Dreamscape (32 page)

Her attempt to
comfort me is appreciated, but the raw edge of fear has already sliced its way
into my veins. Even though I have no reference point for most of what I’m being
told, I know enough to get that this is bad…that we’re sort of screwed.

“What now?” I
ask her.

“Now, I must
take you back,” says Seth, inching closer.

I spin away
from him. “I can help.”

“You will be no
good to us if the Erobos get you.”

I take a deep
breath, attempting to settle the nerves in my gut. “You are the one that
shouldn’t go. What if they get
you
?” I ask. “In the scheme of things,
you are way more important than me. What if this is a trap set for you? What
are Eros and why are they worse than the regular guys?”

Ian’s gaze
pulls mine to him. He’s studying me as if I’m Fort Knox and he’s Billy the Kid
come to perpetrate his greatest heist ever. When he speaks, his voice comes out
dark, haunted even. “She’s right. No Oneiroi should return to that world.”

“It must be
closed,” hisses Seth. “You were not there. You did not see his soulless eyes.”

“Let me do it,”
I suggest, making myself as tall as I can manage.

“No,” says
Seth. Finality in one syllable.

I glance around
for anyone willing to take my side. Ian’s there. Maybell is still a question,
but she seems to be considering it. Zed strokes his beard as if it’s a lazy cat
clinging to his chin. Olivia’s eyes are huge. Considering that she had to hide
in a dream world for weeks to escape the Erobos, I don’t exactly blame her for
not wanting to jump on board.

“I’ll go with
her,” says Kelsby, his three chins jiggling in time with his words.

“I’m in,” says
Maybell.

“It can’t be
done,” says Seth. “It takes two Oneiroi to completely shut down a world. Even
if I was willing to let you risk it, it would be a futile endeavor.”

I give him a
hard stare. “Just tell me what to do.”

His jaw
clenches before he speaks. “We don’t have time, and you do not have the power—”

Zed speaks up.
“She is capable, brother.”

Seth huffs. “I
have not claimed her. She is not yet my mate.”

Ian smirks and
Seth’s face snaps toward him. A low growl emanates from Seth. He curls around
me, grasping my arm, pulling my back taut against him.

Seeing Seth
this possessive of me is sort of unbelievable. On a really strange level it’s
wicked sexy that he wants me so badly, yet it takes all my concentration to not
stiffen in his arms. He’s totally freaked out right now, and I need him to
listen to me. I need him to trust me.

I’m two seconds
away from throttling my brother to the ground. He’s pushing me on purpose,
testing my resolve with Amelia. Is he so desperate for a companion that he
wants to steal mine?

Deep-seeded
hurts attempt to rise to the surface, but I push them back to the abyss they’ve
dwelt in since Rhea betrayed me. Ian was not involved in that betrayal in any
way and he doesn’t deserve the venom of old pain to be released upon him. He
was the purest of us at the time, he and Peter.

Surprisingly
enough, Amelia has not chastised me for my overbearing display. She has not
said a word, in fact, which worries me. Have I pushed her too far?

Ian clasps my
shoulder. “Forgive me. I assumed we were having a bit of fun, like in the old
days.” He gives a gentle squeeze. “Zed is right.”

Amelia’s heart
accelerates. She wants this, most likely to prove her value. She is already
priceless to me. “I cannot lose her,” I say.

She turns in my
arms. “
She
is right here, so you can stop talking about me as if I’m
not. You said yourself to be turned a person has to embrace the darkness. I
have no intention of sticking around long enough to hold onto anything, let
alone darkness. You said I was made for this life. Let me live it.”

She is amazing.
“I have not shown you how to use your powers. You are unprepared for this kind
of task.”

“It’s not like
I have to do it alone. Maybell and Kelsby can help me along. You know I’m
right.”

I slide my
fingers through her hair and cup her cheek. “Knowing and accepting are not the
same thing.”

“If we fail,
you can step in, but we have to try. Think about it, Seth. How is it that you
were never curious about this Sibylline? How long have you been using his
portal? How long has he had to study you?”

I flinch, my
fear ratcheting up with my decision now made. “Very well, but if you run into
any trouble, you must leave immediately. No heroics. Agreed?”

She sticks out
her hand, smiling. “Agreed. They won’t touch me. You have my word.”

I hold her hand
tight to my chest. “Before you go, I’d like to speak to you in my office.”
Kelsby’s eyes shift to Maybell, no doubt for help in convincing me it is time
for them to go. Once he gets something in his head he is difficult to dissuade.
Maybell nods at me and smiles, leaving Kelsby to pout. “Amelia will be along
shortly.”

