Pleasures of the Night

  She gaped.

  “Your haste in returning gives me hope that you feel the same about Captain Cross as he does about you,” the man said.

  Her mouth snapped closed so she could reply. “Who are you? And where is he? Is he okay? Is he hurt?”

  He smiled and bowed. “Lieutenant Wager, at your service. I’m here for the express purpose of taking you to Captain Cross. Don’t worry about that.”

  Leaning to the side to look around his tall form, she counted at least twenty men behind him, each one uniquely yummy in appearance. She whistled. “Do I know how to dream or what?”

  “Cross didn’t do so bad himself,” the man returned. “What color are my eyes?”

  “Gray.”

  “And my hair?”

  “Black.”

  “So it’s true,” he murmured, then his amused gaze ran down the length of her body and back up again. “Cute outfit. Right down to the pendant.”

  It was then Lyssa noted that the other men were dressed similarly but in heather gray rather than the black she wore. It was a uniform. From the look of the various grins directed her way, she quickly deduced that she was wearing a garment reserved for the captain alone. She winced. “Ooops. The necklace was a gift. The rest is a mistake. I’ll change.”

  “No, don’t,” he said quickly, staying her with a hand on her arm. “You look great, and the element of surprise is an excellent advantage.”

  She blew out her breath. “Yeah, well, it’s the only one I have.” At his arched brow she added, “I’m a veterinarian. If you have a sick pet, you won’t find anyone better to handle it than me. But if you want Sydney Bristow, you’re out of luck.”

  His grin widened. “Let’s see if you can exit the slipstream.”

  “What?”

  He gestured for her to precede him, and the other men moved out of their way. “According to the prophecy, you’re the Key, and we’re supposed to be scared shitless of you. I can’t see you doing much damage trapped in your own stream of unconsciousness.”

  She paused. “What happens if I can’t get out?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Okay.” Lyssa caught his hand and squeezed it. His eyes widened in surprise. “What’s your name? Your first name.”

  “Philip.”

  “Promise me, Philip. If I can’t help, promise me that you’ll save Captain Cross no matter what.”

  “Definitely.”

  The word was said with such conviction that she believed him without question. “Okay, then. I’m ready.”

  For what, she didn’t know. But she was as prepared as she would ever be.

  With a firm hand at the small of her back, he led her away from the door toward a wall of shimmering blue light. Beyond it, she could barely make out shadowed forms. It was like looking through a curtain of electric blue water.

  “Can you see that?” he asked.

  She nodded.

  “All you have to do is jump out.”

  “All right. Here goes nothing.” Lyssa took a deep breath and leaped.

  There was one mistake that everyone who crossed Connor Bruce made more often than they should—they underestimated him. Usually he found grim satisfaction in this. Today was no exception.

  “We are pleased that you see our side now,” one of the Elders said, a lone voice speaking for the collective.

  “Forgive me for my earlier behavior.” Connor bowed in a feigned show of remorse. “I’m not a man who likes to be taken by surprise, and I certainly don’t like being restrained.”

  “We knew you wouldn’t immediately understand why Captain Cross had to be taken into protective custody. But we hope you remember that our purpose has always been to serve and protect our people.”

  “Of course,” Connor lied smoothly. “No one doubts this, least of all me.”

  “Captain Cross does.”

  Connor shrugged, hiding the intensity of his enmity with half-lidded eyes. “The Key has corrupted him, but he’s always put his duty before everything else. A small amount of time away from her influence, and he’ll return to his senses. He’s gone without a romantic relationship longer than any man I know. First loves always screw with your head, but it’s only temporary. I’m sure you all know this.”

  “Of course, and we agree. The captain will be sequestered for a time, and then he will slowly be reintegrated into the community.”

  “I will be available to assist you with his reacclimation when the time comes.”

  “Excellent. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. You may return to duty, Captain Bruce.”

  Connor’s glance swept over the sea of shadowed faces before him. He bowed again and then departed, stepping out to the courtyard where unknowing Guardians mingled completely unaware of the lies they lived with.

