Dreaming of You

by Crymsyn R. Hart

  "Tucker.” It had to be him. He wanted to be sure that none of his kind found me, and by me messing with my own dreams, he had to change reality. I threw the book across the room so hard it knocked off the picture of me and my parents on their last visit out here. It was a picture of us standing in front of the college's main sign. Both of them were so proud of me I was going for my master's degree, but I had no idea what I wanted to do when I got done. I had thought about studying sleep patterns or dream psychology when I had talked to Professor Amonde, but now that my paper was on a completely different subject, who knew. I was not crazy. I know that. I had not imagined what went on with me and Tucker. I had the bite to prove it.

  I jumped into the bathroom and pulled my shirt down, but instead of a chunk of flesh missing from my shoulder, there was only smooth skin. Tears came to my eyes. I was not going to forget what happened to me. I wouldn't let myself.

  Back in my room, I grabbed a journal and wrote all of my experiences down I could remember even down to what Professor Amonde had said and Tucker. I would not lose it. After I finished, my hand was so cramped that I had to wrap it in ice to make it feel better.

  Tucker had turned my world completely upside down by cutting out a large part of it. I wasn't going to let him get to me. I sat on my bed and relaxed. I practiced what I had been taught on controlling my own reality inside my mind. I did this over and over again until I had a good sense of my limits on the astral plane.

  I put in hours and hours until finally I knew I had a good handle on it. All the while, my dreams were normal. I had a few during which I knew I was dreaming, but I had no control. Each time I woke up, I was more determined to find Tucker again in my dreams. I went out and purchased more dream books. They all said that it was possible to control my dreams; calling it lucid dreaming. I had to have a strong will and enough concentration to be able to step into the dream world and then have the grasp of realty to know I was dreaming, and then bend the dream world to my will. Kasandra thought I had gone loony all of a sudden, talking about my dreams the way I did. I knew I could do it. I admit I was a little obsessed, but I had my reasons. I desired to see Tucker again. I wanted to hold him again. This time, I wasn't going to let him get away from me that easily. He was going to change my reality back so I could get credit for all the work on a paper I had done on dreams. And, hopefully, every night I wouldn't wake up being so lonely.

  Tucker was a daemon. It scared me to think like that since I didn't believe in Hell. But I also knew there was good in him. There had to be if he had gone to all the trouble he did to hide me from his brother daemons. If some of the books I had read were correct, then he was half angel. He said he loved me when he wasn't permitted the emotion. That had to count for something. I didn't want to change him, but I had feelings for him, too. It wasn't just an obsession or a spell he had over me because he had fed off of my soul. I had grown to love him in the dreams we shared. It was now or never.

  I sat with my back against the wall and closed my eyes. Instantly, I was transported into the astral realm. Well my own little piece of if that I controlled. It was dark with just grass and a full moon over head. I imagined a door before me. This was my way into the world of dreams where I could walk among others, but I only wanted to find Tucker. Taking a deep breath, I knew that whatever would happen was my choice. Reaching out my hand, I pushed it open. On the other side was a vast array of stars. Without hesitation, I stepped through it. Immediately, I fell in the soundless void. Wind whipped at my flesh. There were things in the darkness with me. I couldn't see them, but I could feel them. The beings were big with sharp talons. I could sense their claws and teeth snapping at me. Fear surged my heart forward. I had to remember I had the power to control this reality. I wanted to be away from the dark things. Safe. Instantly the world shifted. I landed hard on my ass in the middle of a cloud with a little girl drinking tea. Instead of tea, the liquid was blue.

  "Who are you?” she asked.

  "Tabby. Who are you?"

  The girl giggled. “I'm Alice, of course. Are you here to keep the monsters from getting me?"

  The sky darkened, turning crimson. I glanced back at the little girl, and I saw little things swimming in her teacup. When she smiled again, the same things were poking out from between the spot were here front teeth used to be. “Holy shit!"

  "It's bad manners to swear. My mommy says all people who say naughty words will go to H-E-double hockey sticks. Are you here to protect me?"

  Her head began to melt into a mass of twisted flesh. Her fingers looked like they had been chewed off. Her blue dress was smeared with mud, as if she had come out of the grave. “No, Alice I'm sorry. I'm looking for a monster on my own."

  She laughed a sinister tone. “Oh really, and which one is that?” Her voice had suddenly become gravelly.

  I wasn't talking to a little girl any more. “Who are you?"

  "That's for me to know and you to find out!"

  The creature reached for me, but I squeezed my eyes shut and willed myself somewhere else. I felt myself traveling, fast. When I landed, it was with a thud and a sharp pain. I opened my eyes. I was outside a very large oak door which was attached to a castle. A very creepy castle with gargoyles guarding the doors. The knockers were the size of my head. Moss and ivy crawled up the side of the crumbling bricks. I made it to my feet only to realize that my ankle was twisted badly.

