Only in Her Dreams (7 page)

That’s why it’s called mythology, right?
Next, she’d find herself looking for proof that vampires and werewolves existed. Where will it end?

She should call the cops, but how could she make a move without alerting him. Maxim would be safer in a facility--with doctors trained to help the deranged.
Where will that leave me?
He
was
the man from her dreams. She probably belonged in the padded cell next to his. What a great pair they’d make. Maybe they’d benefit from group counseling sessions and deal with both their delusions at the same time. They could swap happy pills in the general area of the hospital. Assuming, they were given permission to socialize with the general population.

Again, she forced herself to play along with his game. She didn’t feel threatened by him, so what was the harm? It helped that he wasn’t bad to look at. There were worse ways to spend an evening, right?

“Yes, I said
we
. You can’t take full responsibility for keeping me safe. I’m capable of protecting myself.” She flipped her hand in the air to lighten the mood. The conversation had become far too serious for her liking.

“It sounds like you are patronizing me, Lucessa.” He stood and paced the living room. “This is a serious matter.”

She took a deep swallow of merlot, its earthy flavor trailed down her throat, as she thought about her next move. She suspected he spoke the truth; there was no other way to explain his appearance in her dreams. Her being insane was not an idea she was ready to entertain.

Whatever she was mixed up in was bigger than she was, possibly even bigger than Maxim. Still she needed some reassurance this was indeed the truth. If it was, her life was about to change...again.

Maxim continued to pace.

“Give me one reason why I should believe any of this.” There, she’d said it. Now the ball was in his court.

Maxim halted and faced her. “Because I rescued you from the crash that killed your father. Our destinies were set in motion then. We are forever linked. Get used to it.” The hard edge in his tone startled her as she looked into his flushed face.

It took a minute to sink in. That was the nightmare that visited most often.
The headlights shone into the back seat; she clutched her most treasured possession; the sound of torn and crushed metal; and then the strong arms that pulled her from the vehicle before it exploded.
She pushed the memory back down where it belonged.

She shivered, the aching loneliness took her in its thrall as always. She lived with these memories alone, because her mother hadn’t remembered the crash--nor her father nor Lucessa-- most days.

That night, she’d lost everything.

Tears fell. Looking up, Lucessa saw the pleading look in Maxim’s eyes. The look begged her to believe him--to believe
in
him.

Could she believe him--this familiar stranger?

Chapter 10

Darius and Alexander crept along the side of the house, making their way to the same gate they’d entered the night before. It stood slightly ajar, as they’d left it. Darius kept their mission between Alexander and himself, he didn’t trust the others; there was no telling where their loyalties ultimately lie. They would sell their souls for a chance to return to Erebos, but he was unwilling to return until he grasped what was rightfully his.

When that day came, the Dark One would banish his older brother and Maxim would beg Darius to spare his life. Forgiveness was not one of Darius’ strong suits. It shocked him that his younger brother hadn’t joined him when he’d left. His twin was a coward.

He rubbed the place above the hollow spot in his chest. They’d been close, thick as thieves, but Maxim had made his choice. He’d chosen self-preservation and left his twin out to dry.

“Alexander, take the lead.” Darius shifted, his eyes appraising the men standing behind Alexander. “Men, you’re here for one purpose and one purpose only,” Darius’ words stopped the group of Melas Oneiroi after they entered the back yard. “Find anything I can use. You’re not to harm the girl. Don’t even look at her. Alexander is the only one to enter her room. She is to be left unharmed.”
I have other plans for her.

The men nodded their understanding. Unfortunately, they weren’t known for following directions.

“If my orders aren’t followed, don’t worry about returning to Erebos--you won’t even make it back to the house,” Darius said, making eye contact with each man in turn. Blank stares returned his penetrating gaze.

His original reason for wanting unlimited access to Earth was different from his men’s. He’d been young and naïve then. He thought himself in love.
Fucking idiot.
He’d fought for the ability to travel between Erebos and Earth, unsupervised. His father, and now his older brother, forbade this liberty to the Oneiroi. Only in dreams can they travel to Earth. And they must only interfere to steer the human down a better path.