  The sky was dark, the day long over. A cool breeze blew past him, carrying the scent of fragrant night-blooming flowers. In the distance, the roar of the waterfalls could be heard.

  Home.

  Like Aidan, he’d been born here and had no memories of the world the Guardians had abandoned long ago. But what was home? Was it a place? Or was it people who cared about you?

  He knew he was being watched, so he went straight to the Valley of Dreams. Biding his time was something he had learned to do well during his service in the Elite. He expected it would take a few moments of clearing his head before he could adequately consider all the places they would take Aidan to be “sequestered.” His feet hit the ground running, which was why he couldn’t stop in time to avoid the lithe blond who popped out of a slipstream directly before him.

  He hit her full force and down they went, her screech so loud his ears rang. Clutching her to his chest, he twisted mid-fall and kicked upward, shooting them straight up into the air to avoid crushing her on the ground.

  “What the hell?” she yelled, kicking his shin.

  “Ow! Fuck.”

  “Lemme go!” The tiny virago in his arms fought like a pissed-off kitten, scratching and kicking and hissing.

  “Stop it!” he ordered in his most commanding voice.

  “I’m the Key!” she cried, shooting him a glare with big dark eyes, not the least bit cowed. “I’ll…I’ll…put a hex on you!”

  Connor noted her garments at the exact same moment she said “the Key,” and then he broke out in a grin, which didn’t fade even when she caught him on the jaw with a pretty decent right hook.

  He shook her and slowed to a hover. “Hey! Quit that. I’m Connor—Aidan’s best friend.”

  She stilled in mid-swing and gaped at him, giving him the chance to really look her over in the simulated starlight. She was beautiful—slender but curvy, with golden tresses that fell haphazardly around her shoulders. Full red lips and huge brown eyes that tilted slightly at the corners gave her classic good looks an exotic cant.

  “Oh.” She wrinkled her nose, and he could see why Aidan would find such interest in this woman. “Sorry.”

  “A hex, huh?” He laughed.

  She scowled, a facial expression that didn’t detract from her beauty at all.

  Chortling below them rose in volume and then Philip appeared, nearly doubled over as he hovered in the air nearby. “I think she might have kicked your ass, Bruce, if she wanted to.”

  “Only because I wouldn’t hit a girl,” Connor retorted.

  “Excuses, excuses.” Philip winked at Aidan’s lady. “You were tearing him up good, Lyssa.”

  Despite her recent spate of violence, Connor had to admit he had a hard time picturing her as the destruction of anything. She was so tiny, and a bit too thin. She also had those eyes that were clear and guileless.

  She looked down at the ground a good kilometer beneath them and then flung herself into his arms, clinging to him like a vine. “Oh jeez, put me down!”

  Brows raised, Connor sank slowly to the valley floor. Her body was a soft, warm weight against his. He blew out his breath, part of him wishing Aidan would return to being a perennial bachelor. The o
ther part of him acknowledged that Lyssa was a hottie with a tough spirit. Some Dreamers came to them in lucid dreams, but never had any of them been able to leave their stream of unconsciousness to walk among them.

  As soon as her feet hit the ground, Lyssa stepped back and stared at the blond giant who had scared the shit out of her. Two things struck her at once. One, he was huge—close to seven feet tall, and at least two hundred and thirty pounds. Two, he was just as gorgeous as every other Guardian male she’d seen so far. He also had that same delicious accent.

  “Cute outfit.” He grinned.

  “That’s it,” she muttered. “I’m changing.”

  “No, don’t,” he said quickly. “I bet Cross would love to see you in that.”

  Her eyes stung at the reminder, and her wardrobe malfunction faded to insignificance. “I need to see him. We need to get moving.”

  “Agreed,” Philip said, all traces of humor leaving his handsome features. “We don’t have a lot of time. The Elders have vids everywhere. They’re going to know Lyssa’s here.”

