The Knight of Her Dreams (Dragons and Dreamphasers) (32 page)

“Not for you, I’m not,” she replied.

“So you say now,” he said, kissing
her hand.  “But I believe I could convince you otherwise.”  At her gasp, a
devious smile crept across his face.  “You know, I’m beginning to see how
beautiful you are when you’re speechless.”  His green eyes quickly glanced over
her, as his free hand ran along her arm.  “And most desirable.”  She opened her
mouth to scream, but his hand prevented this.  “No, don’t waste your sweet
voice.  I’ve already taken the liberty of sending away the others in this
building.  I assure you, we’re all alone.”

Her head shook his hand away angrily,
glaring at him coldly.  “Why are you doing this?” she asked.  “I’ve never even
met you before.”

“Ah, but that didn’t stop you from
throwing yourself at Dominick when you first met.  Why should I consider now to
be any different?”

“Because Dominick and I are in love
with each other!”

“Love!” he sneered in disgust.  “The
only so-called
love
between you two is your shared fire in the heat of
passion.  “Take it from me, I’ve seen enough to know that love itself is a
myth.  The bards just like to pretty up the reality of things.”

“That’s not true.  Love may not always
be easy, but it is real.  Until I met Dominick, I had my doubts about love
too.  But the right person makes all the difference.”

The sincerity in her voice and her
eyes softened his heart, causing his irritation to fade, and making him regret
his initial impressions of her.

“And if there isn’t such a person?”

“Then either you haven’t met them
yet, or you aren’t seeing someone that’s already there.  Either way, chiding
love as a myth won’t help you to find it.  And only someone who’s been hurt
reaching for love would have reason to shun it, wouldn’t they?”

Have I been wrong?
he thought privately.

Leaning his forehead against hers, he
sighed heavily.  “Oh, lady…”

Still not knowing who he was,
Julianna was frozen in place, silently praying Dominick would show up to rescue
her from this situation, before this man might suddenly become unstable once
more.

*****

“You just woke me up from a sound
sleep, and I still don’t see why this can’t wait until tomorrow,” said
Dominick, nearly hissing the words.  Having just reached Julianna’s home in
astral form, the last thing he expected was for someone to jar him back to
Chavernos by pounding his door off its hinges until he awoke.  Being wrenched
back abruptly was never pleasant to a dreamphaser, and certainly added to his
foul mood when he discovered it was someone he didn’t even know.  The time he’d
spent listening to the stranger’s reason for being here didn’t help.  “Riff
might not be back until much later, and I don’t have time to entertain you
while he’s gone.”

The stocky man before him shook his
head.  “Your brother owes me a considerable sum of money, and I’m not leaving
until he shows up or you help me locate him.”

Damn Riff!
Dominick thought.  He was used to
hearing of his brother’s spending binges, which usually resulted in bringing
the people that he owed money to here.  But never had they shown up at night
like this, demanding payment immediately, while Riff was heaven only knew
where!

His eyes turned to the clock and he
growled quietly.  No doubt Julianna was waiting for him, and this trivial
matter was bound to detain him until he could either find Riff or calm this
person into waiting until the morrow.

“Look,” he said, forcing his voice to
stay controlled, “just what’s so urgent that you need this money tonight?”

The man looked flustered for a
minute, but then said a bit uneasily, “That’s none of your business.  I deal
with your brother alone.”

So much for attempts at control
, Dominick’s thoughts mocked.

“Well, I’m
not
my
brother, so you may as well face facts.  He’s not here tonight!  Now I have
other things to see to, so if you’ll just be on your way...”

“No!” the man said emphatically.

Dominick growled in frustration.

“Did Riff give you any indication of
where he was going tonight?” he asked finally.  The man’s long pause before
shaking his head, led new suspicion into Dominick’s eyes.  “You’re sure now.” 
The man shook his head again, just before he nodded frantically.

“I was supposed to find out from you
where he was.”

“I see... who sent you?”

