I hold up my hand and a hush falls over the room. “Thank you all for your interest in Amelia. She will get to know each of you in turn, but she is needed elsewhere at the moment. I still haven’t briefed her for tonight’s mission. If you will excuse us?”
A low hum rattles the air, but most look on with compassion for Amelia. I’ve not seen the group this excited in ages. I wish I was bringing a fully trained operative for them to work with, but Amelia is sharp. She will catch on quickly and before we know it, she will be one of the team, but for now, she is still fragile enough that I must shield her from the coming onslaught of camaraderie she will have to endure.
As we trek down the corridor toward my office, Amelia gives a swift glance over her shoulder. “You could have at least warned me a little bit,” she says.
I laugh, placing a hand at her waist. “Would you have believed me if I had?”
She rakes her fingers through her hair. “Good point.”
Shock would be too tame a word for what’s happening to my mind and body at this moment. There are so many creatures to take in, I have no idea how to even process some of them. The absolute weird part is I’ve never felt more at home in my life. Every one of them had a smile on their face, no matter how odd that face was.
Back there, the deflated room filled up with hope in seconds. Maybe it’s my clairvoyant side surfacing, but the jubilation was present in and around everything.
Now, more than ever, I want to know what’s going on here, and how I can help. Seth may have brought me into this, but there is so much more to it than him and me. Whatever relationship we end up with, even if it’s nothing, I want to be here.
I have no idea who those creatures are or what their story is, but I want to find out. Bell’s enthusiasm caught me off-guard, but when Kelsby ambled over to me, even though he was in apparent pain doing so, it tugged on my heart.
Seth hasn’t said anything else, and when I glance at him his eyes stare vacantly ahead. His office is set down a long hallway, which lends a separate quality to the room. The solid door is made of some metal that looks like a mottled mixture of copper and slate. The flat surface is otherwise unremarkable.
After a moment of me staring at him, Seth opens the door. Mechanical clangs and whirs compete with the steady hum of an engine; at least, I think that’s what it is.
“After you,” Seth says, giving my back a gentle nudge.
Once inside, several things call my attention. Not another living soul is in this place brimming with machinery, unless you count the wall of flashing lights a living entity.
When Seth shuts the door, it intensifies the noise level to a blurred background to my turbulent thoughts. I turn to him, my eyebrows pushing together.
“This is your office?”
“No,” he says, taking my hand. “Come.”
We skirt between neat rows of machines where another door awaits. This one is made of the same metal as the one before, but it is embossed with a pastoral scene I have come to know quite well.
It takes me moments to locate the beast peeking out from behind the tree. He’s never answered my question, but I’m hopeful this time he will. I reach out to run my fingers over the cool surface. “What does this depict? Why does it keep showing up on stuff?”
Seth stares, eyes wide as golf balls before he gives me a curt smile. He says nothing until we are through the doorway and the image is lost to me. No matter how much he might want to, he cannot hide it from me. It’s imprinted in my memory.
Unlike the room we just came from, his office is sleek and high-tech with an entire wall of monitors that show the goings-on in various levels of the building. He takes a seat behind his minimal desk, while I grab the nearest armchair to sink into.
His jaw tightens before he speaks. “Do you remember when I told you about the Netherworld?”
I nod.
“I once lost a piece of my soul to the place. What you’ve seen is the world I search for…the place that houses that part of me.”
I suck in a breath. “The creature?”
He nods.
“Why is the picture showing up like this?”
“I believe you’ve discovered a piece of a map, so to speak. It might be related to the part of the key you found, or it might be a manifestation of your power. I am unsure.”
“Power?”
“On our journey here, I was able to dampen your effect by soaking up your energy, but once you are with the team, Maybell will teach you to do this yourself.”
My thoughts pick up speed until I can barely distinguish them. “This is so much.”
His blue eyes soften around the edges. “Time has no meaning here, Amelia. You will learn all you need to know.”
He’s full of it. “That’s not true,” I say. “You keep telling me how you’re running out of time. You need my help because you’re about to lose some guy to the Erobos, right?”
He gives a slow shake to his head. “It is most likely too late.”
“Most likely? Don’t you know where you stand with him?”
Seth smirks at me. “I’ve been preoccupied lately.”
I throw my head back and rub my eyes. “I have a feeling this is going to be a long night.”
His head tilts to the side while he cocks an eyebrow. “You have no idea.”
Leaning toward him, I smile. “You’d better start filling me in, then. We have people waiting on us.”
Amelia’s enthusiasm warms my heart. I had no way of truly knowing how she would react to my team, but her openness is most welcome.
I lean back in my chair. “On-the-job training is usually best, anyway. History won’t matter when you’re in the heat of battle. Trust me.”
She nods, crossing her legs. “Tell me what I need to know.”
I get caught up in her movements again. Unlike in the worlds I’ve taken her through to get here, she’s outfitted in her battle gear, which hugs her form the way I’d like to. Seeking a distraction, I glance out the window. “We’re after an elusive target. We thought she was on our side, but we have reason to believe she may have been corrupted.”
