that the farther you wander
away from the portal, the harder it will be for you to find it again. Some
worlds have many portals, but all do not offer such convenience. There are also
failsafe portals that are risky to enter. You must not enter a portal you are
unfamiliar with. They could even be Erobos, and you won’t be able to tell the
subtle difference at first. Do you understand?”

“Yeah. Got it, boss. What do I do if we are separated?”

“Find the portal and use it. I will follow as quickly as I
am able. Due to their dark energy, Erobos cannot enter Oneiroi portals, nor can
we enter theirs, but they can trick you and ambush you. Even if you make it to
one of our portals, they can track you and will follow your trail quickly. Do
not hesitate to return to my realm if the need arises. If nothing else will do,
wake up.”

“How?”

“Think of a word that means something to you. All you have
to do is scream that word and you will be severed from the Dreamscape.” I wait
for a moment, giving her time then ask, “Do you have it?”

She nods, glancing at the floor. I lift her gaze to mine.
“I will not let you out of my sight. You shouldn’t even be noticed by the
lesser ranks. It is the elite we have to worry about.” One elite in particular
crosses my mind.

“Daegan?”

I nod.

“Won’t the others question my being with you?”

I attempt to keep my expression neutral. “It is not
uncommon for me to travel with a beautiful companion, so unless they’re
specifically looking for signs of life, they will not detect you, especially if
you attempt to keep yourself dampened.”

Amelia’s dark brows draw together over her green eyes. An
edge of jealousy lies within her gaze, which brings a smile to my lips. She
smirks at me. “I have no idea what you mean by ‘signs of life.’ Isn’t everyone
alive in the Dreamscape?”

“Humans have a level of consciousness specifically designed
for dream travel. Since your body will technically be here, you will be in that
mode of consciousness. It will be difficult for normal ranking Erobos to see
the difference in life force. You must attempt to blend into your environment.”

She gives me a few exaggerated blinks. “You make it sound
as if they have an entire army.”

“They do. Hundreds of thousands, maybe over a million. You
must be careful at all times. You must follow my lead. They will be curious.
Make no mistake, they will notice you; however, dreamers do not react to touch.
Since you will not allow anyone other than me to touch you, this should not be
a problem.”