Amelia’s voice reaches me. “What do you mean?”
“Imagine you have a ball of energy inside you as bright as the sun. Make it as low as a distant star…good.” Maybell’s enthusiasm tells me Amelia has done well, but I do not need the verbal cue to feel the difference in this world. The colors have faded, but they are still more alive than most. “Now,” says Maybell. I want you to focus on outside thoughts. Those that don’t belong to you.”
“I can’t hear anyone’s thoughts. It’s just me in here.”
I bite down a laugh. Maybell’s breath accelerates with her heart rate, but her tone remains calm when she speaks. “You must ignore the noise of your own thoughts, Amelia. Using your gift will become easier the more you use it, but it will be work for you at first.”
Amelia’s sigh is filled with frustration. “I still don’t hear anything.”
Maybell takes her time in answering. “Let’s try something different. Focus on feeling those around you. You should be able to distinguish those with life force from those without. These people exist because of the dreamer. Who is here that doesn’t belong. Whose energy feels different?”
Amelia’s probe hits me like a blast. I focus all my attention to keep her out of my mind. It won’t be long until she senses Zed.
“There,” says Amelia. “It is a man. His thoughts are strong. Do you think it’s him?”
Maybell chuckles. “We can only hope. Where is he?”
The two are silent for a while, which tempts me to inch my way around the corner. If I am careful enough, Maybell won’t notice me.
Amelia is the first to break the silence. “It’s dark and smells like old paper.”
“What do you see?”
“Not much. There are statues. Gargoyles, I think. The building is old, out of place with the rest of the city.”
Maybell’s voice turns low. “A church?”
I cannot stay still a moment longer. I must see Amelia. Using the topography of the building to steady myself, I take the form of a fly. There are already plenty around, which only shows the level of control this dreamer has. Normally, insects are not part of a dream, unless it is a nightmare.
Once I am around the corner, I take my place on the nearest window sill. Amelia stares at Maybell, who is pacing the few feet between buildings.
Amelia’s features are pulled in concentration and exasperation. “You know it?”
Maybell nods. “I’ve not been to this world before, but I’ve heard about the place. It’s in a bad part of town. I’m not sure I should take you there.”
“I can handle it.”
Turning to face Amelia, Maybell takes a deep breath, her upper body expanding far past that of her human companion’s shallow inhales. “No time to waste, either way.”
Amelia smiles as Maybell takes her arm and hurries out of the alley. I’m caught up in the quickening breeze and take too long to follow. They are near the waterways when I spot them again.
My heart swells in my chest. It should have taken Amelia much longer to locate Zed. If anyone can find Olivia, it will be her.
Maybell escorts her through the channels, avoiding the ships that never dock. If this world bothers her, Amelia doesn’t let on.
I would have thought she’d have so many questions, but she is focused and keeps her mind pressing forward. I should go now. I should let her progress naturally, yet leaving is more difficult than it should be.
The excitement on Amelia’s face warms me. She listens intently as Maybell instructs her in how to choose another ship.
I take the next. We sail through the waterways that have a way of blending together until the high-rises look the same and the cityscape gives way to canyons of glass and steel.
Just when I think I’m going to lose the two of them and have to track them mentally, they disembark on a dock in the third district. Trepidation stiffens my spine as I send a message to Maybell to get back on the ship. Her eyes scan the waterway until they reach me. She gives a slight shake of her head then turns back to Amelia, who gazes up at the gothic cathedral that does not pass for a place of worship these days.
Erobos thrive in the third district and taking Amelia to an infested pit is not exactly my idea of training. If Zed is here, I will kill him.
I push a message to him and wait for a reply. His answer is immediate. He is not here. Maybell doesn’t answer me when I zip her a warning. Likewise, Amelia is not accessible.
My heart seizes in my chest. It’s a trap.
With no time to lose, I dive into the rushing current, which does its best to whisk me away in the opposite direction. My body tightens against the water, parting it as I speed toward Amelia.