“Who is she? What’s her story?”
Sitting in front of her like this is unbearable, so I stand and pace the wall of windows that overlooks the city below. “She was recruited by one of my brothers ten years ago. Since she has rare gifts, we all use her talents occasionally. She’s gifted in the art of telepathy. She can contact operatives ten or more worlds over and has served as our communications expert until recently, when she was caught with a known Erobos operative.”
“Did you ask her about it?”
“I haven’t been able to find her, which is why I believe she has been compromised. Olivia could be found if she wanted to be.”
Amelia frowns at me, running her fingers along her black leather pants. “But you don’t know for sure. Is there another explanation?”
I look out the window again, not able to concentrate if I continue to stare at her. “Ah, there is one other possibility that is much worse.”
“Which is?”
“She has been possessed.”
Her tone is incredulous. “Like demons and stuff?”
I face her, offering no amount of consolation. “In a way. Erobos are not demons in the biblical sense, but many of the demonic legends come from Erobos interference in your world. Because they are not able to be physically present on Earth, they sometimes choose to possess a human body to accomplish a task. This comes at a great cost to them, but they have increased the use of this tactic exponentially over the past few years.”
“What does possession do to the Eorobos?”
“Depending on the depth of the ability of the host, they burn out quickly. Only those who have a true talent can maintain a link for prolonged periods of time. Once the connection is severed, the Erobos is left to the ether to recover. This could take centuries or even millennia for them to fully regenerate.”
“What’s the ether?”
> “A dark expanse of unorganized matter, where one is scattered, unable to think or exist in a composed form. It is the natural realm of the Eros.”
Amelia leans back against the chair, studying me. I expect her to ask me more about the Eros, but she says, “Can that happen to you?”
Her concern lights my soul. “I do not engage in possession for other reasons, but no, if I chose to use the ability, I am linked to the mortal world, so it doesn’t affect me as strongly.”
She glances toward the door. “Does anyone on your team use the ability?”
I will not lie to her. “Only when necessary, but only in short bursts.”
She nods. “So if Olivia has been possessed, she is human.”
Even though her question is rhetorical, I nod.
“Who recruited her?”
“My brother.”
Her eyes widen in alarm. “You said that already. Ian?”
“Zedekiah,” I say.
“How many brothers do you have?”
“Many, but four remain Oneiroi, including myself.”
“And Zedekiah doesn’t know where she is?”
“He’s searching as we speak.”
Her lashes flutter against her ashen cheeks. “Could I be possessed?”
I want to tell her I would never allow such a thing, but I cannot be with her at all times. For her to be useful to me, she has to branch into areas I can no longer reach. “It is unlikely in your current state, but yes.”
Her foot bounces up and down like a wayward piston. “Is there a way to prevent possession or at least overcome it?”
“For true Oneiroi, yes, but you are a recruit. The only thing I can tell you is to never embrace the darkness, for once you do, there is no way out but through hell.”
Her foot slams against the floor as she rises from her chair to pace along the outer wall. “Sounds great, Seth.” After a moment she stops. “Does that mean I can become Oneiroi if I want to?”
I swallow the acid in my throat. “If I claim you as my mate, yes.”
Two words register in my mind: claim and mate. Dizziness swarms my head, leaving my brain to fend for itself. I grab the wall for support. A steamy vision takes over my mind that involves both words equally.
Seth smiles at me, a slow spreading affair that sets my veins on fire. If I ever allow him to claim me, he will consume me to dust, but I might just enjoy the burn.
“Good to know,” I say, trying to recover my composure. “So Zedekiah has not converted Olivia then?”
“Their relationship is still young.”
“She’s been with him for ten years,” I say. An offence for a woman I’ve never met, who might just be my enemy now, spreads through me. “Those are the only two possibilities for her? After so long, why hasn’t your brother committed to the relationship?”
Seth walks to me and clasps my shoulders. “Ten years is nothing to an immortal. We are all wary because of the woman that cursed me. She betrayed us all before she was brought here. You needn’t worry, Amelia. I will do everything in my power to protect you.”
Somehow, I figure his brother made a similar pact to the woman in question. “Is that why you insisted I stay in the red room to come here?”
“That’s part of it. Daegan will show his face eventually. You must be ready for him.”
I nod. The weight of his calling or whatever it is he does, hits me. “Seems like there are many reasons for you to not trust me. Thanks for taking a chance.”
He hugs me, pressing my face against his chest. “You have no reason to thank me, Amelia.” When he pulls away, promise lies within his eyes. “But, you will.”
I smile, hoping my attempt is reassuring. “I’m holding you to that, right now.” I caress his cheek and his big hand covers mine. “I had no idea this was what you had in mind when you took me, but I’m starting to think I might just like working with you.”
He laughs, tucking my bangs behind my ear. “Working with me, is it? Am I to understand there are no fringe benefits in sight for me?”
I lick my lips then smile. “We’ll see.”
He presses his lips to my hair. “Good as a promise in my book.”
