Dreamscape (9 page)

“Don’t they all?”

“Yes, well, this mortal captivated him and he succumbed to
her charms. The two begat a child, but Eros was cursed before he could hold his
offspring. His wife cursed him to long for a love he could never have.

“He hid the mother and child on the Earth, where his wife
could not touch them, and tried to live the life he had enjoyed for so long. No
amount of mischief could erase his pain, so he turned to creating love for
others he could not have himself.

“In time, his need for love consumed him until he sought to
steal the love of those he had enchanted. His curse overtook him and in an
effort to escape, he shed his physical form. He became energy only, but energy
needs a conduit. Without his shell, he shattered. Some say he still searches
for the body he discarded.”

A disgusted twists pulls Amelia’s lips. “That’s horrible.”

“Yes, well, over the millennia the remains of Eros have
turned to darkness completely, breeding chaos in each realm they infest. When
Volos opened their prison, most fled into the Netherworld; however, a host
stayed behind and invaded Volos, perhaps to attain physical form again. Some
think the Eros search for a vessel strong enough to hold them all, even if it
is not his original form. Apparently Volos did not meet that measure.

“Once infested, he sought council with our leaders;
however, the darkness had already taken hold. He was isolated and evaluated.
Eventually, attempts were made to remove the creatures from him. The Eros that
were extracted found hosts in those who had tried to aid him. In mere minutes,
they began to change as well.

“It was determined that the best course was to create a
barrier between the Netherworld and the mortal realms, which is called the
Metaspace. It was a necessary precaution, but the harsh environment and
isolation caused desperation for those with no hope. We kept watch over the Metaspace
until our numbers began to dwindle.

“By that point it was too late. The Eros had breached our
barriers into the Netherworld. In essence, they advanced on our unlocked back
door. We were so concerned about the mortals that we failed to protect our people
and the connections they had to the Netherworld fell to the Eros once they were
converted.”

She gives me a dubious look. “I’m going to pretend I
understood the majority of what you just said. Why is everything so
complicated?”

“Darkness has nearly won, Amelia. You can change that. You
can shift the odds back in our favor. Before Daegan learned about you, I
planned to teach you how to dampen your light. We desperately need willing
recruits, but we cannot make the connections we need to find them without you.
One of my brothers has a recruit as well, but as talented as she is she does
not possess the level of power you do.”

“Power? What are you talking about?”

“I know of no easy way to explain this to you. Dreams are
an important part of human life. They help the mind make sense of the world.
They help dispel the darkness from the soul. You have a special talent for
dispelling darkness, Amelia. Your soul is brighter than any I have seen, which
has been more than you can imagine.”

She scoffs. “I’m nowhere near perfect. I don’t look for
trouble, but—”

“Perfection is not meant for mortality. This is the time
for you to choose sides. By the time you die, you will either seek the light or
the darkness.”

“So let’s pretend all of this is true. What do we do now? Daegan
knows about me. I won’t be able to find your key, and we will be stuck here
until we die.”

“Once you crossed into my realm, you became immortal.”

She laughs. “Right, so I will live forever?”

“Humans cannot comprehend the longevity of the soul. The vessel
of the soul may change, but the soul is forever. It is only substance that
corrupts and must be controlled. Immortality means you will retain your
physical form; however, that does not preclude you or me from getting hurt. At
least in death, pain stops. For Oneiroi, we can regenerate, yet we feel. We
bleed.”

She runs her fingers along the edge of a cushion. “And I am
like you now?”

I frown, worried about the choice I must make. “Almost.
Unless we are mated, if you return to the mortal realm, you will be fully
mortal again.”

Mated? So many emotions roll inside me. The word
mate
mixed with
Seth
sends a zing through my belly. Heat branches out in my
cheeks until I have to glance away from him. I don’t look away fast enough to
miss his smile. I cringe, not because his smile alarms me, but because seeing
it makes my heart ache for a man I will never have.

“I’m sorry,” he says, his voice soft with compassion. His
smile reminds me of Jason in a strange way. In fact, he has many of the same
mannerisms, which is really disturbing. I’m starting to wonder if Jason is one
of the brothers Seth mentioned, but why wouldn’t he have come for me himself if
that were the case? If Jason were real, I don’t know what I would do. “I have
no desire to make you uncomfortable. I am merely attempting to explain things
to you.”

I wave him off. “It’s fine. So, let me see if I understand
what you’ve told me so far. We are on the brink of losing the Earth to the
Erobos, which are what those guys that chased us are?” He nods and I take a
deep breath to steady my heartbeat. “You think I agreed to come here?”

He shifts in his chair and crosses his legs. “You and I had
an agreement.”

The surety in his tone makes me question all I think I
know. “Why don’t I remember our agreement?”

His eyes sweep over me. “It’s complicated.”