With that said,
I pull Amelia through the crowd toward my office. They step aside and smile at
my companion. Her fingers slide around mine, but they tremble slightly. I must
not overreact to her fear, as hope hides just beneath. She can handle herself
well in difficult situations. My team is right, yet this is agony for me to
allow.

Ian moves
toward the hallway and I race him to it, pulling Amelia to my side. Her eyes
flare wide as she gulps.

She looks
between me and my brother, her expression darkening. “What’s going on with you
two?”

I say, “Ian was
just leaving” as he says, “I wanted to thank you, Amelia.”

Her brows
furrow at him. “For what?”

He lowers his
head in a nod. “An enjoyable evening.” He gives me a nod as well before he
struts through the crowd toward Zed.

Ian will have
to be dealt with, but Amelia is my only concern at the moment. Placing my arm
around her shoulders, I usher her to my office and plant her in the nearest
seat.

She doesn’t
take her eyes off me as I make my way around the desk. Where should I start
with her? “You’ve shown yourself to be more talented than I could have ever
imagined. Thank you for helping Zed.” I shift in my seat, trying to find a
comfortable position.

“I’m not sure I
did anything to really help him. It seems like all I really did was piss off
Daegan.”

“It’s not you,
he is possessed by the anger he once sought to consume.”

She frowns.
“Huh? That sounds like something out of a fortune cookie.”

I smile despite
the gravity of the topic. “Yes, well, wisdom comes from the same source, no
matter the speaker.”

“Haha,” she
says, smiling. “Do it again.”

“Amelia, this
is serious.”

“Yeah? Well,
I’ve got news for you. My whole life has been one serious mess, so forgive me
for trying to lighten the mood.”

She’s right. I
should not impede her need for humor. “Sorry. Tell me when you are ready to
discuss a few things.”

She leans back
in her seat, swinging her crossed leg like we’re here for a pleasant chat. I
close my eyes and take a deep breath, soaking in her radiance. My need for her
is all consuming at times.

Her voice
disturbs my reverie. “I have a few things I’d like to talk to you about, too.”

I give her a
nod. “Very well. I shall defer to you then.”

She smiles,
shaking her head, her dark hair swishing about her shoulders. “First of all, I
need to know more about the Erobos. Daegan, in particular, seems to want me. He
showed up like he knew I would be there.”

Might as well
get this out of the way. “After the tragic loss of Volos and the medical crew
that tried to save him, Daegan was the first to convert to Erobos. None of us
knew of his growing desire for dark emotions.”

Her head cocks
to the side as she picks at the leather at her wrist. “What do you mean?”

This is a
conversation I have been avoiding. She will think less of me when I am finished
telling her of our needs. “Oneiroi have a symbiotic relationship with humans.”

She stiffens.
“How so?”

A light rap
sounds at the door. My gaze shifts to Amelia. “Excuse me.”

She shrugs.

Her stare
settles on my back like soft afternoon rays of sunlight. Her presence comforts
me, as well as excites me.

Maybell stands
there, wringing her hands. “Zed said I should come get you. He said we should
really get going.”

I sigh. I have
not explained what I need to, but Zed is right. We should not delay. I will
have to share my secrets with Amelia later. Zed most likely thought I wanted to
say goodbye to her in private. Normally, that is exactly what I would do, but
not today. Today I need to stake my claim. Let my brothers and all be witness
to who holds the wielder’s heart.

I take Amelia’s
hand and lift her from her chair. “We will finish our conversation later.”

She nods and
glides along with me to the outer office. Once we are near the elevators, I
pull Amelia to a stop. Resolve slides onto her features. I squeeze her hand and
press a kiss to her fingertips. “Be safe.”

She speed hugs
me and is yanking Maybell toward the elevator before I can comment further. For
a moment I am swept away by the wrongness of this situation. I’ve only just
found her. We’ve only just started our lives together. How can I stand here and
not intervene?

Unfortunately,
some things are more important than relationships and needs. Some things must
be done regardless of risk.

“Wait,” I find
myself saying.

She turns a
fraction to shake her head at me, but I’m at her side in moments. I yank her
into my arms, tilt her head back, and crash my lips against hers. Her scent,
her aura, surrounds me, cocooning me in her essence. I take more liberties than
I should. Amelia holds on to me yet doesn’t completely respond. I ache for her
in this moment. Too soon, I let her go.

Kelsby chuckles
and Maybell blushes blue. All else falls away but Amelia’s face. “Come back to
me,” I say, my voice a hushed command.

She nods and
slips away. How I will survive this expedition I have no idea, but I must let
her do this. I must trust her.

Once they are
in the elevator, I turn to the rest of my team. “Monitor her. Alert me if
anything untoward should happen. I shall be in my office.”

