Dreamer (11 page)

“Holy crap,” Shan said in a faint whisper and traced her
fingers gently over the scratches. “That's horrible.”

“Yeah.” Daisy removed Shan's hand from her face. “I had a
friend spending the night. He woke me up before I could do much damage.” Her
voice lowered until it was barely above a whisper. “How did you survive, Shan?
How did you manage to go to school, get good grades, and function with
nightmares living in your head?”

That description disturbed Shan. “They never lived in my
head. They invaded it.”

“Well, they live in mine.” Daisy leaned forward until their
noses were almost touching. “I can't get them out.”

Shan pulled her in close and whispered in her ear, “It is
your
mind. It is
your
body. Kick them out.”

Daisy began to cry again, and Shan stroked the rough velvet
of her dreadlocks. Over Daisy's shoulder, Shan caught Devon watching them. He
raised an eyebrow with a questioning expression, and Shan mouthed,
It's okay
. He nodded once and returned
to scanning the room.

Sniffing, Daisy pulled back and gave a watery laugh. “Enough
about me and my complaints. How are you, and what's up with your yummy escort?”

Blushing, Shan whispered, “Shut up.”

Daisy snickered then grew solemn again. “I'm sorry I haven't
been able to train you in submission like I promised.”

Darting her head to look behind Daisy's shoulder, she
watched Devon play with his iPod before answering in a soft voice, “That's
okay. Can you shut up about it now?”

“No, it's not. I promised I would help you embrace your
submissive side, and I'm letting you down.” Daisy glanced behind her shoulder
at Devon and continued. “If you want, I can set you up with Alice. She really
liked you.”

“Uh…no thanks.” Shan picked at her nail polish, chipping it
further. While she was grateful that Alice had saved her life, she wasn't
attracted to her. No, her messed-up mind seemed focused only on men who were
trouble, and not in a good way, dangerous men, men who could consume her if she
wasn't careful. Men like Devon.

“Well, at least think about it.” Daisy stood and examined
Devon, who ignored them. “If you don't want him, can I have him?”

“No,” Shan snapped and cleared her throat.

Daisy seemed to regain some of her confidence, and a wicked
smile curved her lips. “He sure is big, and strong. I bet he could pin you to a
wall without shackles. And all that power just waiting to domin—”

“Time to go, Devon,” Shan squeaked and pushed past a
giggling Daisy.

Devon removed his earphones, and Shan swore she saw laughter
in his teal-blue eyes. He gave Daisy a charming smile, and Shan's heart skipped
a beat. “It was nice meeting you, Daisy.”

Shan opened the door and tried to push Devon out. She might
as well have been trying to move a mountain. The fabric of his shirt slid over
his muscles, and her body tightened at the warmth of his body beneath her
hands. “Let's go.”

He shot Daisy an apologetic look. “Sorry Shan is being so
rude. She can't wait to get me alone.”

Shan snatched her hands off him with a blush. “Dream on,
steroid boy.”

“Oh, no, I assure you this is all...real.” His hands framed
his body, moving from his broad chest down his tight waist to the spread of his
hips. “I can't help it that I'm blessed.”

Unable to think of a response that didn't include dropping
to her knees and worshiping him, she spun on her heel and marched down the
hallway.

In the wrong direction.

“Exit is the other way, Shan,” Daisy called down the
hallway, her voice filled with mirth.

Back stiff, eyes focused straight ahead, Shan turned and
stalked past them. She hoped they’d choke on their laughter. Heavy boots
sounded on the floor behind her, and a trace of Devon's spice swirled around
her. “Your shielding sucks,” she muttered.

“Really?” He moved next to her, and she felt overwhelmed by
his presence. “My shielding is actually really good. You must be attuned to
me.” The words were innocent, but his tone was highly suggestive. They entered
the massive foyer of the temple and waited for a young couple with their arms
around each other to pass.

Before she could think of a scathing answer, a woman's husky
voice rang out from their left. “Devon!”

Next to her, Devon stiffened and turned toward the voice,
moving in front of her. “Hello, Maria.”

