Dreamscape (25 page)

Seth laughs. I tip my head back and eye his smirking mouth.
Unease slithers inside me as I look around for the source of that chuckle—soft as
it was, it was still there.

I push his chest to get away from him. “You have
superpowers I don’t know about? Were you reading my mind?”

He shrugs, but there’s a twisted light behind those blue
eyes.

I slam his chest again. “What kind of messed-up world is
this?”

His fingers capture my hands, his smile melting into
serious. “I’ve tried not to violate your privacy, but sometimes your thoughts
are harder to stop than a screaming locomotive.”

Gritting my teeth, I let my eyelids flutter closed. What
else don’t I know about him?

“I’m no different than any other man. I have both negative
and positive qualities.”

“This is just so weird, Seth. How am I ever going to learn
everything? It’s too much.”

“So is the thought of conquering the Erobos as a whole, but
one by one they will fall. You shall learn one thing at a time until you are an
expert at slaying the darkness.”

I smirk at him. “I thought you said you were the darkness.”

I give a little laugh, remembering the moment I had Amelia
in my arms for the first time. “I was overcome by you. I got a tad carried
away.”

She throws back her head and laughs. “A tad?”

A broad smile covers my mouth. I can’t help but stare at
her. Every movement is a testament to symmetry. She inflames me. She is my
everything.

I’m tempted to pull her into my arms again and kiss her
until she is really senseless, like I used to do in her dream world. She’d been
easy to intoxicate back then, and I wonder if I still have the ability.

Inconvenient that I have to work right now. If Amelia wishes
to stick around, I’ll let her. I had planned on introducing her to my team, and
it is imperative I do so, Ian or no Ian in the way.

With my mind made up, I say, “I’d like to show you
something.”

She gives me a curious glance. “What is it?”

“Headquarters.”

She laughs. “Sounds official.”

“It’s where all the magic happens.”

Her thoughts stray to the bedroom, which doesn’t help
matters. Someday, hopefully soon, I will approach her with another offer, but
she has to understand what she will be giving up if she agrees to be my mate.

I long to make her truly mine. I long to bind her to me for
eternity.

I once thought another woman would fill that spot, but she
is nothing more than a blip from my past. Occasionally, I wonder if she ever
truly existed. From time to time I’ll recall a memory, but it has been too long
to feel real anymore.

With a sigh, I shove thoughts of her deep. I would rather
not remember Rhea. She betrayed me, and if she still exists in this universe I
will find her eventually. When I do, I will kill her. She is the cause of the
plague I face every day. I will never forget what she did, and I will never
forgive.

I set out for the next portal, not waiting for Amelia to
follow. She must learn to navigate the Dreamscape herself and the first step in
her learning how to manage it is for me to let her discover on her own.

She falls in line beside me, lifting my sullen mood a
fraction when I see the light in her eyes. I nod toward the forest in front of
us. “We’re headed for another portal and you need to learn to detect them.”

She doesn’t hesitate with her answer. “Give me the deets.”

I make a face at her slang, knowing it will take a long
time to keep up with her, but go on. “Erobos also have portals within each
world in the Dreamscape. You must learn to distinguish between the two. Our
portals are protected against their infiltration through a spell cast by each
of my remaining brothers and myself. We have changed the gates to only allow
Oneiroi energy.”

A visible shudder falls over Amelia. “Are you saying I have
Oneiroi energy?”

“Yes, you and I are tied.”

“Hmm,” she says, her focus sharpening onto my face. “What
would happen if I went through one of theirs by mistake?”

It’s a good question, and I hate that she even has to ask
it. “They have used portals to trap their prey in the past. You would be in
grievous danger. I can’t stress enough to you how much danger you would be in.”

She nods. “I think I have an inkling, so no going through
Erobos portals. Not that I would ever want to, but how can I tell the
difference?”

“At first, you will have to pay attention to where we go.
If you and I get separated within a mission you will have to look for the
markers.”

“Which are?”

“Each portal has five qualities. Number one is opacity. The
portal must be a reflective surface. This could be a mirror, pool, metal, even
stone—in some instances.”

“Window,” Amelia cuts in. “I get it. It has to be shiny.
What else?”

“It will have conductive properties.”

“Doesn’t glass insulate?”

“Depends, but glass conducts thermal energy.”

“Okay, what else?”

“It will be warm to the touch, even in low-temperature
situations.”

“Wait, I haven’t felt hot or cold in this world or the last
one.”

“What about your dream world?”

“I don’t really remember.”

“Next time we’re there try to pull the memory with you into
your conscious state. The portal will also emit a low tone, like a humming
sound that only Oneiroi can hear.”

“And the last thing?”

“It will stand out, but will not necessarily be large. It
could be as small as…” I reach out and pull a dangling pin out of her hair and
hold it out to her.