The man fumbled for a moment before
answering, “Just someone I know.  He doesn’t concern you either.”

Something was definitely amiss here. 
An instinct Dominick had developed after years of his brother’s deceitful
pranks.  For some reason—call it a resemblance to Kiri’s psychic instincts—he
had the uncanny notion that he was being set up.

“You’re lying,” he said quietly,
hoping the man would give something away.

“What?” the man stammered.

“Don’t give me that.  It’s obvious by
your actions that you’re hiding something, and I’d bet Riff’s behind this.  Now
why don’t you save us both a headache and come clean.  What’s this all about?”

“I told you, I don’t have to tell
you.”

Dominick’s banked anger flared up
instantly.  Grabbing the man’s shoulders, he slammed him back against the
wall.  “I’ve had just about enough of this
game
of yours, and now
you’re going to give me some answers!  Unless you want to find out what painful
tortures an angry dreamphaser can conjure up when you’re next asleep.”

The look of worry on the man’s face
was almost laughable.  Dominick had never used his abilities in that way,
although he knew others who had—and of course he was bluffing here—but it was a
threat that most who knew dreamphasers’ abilities wouldn’t ignore.  Having
control over the dream-state could be a powerful weapon to wield, when
necessary.

“I don’t have to...” the man began
shakily.

“Don’t push me,” warned Dominick. 
“Do you know what I’ll do to you in your sleep if you still refuse to answer
me?”  The man froze, shaking his head slightly in negation.  “Well, let me
paint you a for instance.  How would you like to have every limb torn from your
body—slowly and most excruciatingly—and then to see those same appendages
tossed to a pack of hungry wolves?”

That sounded convincing
, he thought with amusement.

It was apparently working.

As the man visibly cringed, Dominick
continued deviously, “Or how would you like having a dark dragon skin you
alive, until there’s nothing left of you but the skeleton beneath, and to have
an army of ogres and trolls sent in to break what bones are left of you?  Not a
pretty sight, and also very painful.  I’d say you’ll be screaming for about a
week afterwards, even while awake...”

“It was Riff’s idea!” the man blurted
out.  “He just told me to keep you busy while he’s gone, so you wouldn’t enter
the dream-state!”

Dominick’s eyes lost their look of
mischief, newfound anger lighting them.  “Why?” he hissed, earning silence. 
Slamming the man back against the wall again, he snarled, “Tell me why,
dammit!”

“I’m not sure!” he protested. 
“Something about seeing a Julianna woman!”

His words sank deep.

“Julianna,” breathed Dominick, his
face draining of color.  By Chavernos, Riff wouldn’t...  Memories of former
incidents flashed through his mind. 
Like hell he wouldn’t!
his thoughts
concluded, turning his gaze sharp again.  “Why is he going to see her?  Tell me
now, or by Chavernos, I swear you’ll regret it!”

“He didn’t tell me!” exclaimed the
man, shaking violently now.  “I swear he didn’t!  Please don’t skin me to bones
in my sleep.”

Dominick’s expression remained
hardened for a moment, but then he relented, sensing the man’s last protest to
be the truth.  Pulling open the door, he roughly pushed him outside.  “You’re
reprieved for now,” he hissed, glaring at the cowering man.  “But mark my
words, if anything should happen to Julianna because of your trickery, there
won’t be anywhere in the dream-state or reality where you’ll be able to hide
from my wrath!”

Slamming the door, Dominick strode
towards his room, cursing the man, cursing his brother, and cursing himself for
falling for the simple dupe.  Now it made sense why Riff wasn’t home, obviously
so he couldn’t be stopped from sending out to the dream-state.  And to make
matters worse, Dominick had made the mistake of mentioning to his friends today
where Julianna lived.  Obviously, Riff had overheard.  He could only hope that
his brother hadn’t located her yet, shutting his eyes to send out to the
dream-state again to go to her.

*****

Long moments passed before Julianna
could even find her voice to speak.  “Please… let me go find Dominick.”