Curious, Shan moved past his back. A gorgeous novice
sauntered toward them, her dark hair hanging in perfect curls down to her tiny
waist. She ignored Shan, focusing only on Devon. “I've missed you,” she purred
and wound her arms around Devon's thick neck.

Hatred burned through Shan. She wanted to beat the woman,
tear her hair out by the roots, and kick her face in. Her hands curled into
fists, and she was a moment from striking Maria before sanity resurfaced. What
was wrong with her? Devon's big hands were wrapped around Maria's waist; he
obviously knew her. Backing up and keeping her eyes on the ground, Shan
whispered, “I'll wait for you at the entrance.”

As she walked away, she heard the woman say, “What a
weird-looking girl. Doing charity work now, Devon?”

She didn't hear Devon's low reply, her wounded pride buried
beneath the seething rage. With every fiber in her body, she hated that woman,
that Maria. Was this a side effect of her new powers? Was she going to be an
irrationally jealous and homicidal slut? Facing the wall, Shan pretended to
study the mosaic of Aphrodite by the entrance while she fought the killing
rage.

“Excuse me,” a soft voice said from behind her.

Closing her eyes, Shan prayed that it wasn't Maria. She
turned around, and surprise replaced anger. It was the novice from the
entrance, but she was dressed in jeans and a black turtleneck now with her hair
back in a ponytail. Soft, mint green eyes darted shyly from her to the floor.
“My name is Jessie.”

“Hi,” Shan said lamely and cleared her throat. “Sorry about
earlier.”

A pretty flush stained Jessie's cheeks. “You honored me with
your reaction.” She dug into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out a slip of
paper. “I was wondering if you'd like to get together sometime?”

“Um…”

Jessie's hand holding the paper trembled, and Shan realized
she was so nervous she was shaking.

“If you don't want to, that's okay. I understand.” Jessie
gave her a gentle smile and started to move away.

While she had no interest in the novice sexually despite her
earlier episode, something about Jessie called to her, and she placed a hand on
her shoulder. “I'd like to hang out with you sometime.”

She was operating on instinct now, a calm yet powerful force
moving through her. Grasping Jessie's hand in her own, she felt a part of her
mind and soul open. Jessie was quick to fall in love and, more often than not,
ended up being burned by people who took advantage of her gentle and generous
nature. She needed someone to build her up, to let her know that she was worth
loving.

The wounded look fell from Jessie's face, and a soft smile
replaced it. “Really?”

“Yes, really.” Over Jessie's shoulder, she saw Devon
approaching them with a dark look on his handsome face.

She quickly took the number and put it in her jacket pocket.
Jessie followed her gaze and said, “Is that your boyfriend?”

“No.” Shan edged away from Jessie, moving to stand in front
of her. Devon's face darkened further, and Shan tried to figure out what was
wrong with him. He should be in a good mood after talking with that bitch
Maria. If she wasn't mistaken, Maria would have happily taken him into a spare
room and given him a BJ.

“I have to go,” Jessie said softly next to Shan. She laughed
and headed toward the exit, her brown ponytail swinging. “My horoscope said I'd
meet a knight in shining armor today. I didn't know she would be so beautiful.”

Shan gaped at Jessie's back as she disappeared into the
crowd.

“Are you done seducing the novice?” Devon's voice rumbled
from behind her.

Startled, she whirled on him. “You should talk. I can still
smell the stink of that woman on you.” His eyes flew wide at the venom in her
words, and she swallowed.

In a careful voice, he said, “Maria is an acquaintance,
nothing more.”

“Oh, well. That's good.” Zipping her jacket, she merged with
the flow of people leaving the temple.

“Did that novice give you her number?”

She had to be imagining the hint of displeasure in his
voice. “Her name is Jessie.”

“Did she give you her number?”

“None of your business.”

They left the temple, the chilly October air clearing her
head. More than anything in the world, she wanted to go home and take a long
nap. The thought of curling up in her bedroom, surrounded by the softness of
her silk sheets and scented candles, seemed like heaven to her weary mind and
body.

“Are you going to use it?”

She rounded on him, her hands on her hips, “Look—”

Before she could blink, Devon jerked her against his body
and behind a pillar then placed his hand over her mouth.