Blah, blah, blah.
He could almost hear his father’s last lecture, before his unfortunate
accident
.

The men dispersed inside the back door of the house, and Darius receded into the shadows to await their return.

# # #

Lucessa yawned and stretched her arms high above her head. Her shirt lifted ever so slightly and exposed her bare midriff. Her questions became less persistent as the evening wore on.

“Where are you staying while you’re here? Do you just go back and forth?” she asked as her hand again grasped her wine glass.

“My leader has insisted I keep to this world until this matter is resolved.”

“Why don’t you stay here? I have an extra bedroom that’s never been used,” Lucessa said. She kept her eyes locked on Maxim as she poured the last drop of wine into her glass.

He hadn’t imagined it’d be this easy to convince her of the severity of the situation, but the tidbit about the crash had pushed her over the edge. The change in her demeanor was instantaneous.

“Thank you for the kind offer.” He accepted without a second thought. He couldn’t protect her unless he was able to be close to her.

That he enjoyed her company was a plus.

She was like no female he’d ever come into contact with. She was neither vain nor selfish. He should’ve known this since it was his responsibility to watch over her. It was true, humans could hide their true nature in their dreams, but not Lucessa. She was everything she appeared to be. Caring, honest, and compassionate.

She shifted her wine glass from hand to hand. More questions were coming, he could feel it.

“So, were you born in Erebos?”

“Yes.” He loved the way she looked so unsure of herself as she asked the question. He’d answer anything to keep her talking and looking at him in this way.

“What about family? Do you have any?” She averted her eyes after asking the question. “I don’t mean to pry.”

“You’re not prying in the least. Actually, yes. I have two brothers. My mother died giving birth to my brother and me. My father passed away years ago.” He’d never shared the details of his past with anyone. There were no secrets in Erebos--except the secret he’d helped Guy keep all these years.

Lucessa stiffened at his answer. “I’m sorry about your parents’ passing.”

“It was long ago--almost a life time ago,” he said.

“A life time ago? How old are you?”

Would she view me as a creepy old guy if I told her the truth?
“I am thirty-five, which is very young for my kind.”
Try closer to sixty.

She looked closely at him. He took a sip of his wine to cover any sign of dishonesty.

“You don’t look a day over thirty.”

“You’re too kind, Lucessa.” He spoke her name aloud again.

A melancholy smile spread across her face, and despite the sadness it brightened the room. “My dad is also dead. In a car accident when I was eight. The same accident you said you saved me from.” She tilted her head to the side and pursed her lips.

“I, too, am sorry for your loss.” He hoped she wasn’t connecting the dots.

“As you said, it was almost a life time ago.” She shifted on the couch, drawing her legs under herself. “So...you’re a twin? That must’ve been fun growing up.” Her attempt to lift the mood in the room was welcome.

“At times. When we were very young it worked in our favor, but as we grew, my twin, older by seven minutes, was taken away most days for training.” Maxim remembered that time with a great sense of emptiness. A piece of him went missing, a relationship altered, when Darius started spending his time with their father.

“What type of training?” she asked with a lift of her brows. Maxim could look into her inquisitive dark blue eyes all night.

“He was to lead Erebos.” The conversation was getting a little too close to home. He needed to stop admiring her eyes, her lips and the tilt of her head and focus on steering the conversation in a safer direction.

“Was?”

Damn, wrong answer.

“Our eldest brother took over Erebos after our father died. He’s a much more suitable leader.”
Careful, Maxim.

“Okay, I get that. Tell me more about your twin.”

He’s why you’re now in danger
. Instead he told her about the constant competition between Darius and himself.

She also asked about Erebos, which was a safe enough topic. Maxim talked about the easy flow of life in his world and the people he loved. “There is neither disease, famine, nor poverty.”