“He won’t be here,” Riff replied
quietly.

“Why?” she demanded, fear giving way
to a different, stronger fear.  “Is he hurt?”

He paused, but had no chance to
reply, as an invisible force suddenly grabbed hold of him, slamming him into
the opposite wall.  Riff’s head smacked against the bricks that materialized
there, sliding down to the floor with pained surprise as Dominick moved forward
slowly to stand just before him.

He’d sensed Julianna’s fear even
before he entered the room, and when he saw his brother having cornered her,
any need for an explanation vanished.

“Get up,” he hissed in a deadly
voice.  Riff made no move to do so, even as Julianna ran over to stand behind
her companion, clasping his arm shakily.  Sensing her trembling, he turned to
her worriedly, placing his hands on her shoulders.  “Are you all right, love?”
he asked softly.  She nodded quickly, but upon seeing the shock still apparent
in her eyes, he hugged her against his side protectively.

“Well, I guess you two don’t need me
anymore,” Riff murmured, slowly backing up as he stood.

“Hold it right there!” snapped
Dominick, his eyes shooting fire.  Releasing Julianna, he stormed over to face
his brother.  “You know, I was a bit late getting here because I was
temporarily
detained
by one of your buddies.  He said you owed
him money.”

Riff’s expression showed obvious
relief.  “Oh, well you know how I am sometimes, Phase.  It’s a weakness.”

“Yes, I know how you are all too
well,” Dominick retorted, slamming his fist into Riff’s jaw, knocking him
backwards into the brick wall again.  While he was disoriented, Dominick
dragged him to his feet, no longer seeming the younger brother and certainly no
less apt in strength.  “You bastard,” he hissed in a low voice.  “You thought
to seduce the woman I love, no doubt as another of your stupid games against
me.   But Julianna is the one woman I won’t allow you to work your machinations
on.”

“Oh, listen to you!” Riff laughed in
derision, turning to her.  “I hope you realize, dear lady, that your precious
lover isn’t as chaste as you may have been originally.  He’s had scores of
women in the dream-state dating back to his sixteenth birthday, if he didn’t
start earlier.”

“I know that,” she whispered.

“You what?” he gasped, shaking his
head with unexpected surprise.  “And it doesn’t bother you?”

She shook her head.  “I’m not happy
about it, no.  But they were in the past.”  Her thoughts turned to Roger
momentarily.  “Just like anyone I used to know.”

Riff’s eyes widened as he turned to
face his brother incredulously.  “I don’t believe I just heard her correctly. 
You told her about your former affairs?  Are you insane?”

“Yes, I told her,” hissed Dominick. 
“And no, I’m not crazy.  I happen to love her enough to be honest regarding the
past, since it won’t have any effect on our future.  She knows I’d simply been
searching for love without finding it, but that I do love her.”

Riff turned back to Julianna.  “And
you believed all this?” he laughed.

Dominick’s hands gripping his throat
choked off any further words.  “She believes it, because it’s the truth!  And
you, my
dear
brother, should know better by now than to try
seducing someone I’m involved with, let alone to try starting trouble between
us.  You’re not going to get away with it this time, Riff!”

“
Riff?
” gasped
Julianna.  “You’re Dominick’s
brother
?”  He’d barely gotten out a
nod before she lunged forward, her hands clawing at him, even as Dominick
reached out to hold her back.  “You rotten bastard!  You knew I was involved
with your brother, yet you put the moves on me anyway!  How could you be such
an insensitive jerk?”

Slowly, Dominick managed to calm her
down, holding her comfortingly while his gaze never strayed from his devious brother. 
“I’ll take care of this, love,” he said softly, kissing her forehead once. 
“Why don’t you go back to our castle to wait for me?”

“I’m not going anywhere without you
now,” she said, eyeing Riff with open distrust.

Understanding, he nodded once, gesturing
her to one side.  His silent look afterwards told her that there was still a
matter to be settled, and she wasn’t about to interfere.