  “They took him,” Connor rumbled grimly. “I have no idea where.”

  Lyssa stood stock-still, teary and feeling like a dumb ass. What the hell did she think she could do here? Aidan’s men were more than capable of saving their commanding officer. More than likely, she was just going to get in the way.

  “I saw where.” Philip gestured to his men, who fell into a loose formation. “I watched on the control panel.”

  “Fuck me,” Connor said suddenly, causing everyone to stare at him in confusion due to his low, wary tone.

  Lifting her startled gaze to his, Lyssa then turned her head in the direction he was looking.

  Revealed by the light cast off from the surrounding slipstreams, a smoky black stain encroached on them in a perfect circle. It widened rapidly, growing by the second.

  “What is that?” she asked, her stomach roiling in dread.

  “Nightmares.” Philip withdrew his glaive. “Thousands of them.”

  Chapter 16

  Lyssa watched the writhing black shadows with wide-eyed horror. They were translucent, their shape no more than a misty fog. A strange noise came from them, a high-pitched squeal that struck her already stretched nerves like nails on a chalkboard. Random words could be heard amid the cacophony, but they were too jumbled to make any sense.

  “What are they doing?” she asked, crouching so she could see through the legs of the giants who had formed a protective circle around her.

  The men shifted restlessly on their feet.

  “They’re not doing a damn thing,” Connor said.

  She held her tongue, but as the minutes stretched out she finally asked, “Is something happening that I’m not seeing?”

  “Nothing’s happening,” Philip muttered. “That’s the problem.”

  She shouldered her way into getting a little better view. “Huh.” It was hard for her to reconcile the wake-up-in-a-cold-sweat nightmares with these wispy puffs of smoke. She leaned closer. “Boo!”

  They slithered back swiftly.

  “Shit.” Connor stared at her with wide, wary eyes.

  She made a face. “Sorry.”

  Then she noted how all the men were gaping at her. She blew out her breath and retreated back to the center. Great. Her childish moment was witnessed by all.

  “They’re attracted to her,” Connor said with awe in his tone, “but they’re afraid of her, too. I wouldn’t believe it if I weren’t seeing it myself.”

  “We really need to figure out what the hell she’s supposed to be capable of.” Philip turned to the side so he could watch her and the Nightmares at the same time. “I thought her presence would scare the Elders enough to give us a slight advantage. No way would I have guessed this would happen. In fact, I’d been worried about the opposite happening.”

  “Did you learn anything in the control room?” Connor asked.

  “Can we talk about this on the way to rescuing Aidan?” Lyssa’s foot tapped impatiently. “At this particular moment, I don’t care what it is I’m prophesied to do.”

  “It’s extremely important to us,” Connor said, his Nordic blue eyes studying her carefully.

  She sighed, chastened. “I know it is. Aidan told me he’d spent centuries looking for me, trying to figure out what it is I’m supposed to do. I appreciate what this legend means to you, and I promise, if you help me get Aidan back, I’ll help you figure out how I fit into all of this.”

  “We need the captain here,” one of the men said, his gaze remaining trained on the Nightmares. “We’ve never been defeated while he’s in command. What good will he be to us if he’s in your world?”

  A murmur of agreement moved through the soldiers.

  “I accept the likelihood of him remaining with you,” she assured them with her chin lifted stoically. She refused to cry in front of Aidan’s men. “But not like this—with half of him here, the other half with me.”

  “Perhaps that’s it.” Connor stepped closer. “Maybe the gate you’ll open is not the one to the Nightmares, who clearly don’t know what to make of you. Maybe it’s the gate between the Twilight and your world.”

  “No way.” Her arms crossed her chest. “Aidan told me your entire Elite force was created to prevent the spreading of Nightmares into my world. I would never jeopardize that.”

  “Actually,” Philip said softly, “The Elite were created to kill you.”

  She had no idea what to say to that.