“A hairpin?” she asks, eyeing me as though I’ve lost my
wits.

“Not just a hairpin. It would be extraordinary, something
that draws your attention, even if you’re surrounded by people, especially so.”

“Right,” she says. “It should sing to me, is that it?”

“More or less. We are approaching the spot. Let’s see how
developed your senses are.”

She twists a smile at me, walking ahead a few paces, her
gaze shifting from place to place. Pride swells inside me.

I have chosen well.

I have no freaking clue what I’m doing, but Seth doesn’t
need to know that. Clearing my mind of thoughts that include him is about as
realistic as a priest forgetting to mention Jesus in a sermon. Taking a deep
breath I press forward, searching for the easiest of the properties Seth
mentioned. Something shiny should stick out among the deep green and shadows of
the forest…unless the shadows affect the portal. There’s still so much I don’t
know.

Maybe I should concentrate on that humming he mentioned,
instead of the obvious. The breeze blows softly, melding with the symphony of a
creek somewhere.

Could it be the water? He did say pool.

I track the sound, stopping every so often to make sure I’m
still headed in the right direction. It’s strange because I can’t quite place
where it’s coming from.

A hedge of trees and shrubs blocks my path, but I have to
get around them or, maybe, under them to follow the sound. Seth is much bigger
than I am. I should be concerned about him being able to fit in the spaces I
squeeze through, but it’s his problem. I’m on a mission.

I lower to my belly and army crawl through the bramble. The
menagerie of sticks littering the ground seems intent on skewering me, so I
duck my chin to lead with the top of my head toward the light in the distance.
Better a cut on the scalp than a gouged-out eyeball.

When I emerge, I give a glance over my shoulder to see how
Seth is faring. He grunts, untangling his pocket from an exceptionally lodged
twig. I laugh, leaning down to help him. His shirt has risen up his torso,
exposing the thick bands of muscles that line either side of his spine. When my
fingers brush his skin, he stills, looking up at me with his eyes glowing
intensity.

My belly flutters spastically, and I look away. I swallow
hard, making myself study our new surroundings instead of thinking about the
warmth of his skin, or how surprisingly silky it is.

We’re at the edge of a cliff that plummets into a gaping
ravine. It’s got to be more than a hundred feet from base to top. The water
must be down there, but how the heck are we supposed to descend a rock face
without harnesses and rope? I’ve always wanted to try climbing, but we never
really had the funds, and to be honest the heights involved have been more of a
deterrent than money ever could be.

I remind myself that this is a dream. My body is safely
tucked away in Seth’s palace, so what have I got to lose?

When I turn to ask Seth about gear, he’s right behind me. I
gasp, taking a step back, but he catches me before I can fall to my…I
chuckle…death.

He gives me a broad smile, stepping back to right me. I had
no idea I’d gotten that close to the edge. This place has thrown off my senses.
It’s as though a filter has been deposited in my brain that takes out my normal
fear reactions, unless I’m specifically thinking about something that should
bother me.

“Thanks,” I tell Seth. He gives me a token nod then looks
into the ravine. I stand beside him and follow his gaze. “Have any ideas how we
can get down?”

He speaks softly, as if to not drown out the noise of the
river below us, or is it something else? “Are you sure that’s where you want to
go?”

I frown. “Is there a reason I shouldn’t?”

He doesn’t give me a single clue as to what he’s thinking,
nor does he answer me right away. I stare at him, waiting, while he continues
to scan the ravine.

“So, I’m wrong?” I ask, a little deflated because I thought
I was on to something.

He leans back and eyes me. “I didn’t say that.”

Giving him a good eye roll would feel really great about now,
but I’m worried that I’ve made a mistake and I don’t want to eat crow later. I
also don’t want to encounter another one of his brothers, or one of those
nightmare thingies.

Seth’s expression is completely unreadable, except for the
tiny bit of laughter crinkling the edges of his gorgeous blue eyes.

I’m supposed to figure this out on my own, and I’m supposed
to follow my instincts. The worst thing that could happen—no, I’m not going
there. There’s no use in worrying over something that hasn’t happened. Keeping
on task is harder than it should be. I take a deep breath and look for hand
holds and crevices that might have the chance of supporting my weight.

Not seeing anything where I’m standing, I trek the ledge,
attempting to locate something suitable. About twenty feet in front of me
there’s a bend in the ravine. I follow the edge, only to discover a passable
option a few feet from where I just stood.

I lower myself over the edge, checking my footing and
holding on to a largish rock, hoping it’s not going to give under my weight.
It’s slow going as I find my way into the ravine. When I look up, Seth has
followed me, taking my exact course. I let myself smirk for a moment before I
get back into it.

