Dreamscape (26 page)

“Doesn’t feel right. You should fix that portal. Send it
somewhere else.”

She’s overreacting, but I will humor her. I give her a
wink. “I’ll think about it.”

Rolling her eyes, she says, “What kind of mind wants to
come to the same place every night for fifteen years to stare into a boiling
volcano?”

“Someone who wants consistency.”

A beguiling smirk covers her mouth. “Sounds more like a
control freak to me, maybe even a psycho.” She glances around the otherwise
barren landscape. Everything is dead, from the grass to the trees. The only
life in the place is the volcano itself. The man, although present, seems
almost suspended in time. He sits on the edge of the rim, dangling his feet as
if a crystal blue pool rests below him instead of a bubbling melting pot of
earthen minerals. After a moment of silence, Amelia shivers. Her voice is a
whisper. “Let’s get out of here.”

I nod. “You do not wish to test your abilities at this
time?”

She cringes. “I’d rather let a rabid duck pluck out my
eyelashes.”

Laughter burst out of me in a gust. “I don’t think I’ve
ever seen a rabid duck.”

She shrugs. “You should avoid wetlands then.” Glancing at
the volcano again, she wraps her arms around her stomach. “Can we go now?”

I follow her gaze up the steep grade. Perhaps Amelia is
right. Perhaps this man is simply waiting for the right time to unleash a
hellish storm on his fragile world. He has never been anything other than a
blip in my reality, but no longer. Even though I have never encountered Erobos
in his world, I must study him when Amelia is safely tucked away in my domain.
I will not put her at risk to feed my curiosity.

The portal is right around the corner anyway. She would
have sensed it immediately if it weren’t for her fear.

When I place my arm around her shoulders, she leans against
me. We walk in silence until we are directly over the portal.

She stares at me as if she will ask a question just before
her gaze shifts to our feet, where a thin strip of gold flows along the crusty
surface. Her mouth forms an O, that doesn’t quite make it out before we shift
with the current.

She holds on tight, her arms banding around my chest. I’ll
take whatever contact with her I can get; however, I will not let doubt wiggle
into her mind.

“You are safe,” I tell her.

She releases a sigh and nods. All I want to do is protect
her, to keep her at my side, to shelter her from the dangers my world offers.
In reality, no amount of sheltering her will keep her from experiencing danger.
I gave up the reality of protecting her the moment I brought her into my realm.
I smooth my hand over her hair, pulling her tighter against me as we float
inside the portal.

She doesn’t even flinch when I place a kiss against the top
of her head. If only I had time to truly savor her. If only I had time to truly
train her. Unfortunately, time is the one thing that presses on, no matter how
much I fight against it.

I must contact my team. We have work to do. Besides, oft
times the best training comes from real world experience.

Seth must be angry with me. He wouldn’t even let me try to
find another portal.

It’s probably just as well. My mind really isn’t in it.

I’m still stuck on that guy who sits on the edge of an
active volcano. So many scenarios have coursed through my mind, I’ve lost track
of most of them.

Seth seems to think that guy is harmless, but I can’t come
to the same conclusion. If the Dreamscape is supposed to be a reflection of the
dreamer’s mind or even his reality, I’d say we are dealing with at best a
psychopath, and at worst, maybe this guy is waiting for an exact moment to
erupt his volcano like a terrorist wearing a vest of doom. The idea that the
man is somehow directing everything that happens in his world should be absurd,
but I sensed his control. It was almost as if he was the cork stopping the
lava.

I need to speak to Seth about my thoughts, but he’s been so
distracted since we left that desolate place. Maybe he’s more freaked than he
has let on, or maybe he has other things on his mind? It doesn’t really matter
because I’m not going to forget about that guy anytime soon.

Seth chose me for a reason. He told me I was clairvoyant,
so he shouldn’t have any problem taking my ideas seriously, but I’m still
hesitant to let on just how much the dreamer bothered me.

I got the distinct impression we were on the clock in that
realm. A shudder ripples through me, followed by a foreboding pit in my gut
that I can’t dislodge. Is there a threat out there Seth hasn’t considered?

“This is the last one,” he says, taking me in his arms
again.

It’s weird how fast I’ve gotten used to his touch. I keep
telling myself that he affects me so strongly because he was Jason, but in the
four years he came to me, when I woke up, I always knew Jason was a dream. Seth
is real.

I already warned him about me and people, but he hasn’t
backed off,
yet
. It’s only a matter of time before he bails. Everyone
does. I haven’t quite been able to pin down a pattern, but it happens. I don’t
want to let myself believe he’s the exception.

His words are pretty. Too bad pretty words won’t keep him
from seeing whatever drives people away from me. I’ve tried all kinds of things
to keep friends. I’ve been the nice girl that remembers every holiday and any
event that should be important. I’ve been the drifter that doesn’t care about
anyone or anything. I’ve also been everything in between, and it never matters.
People don’t get me, and I don’t get them. Plain and simple.