Seth’s kiss
still lingers on my lips. I should be embarrassed with how many people
witnessed his rather public display of affection, yet I can’t quite get myself
to care what any of them think.

He took me
off-guard. I couldn’t even move right. When I get back, I’ll show him how I
really wanted to react. Seth is in my blood now. It’s like he’s a part of me
I’ve only just discovered.

Despite my
recent bravado, my heart can’t quite figure out how to beat right. I glance at
Maybell, who stares at me like a proud mother with a full-fledged smile on her
face.

I return her
smile, if a little guarded. “So what do we do first?” I ask, a tad breathless
still.

Kelsby shifts
his rotund upper half so he’s not squishing me quite as badly before he says,
“We must stop in the munitions chamber for supplies. After that, we need to go
over a few things.”

“Like?” I prod,
impatient with the slow progress of the elevator.

Maybell
sniggers behind her hand.

His eyes find
mine void of humor, as we descend to a lower level. “We must give you a crash
course on evading Erobos.”

I shake my
head. “I’m good. Seth already trained me in how to run away.”

Maybell laughs.
Her tone darkens theatrically, somehow reminding me of a pirate. “Nothing can
train you for Erobos. They are insidious creatures full of harpy ways.”

I frown at her,
scratching my arm where the hairs have unexpectedly risen. “Harpy ways?”

She hunches
toward me, her eyes narrowing the closer she gets. “Just when you least expect
it, they swoop in on you, ready to snatch bits of your soul.” On the word
‘snatch’ her fingers whisper over the back of my neck, eliciting a nervous jump
from me.

Even though
she’s joking, a slithering chill meanders through me. That doesn’t sound too
great. “I happen to like my soul the way it is.”

Her face hovers
just above mine as her cool breath sweeps my hair out of my face. All joking is
gone. “Remember, darkness cannot exist where light resides. Light repels the
darkness until it is no more.”

Chills race
down me as the truth of her statement settles into my heart. I touch her
forearm. “The Erobos will have to find a different target. I’m already
accounted for.”

She pats my
hand. “That’s what we’re all counting on, Amelia. You are our only hope.”

I lean back and
she does the same. “No pressure, though?” I say around a squeezed laugh.

Kelsby grunts
and we finally reach our next destination. A syrupy ding rings out before the
elevator doors slide open, revealing a vast room full of makeshift cupboards
and closets.

Where I
expected superhero gear, what I’ve got are revolutionary war rejects. Odds and
ends of discarded parts litter the floor in piles while remnants of enormous
shells line the walls.

Fortunately,
Maybell seems to know where she’s going, bypassing the majority of trash heaps.
If this is their idea of munitions, we’re in trouble. I’ve about had my fill of
rotting metal au de toilette when Maybell leads us down another corridor.

My hopes rise
with every step we take away from the military graveyard. This part of the
space is brightly lit with a thin strip of blue light tracing the floorboards.
Every so often the lights crisscross the hallway then sweep up our bodies and
back down again.

“What is that?”
I ask, shaking off the unpleasant feeling of being violated.

“Security,”
says Kelsby, making me wonder just what he means. He ambles behind us,
surprisingly keeping up. His body is such a conundrum, but I don’t have time
for puzzles right now. When I do have some time, I’m going to ask him about his
world.

I give a nod
and decide it’s time to be quiet.

We come to a
steel door, or maybe it’s titanium. Whatever it is, it lifts out of the way as
if it’s made of air. How they can raise a two-feet-thick twenty-by-twenty door
is impressive, but what lays beyond takes my breath.

A myriad of
dizzying lights in every color call my attention. There are glowing orbs, guns,
knives, swords, handheld cannons, and a bunch of things I don’t know how to
name. “Whoa,” I say, taking it all in.

“Indeed,” says
Kelsby. “We’ve depleted in numbers, but we still have some advantages. Don’t
touch anything,” he warns before he faces Maybell. “You get the charges. I’ll
look for something suitable for Amelia to wield.”

My fingers curl
around a wicked-looking rifle with twin rows of glowing yellow lights inset
along the sides. The shiny metal is etched with swirly designs that my eyes
want to trace and my fingers itch to hold. “This should do quite nicely.”

Kelsby glances
back at me, his eyes widening in alarm, but before he can say anything I curl
my palm around the grip and test the weight and fit. “It’s a little long, but I
think I can manage.” The thing bleeps then burps, hissing out a gusty puff
before one exaggerated beep cuts through the air, followed by a blast that
knocks me on my rear. I try to toss it away, but my hand is stuck to the grip.
Shrugging, I raise my gaze to Kelsby, who shakes his head at me.