The minute I’m on solid ground, I do a victory dance. Seth
jumps the last few feet to the spot beside me. For a second, I think he’s going
to hug me, but he takes a gander behind me, his expression darkening.

Before I can gloat any further, a low growl reverberates
off the cliff face. Seriously? I’m too pissed to be scared. Giving a growl of
my own, I face the unknown demon that has picked this moment to intrude on my
training.

I nearly laugh when I see the bobcat in front of me. It’s
maybe a hair bigger than a house cat. What I expected, by the volume of the
growl, was a lion, if not a dragon. The thing stares at me as if it is the
latter, waiting to char me where I stand.

“Go away,” I tell it.

Seth’s arms come around me, and he whispers, “Don’t make
another sound.”

I look over my shoulder, giving him a onceover to see if
he’s teasing me. If his pale complexion is any indication, I’d say he’s serious
enough. “What’s the matter?” I whisper back.

“When I count to three, run.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not afraid of a little—”

The roar is bigger this time, as if the thing behind me has
tripled in size, which, when I glance at it, it has. My eyes bulge as it grows
larger with every sound I make. Next time I will listen to Seth…if he ever lets
me back in this weird place again.

Seth pushes me behind him. I sprawl out like a drunken mime
then run. He doesn’t have to tell me again. I’m curious though, so I glance
over my shoulder. Instead of seeing my knight in shining armor battling my
dragon, he’s petting it under its gigantic chin. He’s even smiling.

I cock my jaw, take a deep breath, then make my way back to
him. The lion-thing watches me while I watch it.

“What’s the deal,” I say, and it growls at me again. I
scowl at the thing, sending it a frosty glare. Its gaze sweeps over me before
it is again enthralled with Seth. To be fair, I wouldn’t mind if he pet my
tummy too.

Seth shushes me, and I take the hint. The cat stares at me
for a few more boring minutes until it seems to determine I’m not a threat and
closes its eyes. I’m halfway to Seth when it pins me with another dark stare.

What is its problem? I haven’t done anything to it.
Thinking maybe it will get used to me like Baltek did, I inch closer. Seth
shakes his head at me, but he doesn’t speak.

So this thing reacts to sound. My mind takes off with
speculation, but the most likely possibility is this creature is here to guard
the portal. It makes sense, maybe. I want to ask Seth, but I don’t want to
upset the super-kitty any more than I already have.

I turn my attention to the sound I was searching for in the
first place and that’s when I realize that low hum is coming from the cat.

I watch Seth’s hands glide along tawny fur, scanning for
something shiny. The only thing that could pass for shiny on that thing is its
eyes. The teeth are caked with yellow grime. It’s bound to have horrid
halitosis.

I take a deep breath and hold it, just in case, stepping
closer. Sunlight glints off something around the creature’s neck. The low hum
has gotten louder too. I grab Seth’s hand then lunge for the object hanging
around its neck.

My fingers slide over the warm orb, and I smile right
before my stomach summersaults into my throat. This portal travel really sucks.

Not only did Amelia find the portal, she was smart enough
to figure out the trigger. If she’d continued to speak, we’d have been in
serious trouble. I was ready to morph to protect her, but I will have to speak
to her more about the dangers of the Dreamscape.

Amelia’s fingers curl tighter around my hand, and I give
her what I hope is a comforting squeeze. It will take her a while to get used
to the pull of portal travel.

The next world should be easier to traverse. Since she
figured out the previous portal so quickly, there is a strong possibility that
we will make our meeting on time.

Hopefully, my team has started without us. When the vortex
closes behind us, I pull Amelia against me to steady her; at least, that’s what
I tell myself. Her breath hitches, and I smile.

Amelia’s green eyes clamp shut for a moment before she
scans our surroundings. Her voice comes out raspy. “Seriously?” Her eyes close
again as she shakes her head.

“This world is not as it appears.” I take her hand and
squeeze. “Trust me.”

She peeks up at me through her lashes then, as if fighting
the movement, she glances at the smoking volcano in the distance. “If that
thing blows, I’m never going to forgive you. I made Justine move because
Rainier freaked me out so badly.”

“Stop being such a baby.”

“Baby?” Her eyes narrow dangerously. “First your brother
calls me a chit, now I’m a baby?”

My mouth stretches into a full, satisfying smile. “This is
the most stable world within the Dreamscape. The dreamer comes here every
night, without fail. Nothing ever happens. All he ever does is stare into the
void of the mountain.”

She cocks her head to the side. “For how long?”

“Fifteen years. He came here the day his son was born.”

“And you don’t know why?”

I shrug. “At first, I thought the landscape a
representation of his life, or at the very minimum, his thoughts. I’ve
attempted to send him dreams, but he will not accept them. This is a place of
his choosing. He has a very strong mind.”