  "Fuck.” An eerie feeling crept over me as I stood slowly using the door to hold my weight. I calmed my mind and tried willing myself somewhere else, but no matter how hard I tried I wasn't going anywhere. There was a flutter above me and then a screech. When I looked up, I saw a funnel cloud of bats descending on me. This wasn't going good. Maybe this was my dream, but it felt real. I banged on the door.

  "Let me in!” I called. The rabid bats were on me, but before they sank their teeth into me, the door opened and I fell in. Before me was the typical butler wearing a tuxedo.

  "Miss, the Master has been expecting you. Won't you come and join us in the study."

  I hobbled in slowly while taking in the suits of armors, dark portraits of long dead relatives, and fraying tapestries. When I got into the study there was a large fireplace. A man stood before it with his hands clasped behind his back. I noticed a large ruby set in dark yellow gold ring. It winked at me while the firelight bounced off it. When the door closed behind me, the man turned. Instantly, I was captured by his appearance. He had a high forehead. His long dark hair was swept up in a ponytail and fastened with a red silk ribbon. There was an olive hue to his skin. His eyes were completely black. A short, clipped beard adorned his jawline. A sexual charge sparked around him. I had never encountered anything like him. He dressed all in black and had a ruby pin holding his collar together. I found myself shaking as I stared. I knew once his dark gaze swept over me that this was not part of dreamwalking. He wasn't just a regular person caught up in the same vision. This being was the real deal.

  "Who are you?"

  He smiled and extended his hand to me. I wasn't about to take it. I saw sharp black nails at the end of his fingers.

  "Come here, Tabitha. I won't hurt you. I just want to talk. If I wanted to kill you, I would have had my Nightmares do so when you first entered my realm.” He beckoned me forward. I didn't have a choice. I was stuck here.

  Slowly, I hobbled forward, wincing every time my foot hit the floor. He noticed that I was limping, but did not offer to help me sit down. Honestly, I wasn't about to ask for any help considering I didn't know exactly what kind of a creature he was. I figured he was one of the daemons. Finally, I enjoyed the warmth of the fire. The flames were eerie, dancing about forming faces as they parted and rose while eating at the wood. One of those faces leered at me, jumped out of the hearth, and sent a flame shooting up to the mantle. With a squeak, I jumped back onto the sofa.

  My host's laughter filled the room. “My servants do not appreciate that you have stepped into our realm and that they are not allowed
to play with you. It's rare we have a human who is so aware of our world. Of course, many mortals are able to control some small aspect of their dreams, but you have learned to manipulate all of yours. You've even dared cross the threshold into our reality. Now tell me why that is."

  I swallowed when he sat beside me. Fear pounded through me. Should I tell him about Tucker? I didn't want to get him in trouble, but I was here looking for him. “How do I know you really are the lord of this realm? You could be just another daemon trying to trick me."

  My host reached out and grabbed my chin. The points of his nails pierced my flesh. I bit my lip against the pain and tried to escape him. I was held by his strength and the power in his eyes. The black orbs sparked the same color as the fire, burning into my mind. The abyss I had seen when I was with Tucker reappeared, but there was no pleasure in the energy I received from the daemon's touch. Only searing pain. I was on fire. I screamed as it consumed my flesh. I couldn't move. The abyss was coming to claim me and I was burning. Then, when I didn't know if I could take the pain anymore, the heat evaporated. Cold washed over me and found myself trembling with terror. I drew in a breath, realizing I was free from his power.

  "Do you believe me now?” he asked with a sneer on his lips.

  Tears streamed down my face. He didn't let me go. “Yes."

  "Good. Now tell me why you entered my realm. I suggest you answer truthfully and don't piss me off again. What you felt was nothing compared to the full extent of my abilities. Understand?"

  I nodded. “I-I'm looking for one of your daemons. He haunted my dreams and then nothing. He left, and I was hoping to see him again."

  My host let me go and reclined on the other side of the sofa. Amusement animated his features. “You certainly amaze me, Tabitha. Why would a bright and talented human like yourself come looking for one of my subjects? It's obvious you know much about my kind if you came here and mastered your dreams. You must also know that any daemon attached to a mortal feeds off their souls. Is that what you want from this one daemon ... to consume your soul? How about I make you a better offer? You forget about the one whom you seek. I'll decree that none of my subjects ever interferes with you again. I'll give you leave to walk in this realm whenever you wish. Maybe we can even talk once again."

  I was stunned by his offer. He was allowing me to come back here whenever I wanted, unhampered by any other daemons. But what good would that do me? I hadn't learned to control my dreams just to walk about in other people's nightmares. I wanted to see Tucker. These past weeks, I had missed him. I wanted him in my life even if it was for a brief moment. “I appreciate the offer, but I can't accept it. I know that your kind feed on souls, but I can't give up on finding who I came here to see."

  My host tented his fingers. “Who is it that you seek?"

