Sweat stings my eyes before I can wipe it away. Somehow when Seth suggested we train, I didn’t quite have this in mind. He’s chased me around his gym until I’m ready to fall down, but I still haven’t managed to outrun him.
I hold up my hand as he stalks toward me…again. “I give,” I say. Too bad he’s not listening. Each time he catches me, I am more disheartened. The pit in my chest takes another dive when he lunges at me. He’s got this wicked glint in his eyes that shoots fear straight to my bones. He’s so into this, he’s not even responding any more. I zag away from him just before he catches me around the waist. His fingers graze my side, trying to find something to grasp. I squeal. “Come on, Seth! I’m tired. I’ve had enough already!”
He dips his chin and comes at me again, giving a grunt as he rushes forward. He’s totally not fooling.
“Seth! I said stop!”
Darkness glitters behind his blue eyes, making full-out fear blossom in my gut. Has something happened to him? More animal than man, he won’t even respond in anything other than grunts.
When he makes another move, adrenaline jolts through me, and I sprint away. Leaping over the weights strewn across the floor, I dodge the punching bags. Once I’m past the blue mat, my feet do a better job of propelling me forward.
His presence stalks me as I race through the halls toward anywhere but here. When I realize I’m heading for the library, I groan. I really need to pay more attention to where I’m going. There is only one way out of that place, and there is no freaking way I’m letting him corner me in his crimson den of pleasure with the way he’s acting.
Seeing no other option, I dart down a hall I’ve never been. It’s dark and eerie, as if no one has stepped a foot in here since the place was made. A thin light ahead gives me some hope.
I listen for any sign of Seth pursuing me, but the only sound that registers is my rapid breath. My pulse thumps in my throat as my mind frantically searches for an escape.
The dust covering the cool floor makes the experience ten times worse. Why exactly did I take off my shoes?
Only someone completely comfortable in the presence of someone else should ever remove footwear. I never expected Seth to wig out like this. It’s like he’s Hyde or something. He really could be this close to losing it and I wouldn’t know.
Seth has the attributes I loved so much in Jason, but he’s also got some major issues Jason never exhibited. Why is it that the first time I attract a guy he’s a total nutter?
I just don’t know what to think anymore. Needing somewhere to hide, I twist at the last second into a dark room off the hallway. I’m hoping for a side door or a convenient little rabbit hole. It wouldn’t matter if it was a doggie door, I’d take anything about now.
The rational part of my brain tells me I’m overreacting. Seth has never really hurt me…well, he almost fried me with that wicked fire wall of his right after he brought me here, but—
I don’t have time for another thought.
My arm hairs stand straight on end while an electric chill sizzles through my veins. I freeze where I am, listening for any hint of his pursuit. My breath stills to a low rustle. Nothing seems out of place, yet everything in me screams run.
When I whirl away from the doorway there’s a stinking wall. I don’t think much about it before I command the barrier to become an exit. If I could create an entire countryside, I sure as hell should be able to create a door. If not, I’ll smash through the drywall.
In an instant a passageway appears in front of me. I rush forward, not caring where this thing leads.
My next thought makes me trip forward. As I’m falling the question solidifies in my mind. What if I could create a door out of here now? I throw my arms in front of me to protect myself, but I’m plucked from my fall by a pair of strong hands.
Seth pulls me tight against his chest and for the briefest of moments I think he’s going to snap my neck…or sink his teeth into me.
Instead, he rests his face against the back of my shoulder, panting in huge breaths. His skin is slick with sweat, as is mine. Neither of us speaks for an uncomfortably long time.
He finally breaks the silence with a labored sigh. “How did you get in here?”
Not exactly what I expected him to say. I stiffen. He’s in such trouble, yet he seems to have no idea just how pissed I am. “How the hell would I know?”
His chuckle rumbles through me. Since he seems to have recovered from his monster moment, my anxiety withers away to the point where I can actually find out what I did to provoke him. “Why did you take after me like that?” Once I have answers, I’ll sucker punch him for scaring the crap out of me.
When I turn my neck to look at him, he steps away, releasing me. “I have to push you. I have to know you will be safe in the Dreamscape.”
I narrow my eyes. He considered that training? “You’re really starting to scare me with the mega-drama.”
He doesn’t even flinch. “It’s not drama. There is no way for me to train you adequately here. I wanted—” he shakes his head, “—needed you to understand the danger. If you had been in the Dreamscape and I had been Erobos, you would now be mine.”
My eyes narrow. “Somehow, I think there’s more to it.” Even with the little contact I’ve had with the Erobos, I already know they are freaky scary. Realization that they might be worse than I’ve imagined snakes around my mind, while creating more and more questions. I finally decide on one to ask him. “What would they want me for?”