  “Let’s see if they’ll allow us to leave without a fight.” Connor sheathed his sword and withdrew the smaller blade at his thigh, before coming up behind her and wrapping a brawny arm around her waist. He pushed off gently, slowly levitating them. Lyssa clung to his arm with a death grip.

  The Nightmares writhed in frenzy, the noises they made rising in volume, but they made no effort to attack them.

  Philip rose, too, as did the men under his command. They continued to hold their swords at the ready until they were some distance in the air. Then Philip gave a command she couldn’t understand, and they all returned their blades to their scabbards. “Just beyond the rise, there’s a lake.”

  She felt Connor’s nod. “I know where it is. Let’s go.”

  As they glided rapidly through the misty evening, Lyssa studied the landscape beneath them. This beautiful place was Aidan’s world. He had spent centuries defending it at great risk to his life. Here he was nearly immortal and he had the power to make things happen simply because he thought of them. Her eyes burned with tears. Earth was not the place for a man like Aidan, she realized. He would find a way back here, and he had warned her—once he left, he would not come back.

  Connor’s voice was loud in her ear, “If Cross is being kept beneath the lake, there will be no way to approach the area cautiously.”

  Philip glanced aside at Connor. “You’ve been there?”

  “Not completely. I didn’t surface within the cavern. I couldn’t. From what I could tell, there’s only one entrance and no way to enter with any sort of stealth.”

  “Damn.”

  Lyssa winced at the frustration she heard in the lieutenant’s voice. “Once you free Captain Cross, what will happen to all of you? Won’t the Elders be mad?”

  All the men looked grim. It was Connor who answered her. “We know the risks.”

  “Will they kill me?” she asked, trying to steel herself for the confrontation ahead. Everything was a possibility. She wasn’t ruling anything out.

  “I seriously doubt Cross will let anything happen to you,” he answered dryly.

  “And you?” she asked. “And the lieutenant? None of you have any reason to trust me. Hell, I don’t even trust myself. I have no idea what it is I’m supposed to do. What if I sneeze and everything blows up?”

  His arm tightened around her, which she appreciated immensely because they were really high up in the air. “Do you love him?”

  “Desperately.”

  “And if your e
xistence jeopardizes his?”

  “I expect you to take care of it.”

  His chest rose and fell against her back. “You would die for him?”

  “If that’s what it takes,” she said fervently, the rushing wind making her tears flow across her temple and into her hair. “He risked everything to come to me, Connor, knowing that even if he made it alive I wouldn’t remember him. We spent so little time together, but it was enough for him. He wanted me badly enough.”

  “You want him the same way?”

  “Oh yes.” She smiled, turning her head to face him, causing her hair to blow into both of their faces. She brushed it back impatiently, and suddenly found it contained by a rubber band. “Did you do that?”

  He shook his head.

  “Oh man.”

  “Yeah,” he muttered. “Oh man.”

  They were silent for a few moments, and then he said, “When we get to the lake, we’re going to dive straight in. The cavern is quite a ways down, and we need the velocity to get there. I’ll warn you when the time comes. Hold your breath and don’t struggle. Try to keep your body straight and your limbs tucked in to minimize the resistance in the water.”

  “Got it.”

  “I have no idea what we’ll find down there. They’ll have the area well guarded, and they know we’re coming.”

  “I understand. I’ll stay out of the way.”

  “Good. I would have preferred to leave you behind, but you’re presently with the only people in the Twilight who have any desire to keep you alive.”

  Lyssa’s lower lip quivered, and she bit on it. Everyone in this world wanted her dead.

  They whizzed over a low mountain and bore down with stunning force toward the lake revealed on the other side. “Follow me,” he yelled to the others, then much lower, “Get ready.”

  She took a deep breath, and instantly found it seized in her lungs as they plunged headfirst into the icy water. Trying not to struggle, Lyssa quickly grew dizzy, her lungs spasming from the unbelievable chill. It felt as if it should be slushy with ice. Just before she passed out, they lunged upward into warm, humid air.