Devon leaned close and whispered in her ear, “Shhh. I need
to listen.”

Heart slamming against her ribs, she froze against him. He
removed his hand from her mouth, and she didn't try to move away. They waited
like that, pressed so close against each that they breathed as one. She loved
how warm he was, how solid, and she tried to pretend with all her might that
she did not feel his sizable erection pressing into her.

Letting out a breath, he stepped away. “Thought I felt
something.”

“Felt something?”

She shivered at the sudden loss of his body heat even as she
wanted to say that she’d certainly felt something as well. A big something.
Really big. Damn.

“Yeah.” His big hands enveloped hers and briskly rubbed her
fingers. “You're cold. Let's get you home.”

Looking up into his eyes, she regretted the loss of his
touch as he released her hands. She barely came up to his chest and felt
sheltered by his body. Erin's words about his need to protect came back, and
she took a deep breath. The concern he had for her was god-driven, just as was
the hint of hunger she thought she saw in his eyes. He was as much a victim to
her randy energy as the novice.

Breaking eye contact, she started down the steps of the
temple and wondered what Devon would think of her home.

The scent of decay filled Shan's nose as she crouched in the
bushes in the forever twilight of her dreams. The beast was hunting her, trying
to flush her out with its roars and screams. The ground rumbled with the weight
of the monster thrashing about in the forest. Gritting her teeth, she tried to
slow her breath and gain her bearings.

It was hard to hear beyond the pounding of her heart.
Straining, listening, Shan caught the hint of movement through the leaves. Dark
gray skin, wrinkled and studded with spikes, gleamed dully as the beast crept
through the small clearing in front of her. Slouching now on all fours, the
beast resembled a horrifying combination of a porcupine and a lizard.

Something tickled against her hand, and she flinched.
Freezing, she held her breath as the beast swung its head around. Moist
nostrils flared as it scented the air. Moving her head the barest fraction of
an inch, she looked down to see what was tickling her hand. Below a spider web
that brushed against her skin, metal shone. A sword gleamed in the light, long
and curved with a worn leather pommel.

Keeping her eyes on the beast, she slowly leaned over and
grasped the sword. The blade rasped against the earth as she drew it close.

Snorting, the beast lifted its head and moved a step closer
to her hiding place. She tensed, readying her body to strike. Before she could
decide to attack, a long and harsh scream pealed through the trees, and birds
took flight at the sound.

The beast answered that scream with one of its own and
crashed through the forest.

Cursing, Shan gave chase. Fighting back was the only thing
that ever stopped her nightmares, the only thing that allowed her to get some
sleep. It didn't always work, but over the years, she had honed her imagination
into a weapon.

Pale wood now poked into the path of the beast's wake, giant
tree limbs ripped off by its passage. Shan picked up her pace, running faster
than she ever would have been able to in the real world. Metal slapped against
her thighs, and she looked down to see that her pajamas had transformed into
some type of odd, vaguely Asian, armor. Weight settled over her head, and a
metal helmet narrowed her vision to a slit.

Not giving herself time to ponder a change that happened
without her willing it, she skidded to a stop with a scream tearing from her
throat.

Jessie, the priestess from Aphrodite's Temple, was sinking
into a pit of thick black tar. “Help me!” She was up to her waist now, and she
clawed at the sludge, trying to work her way to the edge of the pit. In front
of her, the beast turned and hissed.

Shan tried to dart forward, but the beast blocked her.
Something about the structure of the beast's jaw shifted then somehow morphed
into a larger shape like a snake distending it’s jaw, and the beast swiped at
her, knocking her to the ground. It hissed in a venomous snarl that tore at her
ears. It contained the screams of thousands of children, the terror of the
night.

Ignoring the pain of her bruised shoulder, Shan rolled and
slashed out with her sword. It caught the beast on its leg and opened a wound
that oozed fetid and rank blood. Beyond the beast, Jessie had sunk up to her
neck. Her eyes rolled to Shan, filled with despair.

Flicking the blood off her sword the same way she flicked
water off the blade during forging, she took a step forward and shouted,
“Jessie, wake up!” She felt silly even as she said this, it was her dream after
all, but she didn't like seeing Jessie like that and the beast of her nightmare
wouldn't let her get close.