Maybe Seth isn’t people? Maybe he’ll see the real me and
like me? I give an inward shake of my head at the sappy turn of my thoughts.
Not too long ago, I was aching to get away from Seth. Now, I’m not so eager to
leave.

The minute my equilibrium takes hold, I step away from him.
He gives me a deep frown, but I pretend not to notice.

I glance around the crowded street, trying to figure out
where he’s going to take me. This is supposed to be the world with his hideout
or headquarters or whatever he called it. He’s supposed to have a team of some
kind I’m going to meet.

A blanket of butterflies coats my stomach. More people I
have to deal with. I’m still trying to figure out if these people are real or
just made up.
Real
kind of has a different meaning in this place, from
what I can tell.

Seth leads me to a high-rise that keeps going no matter how
far I tip my head back. The thing is made of glass and steel with crisp lines
and a glittering exterior that reflects the rolling clouds and translucent blue
sky.

A doorman rushes out of the gigantic entrance, holding the
left side open for us to enter. I give him a cordial smile as I pass, but he
keeps his gaze forward and his heels locked together. He doesn’t even flinch
when the wind blows his light brown hair into his eyes.

I glance over my shoulder to see just how long he’ll keep
the stick up his rear, but looks like it’s there for good.

Seth leads me through the foyer to a set of elevators.
Since there’s nowhere to go but up, I press the call button then give him a
smile.

He’s all business, offering a lifted brow and a nod when
the elevator dings. I shake my head at him and follow him into the metal box.

The metallic side panels distort my face and make my body
stretch and bend. I chuckle at my fun-house reflection. Seth’s stare calls my
attention, so I look up at him.

Tiny crinkles narrow the edges of his blue eyes. Either he
thinks I’m going to mess up or he’s nearsighted and can’t quite see me. Yeah,
that’s it for sure.

“What’s wrong?” I ask him when he doesn’t say anything. The
elevator hisses as we rise toward an unknown height. What is it with this guy
and heights?

His Adam’s apple bobs when he swallows. “I’ve been selfish,
Amelia. You should not be here. It is too dangerous. You are not ready.”

I send a soft punch to his bicep. “Thanks for the pep talk,
coach. No more talk of taking me back to your prison. I know the risks. I’ve
seen the Erobos. Not too excited to meet up with them again, but we’ve got work
to do, right?” My heart accelerates at the thought of seeing Daegan again. He
was creepy on a whole new level, yet I’d rather face him than go back to Seth’s
realm, even though, technically, my body is stuck in that weird red room of
his.

Before Seth can do more than nod, I go on, “In case you
missed it, I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself. I’ve been doing it since
I was twelve. I don’t need you hovering over me if you have other stuff to do.
Just point me in the right direction and give me the goods. I need to have
something to do—something to take my mind off being trapped.”

He flinches. “I should have never brought you into this.
You have no way of knowing just how far out of your element you are.”

“Words mean nothing. You said I’d be protected because my
body is in your realm. What does it matter if the Erobos know about me? Yeah, I
can feel pain here. I get that you thought I wouldn’t be able to be hurt, but
so what. I’ve been hurt before, and I lived. I’ve been in fights that left me
nearly broken, so stop worrying so much and get to the good stuff or I’m going
to find a way out of this hellhole without you.”

Instead of seeing reason like I think he will, Seth narrows
his eyes even more. “You think it doesn’t matter to me if you are injured? You
think that every time you face terror, I won’t feel it? You’re a distraction I
didn’t count on. There are risks involved here, not just how I feel about you,
but how you affect the Dreamscape. Your presence has influenced more than I
counted on.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?” I ask.

He inches closer to me, lifting my chin until our eyes
meet. “Only if I can trust you. Can I trust you, Amelia? Or are you just
another woman that will sabotage everything I’ve worked to create?”

“You brought me here, remember? And don’t lump me in with
whoever the girl was that betrayed you. I didn’t ask for you to come get me.”

He cocks his head to the side. “Are you sure about that?”

The elevator slides to a stop as a soft ding sounds our
arrival. Amelia’s mouth hangs open, and I am tempted to close it for her—or
find a much better use for those lovely lips. My tongue traces the edge of my
teeth. I could kiss her senseless right now, but then she would be of no use to
me, and I need her to be sharp.

She blinks as if coming out of a daze. I shouldn’t have
told her about our agreement. She’s not ready to hear the truth, no matter how
ready I am for her to know it.

Taking her hand tentatively, I bring her fingers to my
lips. It’s no substitute for what I would rather be doing with her right now,
but it will have to do. “Ready?” I ask, finding her gaze.

She stares at me, her big, green eyes sparkling with
suppressed mischief. A smile curves along my mouth. As expected, when I pull
her into the room, she gasps.

I’ve become accustomed to the buzz, but for her it must be
overwhelming. She glances down the hallway that leads to my office, then her
gaze sweeps over the desks crammed into every square inch of the ninety-second
floor. I designed the space in the nineteen thirties to mimic a newsroom with
dark wood and style. The arched windows drown the space in light and create the
energetic atmosphere my team needs. I’ve been thinking of upgrading, but it is
difficult to let go of something so beautiful.