“This whole thing is a little overwhelming, Seth, so I
don’t think adding a little info to the mix is going to mean much of a
difference. I’m asking you for answers, even if I won’t like them.”

He scratches the scruff that sharpens the angles of his
jaw. “As I said before, I need to show you something, and that’s why it’s
complicated. I no longer have the ability to show you what I need to easily.”

“But there is a way?”

“You are overwrought as it is. I am uncertain if showing
you right now would be the best course.”

I sit up and pull my feet underneath me. “Yeah, I’m upset.
Having my life threatened kind of does that to me, but I need to know what is
going on.”

He nods, his blue eyes intense. “I blew the portal to
Richard’s dream world. It was necessary. I could no longer take Daegan looking
at you, and in the state I was in, I needed to sever his influence on me.
However, I may have been a bit hasty. You see, I only have access to one other
world at the moment and I am hesitant to call it forward. If I am to show you
what you need to know, I need to use that world.”

I shrug and pick at a scab on my arm. “So what’s the
problem? I’m not going to freak out.”

“You most definitely will
freak out
, Amelia. It is
your dream world.”

Hope springs in my heart, but if I know Amelia, she will
not take well to the news I will give her. I’ve been preparing for a new
companion for a very long time, but I could have never prepared for the way
this girl affects me. The truth is, it has only been four years since I first
noticed her.

Her dreams called to me at a moment when I was particularly
weak. She was the brightness that broke through my storm. I keep reminding
myself she doesn’t remember the time we’ve spent together. When I show her who
I am, will she continue to deny our connection to protect herself? Will she
distance herself from me further?

That doesn’t matter. I won her over once. I can do it
again.

All I have to do is be patient. Her full lips pinch
together, making me wonder what she is thinking.

“It doesn’t matter,” she finally says. “I will try not to
freak out, but you might be right if you’re talking about the place I think you
are.”

It’s time to give her the truth in the simplest way I can,
since even in her dreams that is how I won her over. “You have only had a mere
taste of the conflict my team and I face every day. We had hoped you would be
able to aid us. Now, with the Erobos fully aware of you, we will have to
regroup.” I stand. “Before we proceed, there are some rules I need you to agree
to.”

Her eyes cloud with distrust. “Yeah, what’s that?”

“First, I need you to promise me that no matter what you
see you will not follow me into the Dreamscape.”

She gives me a derisive smirk and says, “As if. I’ve had
enough of the place for today, thanks. What else?”

“You promise to discuss this with me once we are through.”

Her tongue darts out to wet her lips, and I am frozen
watching her. Keeping my distance is much more difficult than I imagined. With
any luck, I will no longer have to in a few minutes. I wait for her reply,
which is a simple nod.

Whirling away from her, I move toward the pit, calling the
flames. The wall of fire bursts forth and she lets out a yelp, no doubt
remembering her burn. Such a foolish mistake. I needed her to trust me and the
first thing I did was hurt her.

I look back at her before I step through the barrier. She
sticks the tip of her finger into her mouth and nods. To distract myself, I
close my eyes momentarily. “You will not be harmed, so long as you stay put. Do
you understand?”

I wait for her to nod again before I move forward. When I
reach the wall, I hesitate, letting her feel the heat of the flames, letting
her process what is about to happen. Then I call her dream world forward. A
smile stretches my mouth when I catch a glimpse of our waterfall.

She gasps, and I wait for her reaction to turn volatile.
When she doesn’t say another word, I step through the flames.

I’m afraid to look at her, which only makes this moment
harder to control. “Are you ready? Can you see me clearly? If you need to, you
can move closer to the flames.” I tell her.

With the soft movements of a dancer, she folds her hands in
her lap. “I think so. It’s just unbelievable…all this. I’ve never believed in
the paranormal.”

My brows lift. “What about your mind reading?”

She scoffs. “I don’t read minds. Sometimes, I feel what
other people do. That’s all.”

I give her a half smirk. “Who are you trying to convince
here, Amelia?”

Her cordial expression shifts into a frown. “Just get on
with it. I’m tired.”

I bet she is. It’s been three full days since I came for
her. I’m not sure if she can’t sleep or won’t. If it’s the former, I can help.
If it’s the latter, only time or exhaustion will handle her stubborn resolve.

Not knowing exactly where to start, I shift uncomfortably.
I take a deep breath before I begin. “Before I show you, I’d like you to
understand a few things. As I have told you, I need your help. You show more
promise than any soul I’ve seen in more than nine hundred years. Not everyone
can handle this life, but I’m convinced that you can.

“You see, I collect people with certain…talents. I have a
team I’d like you to join. Richard, the lad from your old apartment complex, is
part of that team.”

She stiffens while her eyes turn incredulous. “He’s just a
boy.”

“A boy with a crush on you,” I say, smiling.