In a blink, Jessie disappeared from the sinking sludge, and
the air popped as it filled the space. This dream was beyond anything she had
ever experienced before, and Shan felt the first rill of real fear.

The beast stumbled back from her and said in a garbled roar,
“Who are you?”

Before she could answer, a man's voice yelled in her ear
loud enough to wake the dead, “Stop screaming!”

Jerking up from her bed, Shan slammed her forehead into
Devon's face, and they both yelled.

“Ow!” Shan flopped back into her mound of pillows and
grabbed her forehead. “What the fuck!”

“You were yelling,” Devon replied and flicked on the bedside
lamp. Warm golden light illuminated the pure white comforter of her black
wrought iron canopy bed. Darkness showed through the cracks of her thick,
burnished gold and green curtains, and Devon rubbed his cheek.

The dream faded to wispy fragments, and Shan pushed at
Devon's T-shirt-clad chest. She hardly ever remembered her nightmares once she
was awake, and she really didn't want to. “I'm fine. It was just a dream.”

He stood from the bed, and she admired the way his gray
sweatpants clung to his hips. “You sure you're okay?”

“Yeah, I'm fine.”

“Good, because it's time to get up.”

“At six a.m.? Are you out of your mind?”

“I have to be at a Temple Guard training session at eight.”

“Well, you have fun; I'm going back to bed.” She clicked off
the light and snuggled back down into her pillows.

The light clicked back on. “You're coming with me.”

“The hell I am.” The light clicked back off.

“Yes, you are.” The light clicked back on.

“No, I'm not.” Not bothering with the light, she pulled the
covers over her head. Silence filled the room on the other side of the barrier
of her comforter, and she tensed.

“Shan, I'm going to give you to the count of three to get
out of that bed.”

“Piss off.”

“One.”

“You're not my father.”

“Two.”

“I'm not going.”

“Three.”

“You can't make me!”

For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, Shan
found herself glaring out the window of Devon's car.

He tried to get her to talk to him. “Shan, it's important
that you learn to defend yourself.”

Doing her best to ignore him, she kept her head turned to
look out the window. Morning traffic had them slowed to a crawl as they crept
toward the Egyptian Temple District. An older man in the sedan next to them
gaped at Devon's car. She was glad for the tinted windows as she slumped down
in her seat.

“I didn't mean to break your lamp. I'm sorry.”

The reminder of the lamp that had been knocked over in their
tussle ramped her anger back up.

“You're an asshole.” Turning her glare on him, she was
startled to note that he actually looked hurt by her words. “You can't tell me
to do things without explaining why. It's not fair.”

They inched forward, and he turned to look at her, his
teal-blue eyes intense in the morning sunlight. “You're right. It's not fair.”
His full lips softened. “It's not fair, but if I have to be an asshole to keep
you alive, I will.” She opened her mouth to yell at him, and he gently placed
his fingers over her lips. The tenderness in his touch stopped her. “But I will
try to tone it down, okay?”

“Okay,” she mumbled against his fingertips. Dark spice
filled the car, and his skin seemed to warm against her lips. The sunlight
intensified, highlighting everything around them into something magical. The
slightest rasp of his touch against her traveled through her body like liquid
fire. He jerked his hand away and clutched at the wheel. Big hands, rough and
scarred. What would they feel like on her body?

“Shan,” he said in a deep rumble. Gods, he was handsome. Her
heightened senses allowed her to see the perfection of his bone structure and
the dark lace of his lashes. As her focus intensified, she was astonished to
see the deep red of his aura curl around his body. Streaks of the purest gold
flashed through it like fire. “Please re-shield yourself before I have an
accident.”

“Oh!” Utterly embarrassed, she tried to visualize her aura
turning into ice. “Sorry about that.” As her shielding strengthened, the world
lost its hyper-reality and turned back to normal.

“It's okay.” He took a deep breath, his nostrils flaring.
“You're still learning. Later on today, we'll work on your shielding.”

“We can't…I mean, I can't. I have a cosplay event to go to
at the Washington Convention Center.”