This is the strangest place I’ve ever been. It’s like a modern Venice or something. Megalithic high-rises line the rushing waterways like they’ve been planted by giants, row after row.
Unlike Venice, nothing about this world is tranquil. The motorboats zip past, zigging in and out of traffic, narrowly avoiding the boat in front of them.
No one says much, yet there are more people than I’ve seen in my life on their way to who knows where. From what Maybell said, Zedekiah should be inside this building.
I glance up at the aged stone edifice until my eyes lock on a cracked gargoyle that leers down at me, daring me to go inside. I make a face at it, steeling my nerve.
Maybell’s warm fingers coil around mine, engulfing my hand into hers. A zing of energy slithers from me to her and I cringe. I’m not focusing enough to keep my energy down. She gives a light squeeze then precedes me through the arched entry.
Darkness presses against me when I follow her. After the door creeks shut, nearly all light is blotted out. My eyes take a few moments to adjust to the dim lantern that barely flickers enough light to make out the walkway and some of the arches in the distance.
My heart plummets into an abyss and my pulse pounds in my ears. We walk into an open rotunda with a central chandelier that hangs from a ceiling so high up, the top is not visible. Candlelight casts the space in dark relief. There is one mezzanine level above us followed by gilded frescos depicting grotesque figures doing heaven knows what to each other.
For the life of me, I can’t imagine why Seth’s brother would be here…unless he’s on the wrong side of the fence.
An image of a dark-haired stranger flits through my mind. I still don’t know who the guy was that contacted me before my world became this crazy. Perhaps Ian isn’t the only one close to turning. Perhaps this is worse than Seth knows?
I take one more step, but that’s as far as I’m going. Something’s wrong. Seth’s warning ricochets through my mind. “Maybell?” I whisper, not yet comfortable calling her Bell.
She answers in my thoughts. “You feel it, too?”
I give a slight nod. “We need to leave.”
Understatement of the century. Maybell has already told me if we got into trouble to run as fast as I can. I don’t question her, I whirl around and it takes all of two seconds for me to register the wall of men in front of me.
My heart slams into my throat as I press back against Maybell’s tall frame. She sidesteps me, angling herself between me and the Erobos waiting to consume me.
Somehow, I imagined I’d be able to have a little time to learn before I had to face one of them, but right now, all I can think about is surviving.
One man steps forward. He is darkness personified, except for his extraordinary light eyes. His dark hair is slicked back, giving a perfect view of his broad, angular features, which steal my breath. His beauty takes a minute for me to process fully. Daegan. Fantastic.
A slow smile slides along his mouth, tempting, sensual. I swallow against the bile burning my insides, assessing the situation. There is no chance I’m getting out the way we came in. I glance over my shoulder to the empty hallway. They want me to go that way; otherwise, I would have a wall of Erobos at my back.
Daegan takes another step and Maybell hisses at him. When she glances at m
e, I try not to jump. She’s grown fangs and her face has taken on feline angles, not the least of which are her glowing green eyes. Although she has no whiskers to speak of, she is menacing.
“What should we do?” I ask her telepathically.
“Amelia,” says the man, his eyes widening in what looks like real concern. “Step away from the creature. We will protect you.”
I snort. He must think I’m ten ways an idiot. “Yeah?” I say, straightening my spine. “Who’s going to protect you from me?”
He laughs and his resultant smile disarms me. His voice is like velvet stroking my insides. “For one so young, you have quite an ambitious heart.”
“You have no idea.” I narrow my eyes at him, but refrain from cocking a hip. I’ve got to be able to move if he comes after me. “Enough with the small talk, mister tall, dark, and creepy. Who the hell are you? What do you want?”
“You…of course,” he says with a casual flick of his wrist. The other men laugh and shoot out catcalls. Yeah, that was a given. He takes another step, and it’s all I can do to keep my ground. Every cell inside me wants to run. “Soon, you shall know your true calling, Sibylline.” He circles around us and I follow his movements, my muscles coiled. “Or are you something else? Even dampened, you are extraordinary.”