“I told you
not to touch anything.”

Ian follows me
to my office. His pensive eyes relay a message I’m not sure I want to hear. He
wisely avoids discussing my interaction with Amelia. “Daegan nearly had her,
Seth.”

Giving a nod, I
swallow around the thickness in my throat. Ian is probably exaggerating, but
what if he isn’t? I remind myself that Amelia was never in any real danger. I
made every precaution to keep her safe. “What happened?”

He shrugs,
running a hand through his dark hair. “Zed got careless. He’d never admit it,
but he let her approach a dreamer unaccompanied. By the time I got to the area,
she was already in the building. I beat her to the dreamer, but only by
moments.

“They were
everywhere. Zed’s desire to save Olivia just about cost you your recruit. She
is your recruit, is she not?”

I take a seat
at my desk and motion for Ian to do the same. “How can I blame him?” I say,
even though my insides bubble with anger. Zed and I will have words this night.

“That’s not an
answer, brother.”

A sigh escapes
me. “Aye, Ian, she is my recruit.”

He nods; still,
the interest has not left his eyes. “Why have you not claimed her?”

I nearly growl
out my response. “The deed will be done shortly.”

Clasping the
arms of his chair, he leans forward, his eyes bright with intensity I’ve not
seen in him in centuries. “See that it is, or I will not be held accountable
for my actions.”

I press my
hands against the desk and stand, leaning toward him. “Don’t even think about
it, Ian. She is mine.”

He stands as
well. “Prove it.”

A knock sounds
at the door before it swings open. Zed walks in, takes a look at the two of us.
and groans. “You two need to rethink your priorities.”

“You should
talk,” says Ian, settling back into his chair.

Zed occupies
the one next to him and clasps his hands at his lap. “Tell us more about the
Sibylline.”

What is there
to tell? “I’ve never felt his life force in all the time I’ve been to that
world. I use it often—”

Zed cuts in. “I
use it on occasion, as well. Nothing seemed untoward.”

“Never been
there,” says Ian, but it’s unlikely considering how often he shows up in my
territories. I lift my brows at him and he caves. “Okay, maybe a time or two,
but it’s damned near hell trudging through there. Who has time to notice
anything other than locating a portal?”

I stare at Ian
a moment, wondering what he means, until I’m distracted by Zed fiddling with
his beard again. I’ve no idea just how long he will grow the thing, but it is
unseemly. Perhaps Olivia will protest enough to entice him to remove it. He
already knows my opinion on the matter. After a moment he says, “We must
eradicate Erobos from the Dreamscape once and for all.”

I scoff. “And
how do you suggest we accomplish the task? Erobos grow in numbers day by day,
forging a clear path for the destroyers, while we shrivel like dried-up husks
in the sand.”

“
We
cannot accomplish the task, brother. Your Amelia, on the other hand, is a
different story. She shows remarkable control for one so young, not to mention
her presence is extraordinary. I dare to think when she is physically in the
Dreamscape we would have a weapon no Erobos or even Eros could overcome.”

My pulse jumps
then rockets to my ears. I make myself stay seated. “She needs more training.
She has not faced the darkness, Zed. She is not ready.”

“She is smarter
than you give her credit for. I’ll wager she can handle much more than you
would like to admit.”

The words spill
out of me like a breached dam. “I love her. I can’t lose her.”

Ian stands up,
pacing the glowing line of displays and monitors at my back. He laughs.

Needing a
distraction, I spin my chair around for a better view. Most of the monitors are
lifeless. My gaze is drawn to Amelia immediately. She’s testing out a weapon. A
new model that is life force activated. Even in her dream state she has not
only activated the thing, she has charged it for hours with one touch.

Zed strokes his
beard. If he does it again, I’ll punch him. “My point is made, gentlemen.”

To my surprise,
Ian frowns. “This time, I’ve got to agree with Seth. She’s not ready.”

His eyes shift
away from me. I may just have to belt each of my brothers in turn. Before I can
say anything else, Amelia has set a charge off that blows a hole in the wall
opposite her, narrowly missing Kelsby’s head.

Zed’s brows
raise, but that’s the only sign he’s noticed her mistake. “Your personal
feelings for the girl must be set aside. Both of you. She could change the
course for us. She could recover our brothers.”

My gaze darts
to his. “I said no. We’ll find another way.”

Zed stares at
the screen, where Amelia attempts to fling the rifle from her hand. He chuckles
where I scowl. “You may not have the last word in this case. Your woman is more
than capable of making this choice herself.”

My
woman. That’s right. My breath hitches at the thought. She is mine. I merely
have to convince her.