“We have to go to a what?” Devon pulled into a parking spot
in front of an Egyptian grocery store.

Flushing, she unbuckled her seatbelt. “Cosplay. It's a big
time moneymaker for my jewelry line. I've designed a bunch of pieces that are
inspired by popular cartoons and video games.”

They shut the car doors, and Devon scanned the street before
joining her on the sidewalk. There was a subtle shift in his persona as they
walked down the street. His face closed down into a cold mask, and he seemed to
look everywhere at once. “You still didn't tell me what cosplay means.”

“Umm … it means costume play.”

He stopped watching their surroundings for a moment. “I'm
not dressing up.”

They waited for traffic to clear before he led them across
the street and paused in front of a large limestone building. “Yes, you are.”

“No, I'm not.” A tall woman in yoga pants and a matching
canary yellow jacket waved to Devon with a curious look. He raised a hand in
return but kept his attention focused on Shan. “I'm not dressing up like a
cartoon character.”

Closing her eyes, she spoke in a low voice, straining for
patience. “If you don't dress up, you're going to stand out and scare away my
customers. I need the money from this to work on my studio.”

A car passed by, and she opened her eyes a crack to find
Devon staring down the street. “You said people dress up like video game
characters too?”

“Yeah. I'm sure we can find something for you at the mall.”

He shook his head. “I'll call Jack.” Another group of men
and women entered the limestone building, casting curious looks in their direction.
“We need to get inside.”

Surprised at how easily he had given in, she smiled at him
and felt her heart flutter when he smiled back with enough warmth to melt her
shielding. Hyper-reality started to seep back in, and she quickly tightened her
shields again. It was too much to hope Devon didn't notice.

“There will be another Chosen at practice. My good friend,
Malik.” They climbed the steps to the building, and she examined the big,
smooth metal doors. There was no handle.

He moved over to the side of the door and faced a panel of
smooth black glass. A green light ran along the length of the glass and scanned
his body. From above them, a disembodied voice said, “Good morning, Captain
King.”

“Good morning. I have a guest with me today.”

“Can you please have her step in front of the scanner?”

Stepping in front of the panel, she tried to stand still as
the green light ran over her. “What is it doing?” she asked in a low whisper.

The voice from overhead answered, “Scanning and recording
your heat signature, aura pattern, iris pigmentation, and body image.”

Devon winked at her as the doors hissed open. “I'll meet you
in the practice room.”

“You're not coming with me?” A little rill of panic moved
through her.

“No, I need to change and stop in my office to check my
messages.” His grin widened. “I can bring you with me if you want to wait for
me in the men's locker room.”

“Uh…no thanks.”

The smile fell from his face as the doors hissed open. A
rather large man in a black suit with a gold curved sword pin at the lapel
ushered them in. He was around six-foot-three and had a carefully neutral
expression on his face.

“Miss Harrison, this is Lance Grayer. He'll take you to the
practice room.” Devon turned to Lance. “Miss Harrison is important to me. Make
sure nothing happens to her.”

Lance nodded at Devon, both men appearing unaware of her
super-heated blush at Devon's words. Sure, it was only because Devon was her
mentor, but she couldn't help the flush of heat at his words. Once again her
shielding trembled, and she had to work on keeping it tight.

Devon's lips twitched. “I'll see you in a few minutes.”

Not trusting herself to talk, she nodded and pretended to
study the room around them. She never reacted to men like this. Why did being
around Devon revert her to the awkward emotional age of thirteen?

Lance stepped aside and said, “Miss Harrison, if you will
follow me please.”

Shan gave him a small smile and followed him. The foyer was
small with padded benches against the dark, polished wood walls. A large desk
with two men at it sat in the middle of the room, and behind it stood a doorway
with a metal detector leading into the rest of the complex.

She walked behind Lance, trying not to stare at the weapons
rack lining the walls. They had all kinds of big guns she had never seen
before, as well as gas masks and what looked like several kinds of swords.

Lance took them through the metal detector, and odd puffs of
air blew her hair around as she moved through. A strong warding throbbed deep
in her bones as she passed beneath an inscribed bronze arch, and they were
finally in the main office of the Temple Guard.