“That must be wonderful,” Lucessa’s enthusiasm was a little biased, but she’d only heard the good things about Maxim’s home.

“Do not get me wrong. There is still crime and death. While it is not as prevalent as on Earth, it does exist.” He didn’t enjoy dampening the good mood that’d settled between them, but he must be fair in what he told her. No place is all good or all bad.

“On that note, I think it’s time for me to head off to bed. Here on Earth, we have to be up early for work,” Lucessa smiled. She stood and reached for his empty wine glass. Slowly, she walked into the kitchen. He watched her firm bottom as she walked away. He heard the flow of water as she rinsed the glasses. Was that humming coming from the kitchen?

As she went upstairs to prepare for bed, he walked the lower floor, locking doors and windows. This wouldn’t keep the Melas out if they wanted in, but he’d awaken if they tried to enter.

# # #

Lucessa hurried upstairs to change the musty sheets for a crisp, clean set. Greg had left for his internship soon after they purchased the old home, and they hadn’t gotten the chance to invite his sister and brother-in-law over to stay.

Now, his family lived in the next state and didn’t keep in touch. She sighed. Alienation was a lonely thing.

She had no one she could invite to stay. Her friends had mostly disappeared over the last year, whether it was her pushing them away or their choice, she didn’t know. Julie, Bret, and her mom were all she had. Julie and Bret lived only a few blocks away and her mother wasn’t in stable enough condition to stay with her.

As she finished making the bed, she heard Maxim’s footsteps heading up the stairs.

“I’m in here,” she called.

“All the doors and windows are locked tight. I also put my own locking mechanism on the garage roll up door.”

“Really? Thanks.”

“Your broom’s handle works sufficiently for now.” Maxim walked into the room. “You don’t have to go through all this trouble. The old sheets would have been fine.”

“It’s no trouble, really. You’re my first guest and these sheets were put on the bed the day Greg and I moved in. I’ve neglected my housekeeping duties over the last year.” She was babbling. She stopped and took a deep breath…in and out. Gathering the sheets from the floor she faced him, ready to let him settle in.

“Thank you, again.” He bowed. His action seemed at odds with the time but she wouldn’t fault him for his gallant gesture.

“Please stop thanking me,” she huffed. The man was all ‘thank you and please’; it was making her feel uncomfortable. It’d been a long time since a man had been polite to her.

She moved past him, sheets pressed against her chest, and paused. “Oh, I left you a pair of pajamas on the dresser. You didn’t bring an overnight bag, did you?”

# # #

Maxim had no more settled in bed, the lights extinguished, when an image of Lucessa burst into his head. Physical attraction to humans was something he forbade himself to entertain. His connection to Lucessa surprised and confused him. Pushing all thoughts of her from his mind, he concentrated on her other qualities. She’d grown from the childish exuberance and charm of her dreams into an educated woman. The changes were subtle, with the most obvious being her maturity. Her hair flowed down her back in mahogany waves, her eyes were a clear dark blue, not unlike his own; and her smile brightened something deep inside him.

A shuffling noise disturbed his wandering mind. The sound was most likely the house settling, but he needed to investigate to be sure. He slipped out of bed and eased across the floor, his steps silent. The door to the hall opened without a squeak and he was met by Lucessa, bat in hand, in the hallway.

The woman was determined to get herself hurt.

“What are you doing out here?” he whispered.

“I heard something. I wanted to make sure you were all right and have everything you need.” She blinked in the bright hall light.

“Why are you carrying the baseball bat, then?”

Lucessa blinked again and glanced down. Confusion clouded her face.
Did she realize she clutched the bat to her chest?
Her knuckles were white. He pried her fingers from around the bat’s handle and set it against the wall.

“Stay here. I’ll look around.” He slid against the wall and down the staircase, looking for anything out of place. He rounded the corner into the kitchen. The back door had been jimmied.

Maxim swung around and caught Lucessa inching down the stairs behind him.
She couldn’t listen to simple directions.
Several shadows moved across the living room behind her.