His eyelids flutter before he stares at his shoes, as if he can’t or won’t look at me. “You are the most gifted Sibylline I’ve ever seen. You have not only created your own space within my realm, you have opened up places that have long been closed off.”
I can’t quite decide if he is leaving something out, or if he is afraid to lay too much on me at once. “Yeah, I already know you think I’m cooler than whipped cream, but what aren’t you telling me?”
His lips twitch into a smirk. “What makes you ask that question?”
“You’re evading.”
“How do you know that?”
“Body language, mostly.”
Lightning blue eyes meet mine. Entranced, I move closer to him to get a better view. I’ve never seen such emotion in his gaze. It scares me how much he’s showing me right now, but I can’t make myself stay put.
I’m ensnared in Amelia’s stare. My whole body vibrates from her energy, and for not the first time, I question my plan.
If she is this potent in my realm, she will have full reign of any reality she can conjure in the Dreamscape. I recoil from the thought, but not from her. She is not Rhea and I will not treat her as such.
She steps into my personal space, making my pulse jump with excitement. Does she feel the same pull I do? Do I make her heart sing?
She is everything I could have hoped for, and everything I’ve ever feared. If this woman ever became my enemy, I would be completely lost to her will.
The same thing could happen if she ever became my mate. She has not accepted me as such yet, but I wonder if I should continue to pursue that course so hastily.
I should allow her the chance to train, to prepare for the experience of the Dreamscape in bits and pieces. I’m not being fair to her, but what other option do I have?
If I delay until she is ready, the Erobos will likely have completely infiltrated the Dreamscape, no longer relegated to the icy lands of the Metaspace. The numbers Daegan had at his command startled me. They were physically present, not mere transmissions through dreams. They have found a leak in the Metaspace, but how? Who is helping them cross over?
With so much at risk, I must consider more than my growing feelings for Amelia.
I give her a small smile. “There are a few things I’d like to share with you.” She nods, so I continue, “As I’ve told you, the whole of Earth is in danger. If the Erobos can connect with enough mortals, they could obtain enough energy to create a portal to the Earth and the
n to the Netherworld, once again. Before our numbers fell, we managed to erect a barrier that prevents access to the Earth through the Netherworld, but it is weakening as we speak. Only Oneiroi life force can pass through. You must become Oneiroi before you can free us. You must accept this life and me for my plan to work. The Oneirio were created to protect the souls of men. Even if you try to traverse the Metaspace as mortal and you manage to bypass the barrier, in the Netherworld, it is easy to lose track of how many times you might splinter. Without a complete soul, humans are relegated to the Netherworld forever, which wouldn’t be so bad if the place wasn’t infested with the most unsavory creatures from every world that has ever existed. Thanks to Volos, the Netherworld is more nightmare than paradise now.”
When Amelia takes another step toward me, I head for the door. I have no desire to stay in this place. I’d rather go skinny dipping in a piranha-infested swamp.
“Hey,” she huffs. “Where’re you going?”
“I have work to do,” I tell her, not bothering to glance over my shoulder.
Her voice deflates to a harsh whisper. “You’re leaving again? After laying something like that on me?”
Steadying myself on the doorframe, I take a deep breath. “I’ve been neglecting my duties, and I must return to my work. My team needs me.”
Her energy slides up against me far before she actually touches me. “I can’t stay here alone anymore.” When she takes another step closer, I freeze. Cool fingers glide around my forearm. “Do you understand me, Seth?” Her face inches nearer until all I can focus on is her mossy green eyes. When she speaks, I hear her words, but my focus has shifted to the movement of her mouth. “I can’t take it a second longer. I have to do something. I have to get out of here. It doesn’t matter how big your place is; it’s still a prison. I don’t deserve to be here. I don’t know what you did to land yourself here, but it wasn’t right for you to pull me into your curse. You want me to accept you? You want me to become Oneiroi? Show me that I should.”
I can barely find my breath. Her chest brushes my torso with every ragged inhalation she makes. Without even thinking about it, I tuck her silky dark hair behind her ear.
Her gaze shifts questioningly to my hand then back to my eyes, demanding an answer I cannot give her.
She passes her hand in front of my face. “Hello? Anyone in there? Why aren’t you answering me?”
“I understand you, Amelia.” She closes her eyes when I touch her cheek. “I know perfectly well how oppressive this place is. I also understand your need for companionship, as well as excitement. I want nothing more than to bring you into the Dreamscape with me; however, I must think of your safety.”
“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 tra
ining, 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.