“Leave her alone, Daegan,” says Maybell in an all-too-familiar way.
So she knows him, which doesn’t exactly help the situation. If she knows him, he knows her. His presence slithers up against me. At first, he repels me, but something about him is also hypnotizing. He’s a mystery I’d like to solve. I shake my head. No, he’s a monster. To keep my focus, I press my fingernails into my palms until I’m ready to cry out from the pain. I was warned about this. Erobos tempt first then tame then torture, in that order.
Daegan tilts his head, staring Maybell down. His arrogance permeates the room. We’ll just have to see about educating him a bit. We are not down and we certainly aren’t out.
Our best bet is to run, even though I’d love to get in a good punch to his smug face. Too bad he’s not getting anywhere near me. Seth taught me well, and I’m not about to let him down now. Since we can’t go through the front door, I need to make another one. My only hope is that Seth was right when he said I could affect the Dreamscape with my thoughts. I concentrate on the hall behind me. In my mind it expands, morphing into the narrow lane of a marketplace, full of people.
Daegan’s features twist into a frown before he nods at one of his men, who circles us using micro-steps, as if we won’t notice. “Do you not wish to know why I want you, Amelia?”
My mouth scrunches up. “Nope. I’m good.”
The guys laugh.
No more messing around. Once the image is firmly planted in my mind, I push it into the room.
The clattering of metal and the hum of voices fill the space. I give Daegan a gloat before I grab Maybell’s hand, not waiting to see his reaction.
We race into the crowd, dodging a woman pushing a cart full of vegetables at the last moment. The temptation to look over my shoulder is too great to resist. It’s no surprise that Daegan and his men pursue us, plowing into people, throwing some out of the way. The problem is they are gaining on us.
I glance at Maybell, sending her a signal to split up. The worst thing we could do would be to get caught together.
“I won’t leave you,” she screams. “Just keep running.”
Seth said I’d get faster with time, but my time for training was up the second I stepped into this world. I’ve got to do something else. Escape is not an option at the moment. Even if we make it out of here and catch up with Zed, once Seth finds out about this he’s gonna lock me in his realm for good. I need to show him I listened. I need to show him he can trust me. More importantly, I need to help Maybell and the others who are counting on me to come through for them.
In the distance, the marketplace expands into some type of square. Sending Maybell a mental note to meet me there, I jet down a side alley. Maybe not the safest thing to do, but if we stay together like this we will both be taken for sure.
Daegan follows closely behind me. His presence slithers around me, seeking a place to take root. I’ve never experienced this kind of darkness. It’s at once frightening and enticing, a constant call to discover. I’m no detective, and I’m not giving in to this strange desire to see what he’s made of.
His voice floats over me. “We have come to rescue you, Amelia. Stop. Listen to what I have to say. Seth is dangerous. He was imprisoned for a reason. He has lied to you. You know in your heart I speak the truth.”
This guy wouldn’t know the truth if it slapped him upside his handsome head. I don’t bother to answer him as I rush forward, weaving through the city, searching for an out, or at least a waterway rushing to somewhere else.
After a while, his calm façade shatters. “You will stop, Amelia!”
At this, I laugh, pushing myself harder to escape him. Seth said that if one of them caught me, I had to cut them. I have the distinct impression if Daegan catches me, I won’t be able to move, let alone scream.
I’m gaining ground on him, which brightens my hope. He doesn’t say anything, but his presence is still with me, shadowing me. When the crowd in the market comes back into view, I smile, giving all I have to reaching that beacon. The weird part is no one is even looking at me as I flail my arms and kick up dust from the street.
Two, maybe three strides away from the opening, a hand descends on my shoulder, and I scream. He’s caught me.