I push away from him. “Aren’t you supposed to be briefing me?”
“I’d rather frisk you, but we can do that later.”
I cuff his shoulder. “Be serious.”
“All right. Serious you want. It is serious you shall have.
“We’re scouting Olivia’s last known location. Zed will be there, so I cannot come. I will have to take care of his responsibilities as well as my own. I hate to send you into a new world without showing you the triggers and pitfalls you will have to avoid, but Maybell is a great teacher. She’ll find Zed, so don’t worry about that. What I need you to do is search for anyone who feels off. You might not be able to form a mental link right away, so trust your instincts. Alert Maybell the instant you sense anything slightly dark.”
“What do you mean by dark?” I ask.
“Humans have neutral or positive energy in the Dreamscape. With your level of ability, darkness should essentially scream at you.”
“How am I supposed to let Maybell know if I sense someone off?”
“You should be able to communicate telepathically. I’ve instructed her to test your connection before you two set off to locate Zed. You may find nothing, but you are our best hope of finding Olivia.”
“What about the guy you were searching for before?”
“We’ll worry about him another time. Put him out of your mind. Olivia is our priority.”
I nod, taking a deep breath. “Is that it?”
“Remember the first rule when you face an Erobos?”
“Don’t let them touch me.”
“And if they get too close?”
I finger a spike at my elbow. “I cut them.”
Seth smiles at me. “That’s my girl. I would send you in with true weapons, but they would call attention to you or be turned on you if you haven’t had the proper instruction.”
“How?”
“Where Erobos throw off darkness, you will exude light. It is who you are, part of your nature. Maybell’s presence will dampen you, but you are already exposed enough. She will teach you how to camouflage your power as you travel. It won’t take you long to learn.”
I give Seth’s hand a squeeze. “Ready, boss. Let me at ‘em.”
He grins at me. “That’s the spirit.”
One question won’t leave me, and before I take off into an unknown world, I have to ask, “So what exactly will you be doing while I’m with Maybell?”
He sniffs, pulling me toward the door. “I’ll be dealing with the other three billion people I have to worry about, plus Zed’s share.”
I still don’t know if I buy that number, but let him tell tales. Soon enough, I’ll know if they are true.
I haven’t been completely honest with Amelia, but I have to make sure she is okay before I set out for my night without her. Normally, I wouldn’t bother tagging along, but I can’t leave until I’m sure.
Zed and I technically haven’t seen each other in a while and I cannot risk getting sucked into his predicament. He should have converted Olivia immediately, yet his hesitance is understandable. I am not eager to put Amelia’s soul at risk either, but he should let Olivia decide.
My brothers and I usually meet up every few centuries to make sure our remaining numbers haven’t succumbed to temptation and to catch up, but with our circumstance being what it is, it’s been too long since I’ve actually seen him.
Just as with Ian. He is worse off than I expected and is closer to turning than I would have ever imagined. His presence has already begun to corrupt my worlds. I’ve been warning him to stay out of my territories, but he’s never listened to me before. Not much has changed in that regard.
We telecommunicate nearly daily, relaying progress and such, but physical contact is not accomplished often. It used to be my brothers and I would fly throu
gh the worlds together, sending dreams, tracking enemies, dealing with traitors, but those days are gone.
Solitude’s cage has leashed us all.
I wait for Maybell to lead Amelia to the portal, giving ample time for explanations. Her bravery fills the cobwebs of my soul, where empty promises hide in the shadows.
The one who betrayed me enters my thoughts. She is still easy for me to visualize. Her training was almost complete when she was unveiled as a traitor. I once believed she could be saved, which is why her betrayal clings to me still.
She was to be my mate. I should have been in every part of her. There should have been no room for Erobos ideals, or temptations. The truth is, I didn’t know her. After two centuries, I didn’t know her. And here I am potentially making the same mistake, trusting the future of my race and the human realm to a girl with no more experience than a foundling. I am mad to release Amelia into the Dreamscape, but these are desperate times.
I have no choice. She is the last hope I have. If we fail, her world and mine will plunge into darkness. Her light will be expunged, and I will be consumed by the beast.
After they slip through the portal, I follow, making sure they do not see me amongst the crowd. This world is filled with interlocking cityscape, including hordes of people. I’ve never seen so many occupy a world, which makes me wonder who this dreamer is. He is highly present, which makes the place difficult to influence fully, which is an advantage where Amelia is concerned. She will have to concentrate to make an impact here.
Maybell ducks down an alley, pulling Amelia with her. We are near the inner city, but we haven’t reached the waterways yet. The people walk by, chatting and laughing, oblivious to the fact they are the products of this dreamer’s mind.
It is clear to see why Zed has spent much of his efforts on this one man. With a life force this potent, he will be capable of doing great good in his lifetime. Hopefully Zed can keep him on track.
I’m hesitant to follow my teammates, but I’m curious to see how Amelia handles herself without me. I have no desire to irritate either woman, so I inch as close to the alley as I can to hear them better. When I’m sure no one is looking, I camouflage myself into the stone façade of the apartment building.