I’ve never seen anything like Amelia. She not only manipulated the dream of an omnipresent dreamer, she singlehandedly thwarted Daegan’s attempt to capture the two most valuable members of my team, herself included.
Once I found my way inside the church, I stopped in the shadows, watching Amelia take on the leader of the Erobos army. She did everything I taught her and more. Where there was no escape route, she created one. She didn’t allow him to lie to her when so many others have fallen prey to his thrall.
The Erobos have a way of sinking into the very soul of a person, only to leave with a piece of it when they are through.
I should have followed Amelia right away, but Maybell, it seemed, was their true target. Once Amelia ran, only Daegan followed her. The other seven men chased after Maybell.
Perhaps Daegan is smarter than I’ve given him credit for. Amelia is too pure for him to turn, and Maybell will keep her on task. With Maybell out of the way, the Erobos have a better chance of ticking away Amelia’s armor.
Between the two of us, Maybell and I dispatched the other Erobos quickly. Daegan departed the moment he saw me. I’ve finally caught up to Amelia, only to have her ignore me when I yell at her to stop.
Her focus is admirable, but I need to catch her before she reaches the marketplace and causes a scene. More Erobos may be in the area, and the last thing we need is another fight.
She’s faster than she was in my realm, which normally would be a good thing; however, right now I would have preferred for her talent to have awakened later.
“Amelia!” I call. She plows forward.
Giving all my effort, I finally reach her. I place my hand at her shoulder, and she screams. I delve into her mind because she will not respond no matter how loudly I call.
“It’s Seth, Amelia. Listen to me.” She thrashes in my arms, so I squeeze her tighter against me.
Giving a grunt, she whirls around, clipping me with her blade-encrusted elbow. The blow makes my head spin, and I clutch my face. Blood drips through my fingers and down to my elbow, where it drips down and plops on the ground as I stare at her.
When her eyes finally focus on me, they widen in horror. She opens her mouth, only to cover it. Her fingers tremble as she pulls them away and touches the line of blood flowing down my arm.
Her voice is breathy when she speaks. “I’m so sorry, Seth.”
“Don’t be,” I tell her. “You have done well. In fact, I would like you to continu
e on your mission.” I motion behind her to where my brother and Maybell stand. “Zed waits for you.”
She shakes her head. “But you’re bleeding.”
I pull her against me and inhale her scent. “I’m fine. I also have to get going. I have much to accomplish tonight.” When I release her, I give her what I hope is a reassuring nod. “I am proud of you, Amelia. Thank you for helping us.”
Her feet shuffle against the dirt. “Don’t go getting all mushy on me now. I’m sorry you had to come after me.”
That’s the thing. I didn’t have to come after her. She handled herself as a seasoned agent would have. She is more of an asset than I could have hoped for. Her level of control is unheard of for someone who has no experience to speak of.
Daegan will only want her more now. If I know him at all, he won’t come after her right away. He’ll strategize until he’s sure he has a chance to capture her. He’ll watch from the shadows.
Now that I know what Amelia is capable of, I will not relent in our training. With any luck, she will be able to locate Olivia tonight. If not, soon. My heartbeat speeds to a fevered beat. She could find Nathanial for me. If I can secure him, the Erobos will be weakened immensely.
I muss up Amelia’s hair, then turn to go. “You did well,” I tell her again before quickening my step, trying to recall where the nearest portal is.
“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your brother?” she calls after me.
I wave to her from over my shoulder, not bothering to turn back around.
“Whatever,” she says.
“Amelia,” says Zed. “This way, please.”
Maybell gives a hearty laugh, and I’m tempted to join them just for the company,but I have dreams to send tonight. Their voices fade away and I am left to myself. Always left to myself.
Gritting my teeth, I morph into an eagle and take for the sky. In this form it will only take me minutes to find the portal. The sooner I accomplish my tasks, the sooner I can return to Amelia.
Seth is so weird, but his brother is worse. Zedekiah is shorter and leaner with a dark beard that any self-respecting redneck would envy.