  "He told me his name was Tucker. If he has another name, I don't know it."

  "My subjects know to never give a mortal their true name. That would allow the mortal to have power over them. This daemon didn't give you his real name. Did you see his true appearance?"

  Sorrow filled me when I realized that I was further from ever seeing Tucker again. That wasn't even his real name. I sighed. “No. He said if I ever saw his true form, then I would be his body and soul. When we were together, in my dreams, he never showed me what he looked like. He only assumed the form of whatever creature was in my dreams. Vampire, werewolf, angel, whatever I wanted."

  "He was correct. If a human sees us, then we own them. Their soul is ours to feed from. Why did he let you go?"

  "What will you do to him if I tell you? Will you punish him? You have to swear to me you won't harm him."

  He gazed at me with his ebony eyes. His mind seared through mine and I couldn't hide anything from him. By the time he was done, he knew everything that had happened between Tucker and I. I wasn't ashamed of what had happened. I just wanted him back in my life.

  "You love him."

  "Yes.” I turned my attention back to the fireplace. The flames still danced, but there were no more faces. My eyes stung from brimming tears. I wiped them away before my dark host could see them. “I know your kind isn't supposed to love. The ability was taken away from you by God when you bargained for immortality with the Devil. But he loves me, or at least he feels some semblance of the emotion. He said the others would kill him if they found out. Your kind doesn't like weak links and all.” I wiped more tears away and then glanced back at him. He was unmoved.

  "Love is forbidden to us. That is true, but sometimes, it can break through the cracks. Love is a powerful gift given to humans by the Above. If one of my daemons truly loves you, then the others might see this as a weakness. It is said that if a daemon can ever truly love and the human loves it in return, then the daemon will transcend and become an angel. Of course, this is all myth, but still. There is one thing you don't know about us. We may have gone to the Devil for our immortality, but we are a step above his demons. We don't answer to the Devil and the Above shuns us. We are our own species if you will. From your mind, I see that you summoned my daemon into your reality. You had sex with him, and he nearly stole your soul then. It would have been a great temptation for him to steal it all, but he stopped and left you alone, even changing your reality so you would try and forget him, making you think it was all a dream. Very tricky. Were you worth all the trouble my daemon went through to hide you from me? Let's find out."

  He reached over across the couch, but I dropped to the floor before he could touch me. Hitting the floor hard, I twisted my ankle even more. I yelped and tried to get up. I hobbled along with my foot dragging behind me. I made it to the wall lined with bookshelves, but when I tried the handle on the door, it wouldn't open. I closed my eyes and willed myself back to my body, but nothing happened again. He was walking closer. The Daemon Lord shifted and changed. His dark suit became dark red flesh stretched over a massive chest and muscles which were rock hard. His face elongated and large bull-like horns grew from the sides of his head meeting at one dangerous point before his forehead. His hair was still black and pulled back. His eyes were black, but his teeth were pointed. A snakelike tongue licked thin lips as a black, skirtlike garment covered his lower extremities. His feet were cloven and as black as his hair. His hooves echoed on the stone floor as he walked over to me. I let myself slide down the door as hope abandoned me.

  This was his true form. I knew it in my bones. Now I was his. He would take my soul, and I was helpless against him. He knelt down before me.

  "Please. No."

  He took my face between his hands and cradled it gently. His hands were scalding. “Yes. I won't hurt you. I just want a taste.” The lord pressed his lips to mine and then drew back slightly. Something released from my chest and worked up my throat. I choked and coughed. When I did a wisp of energy left my mouth and work into his while he sucked out my very essence. He was true to his word and backed away, leaving me coughing and feeling weak. The pain doubled in my ankle. My host had his hands clenched at his side in tight fists. His nails must have cut into his flesh because droplets of blood plopped onto the floor. His eyes were closed, his head tilted back, as he relished whatever he had drawn out of me. When he opened his eyes again, he gazed at me and ran the back of his hand down my cheek.

  "You're going to kill me now, aren't you? I've seen you. You said it yourself. Now I'm yours."

  His form shifted back to what I had seen him as before. “Yes. You are mine now, Tabby. But I'm not going to kill you. At least not yet. I want to savor you. I'll keep you alive as my paramour. If you prove to be a good lay, then I might just let you keep your soul."

  "I'll never sleep with you. I'm no one's plaything. Take my soul now if you want it that badly. I'll take my punishment in whatever form you want to give it."

  "Would you have me kill your daemon before your eyes? I can summon him with a snap of my fingers. We can watch as Lucifer's demons come to collect him. Hellfire will burn away his flesh and eat his bones. It's gr
eat fun. I've watched it before, and the Devil loves new beings to fuck. Would you damn him to an eternity of suffering because you won't give up your body to me?"

  "I wish I had never come here.” I tried to hide my face in my hands. I loved Tucker, but I didn't want to see him burn. This thing, his king, would do exactly what he said if I didn't submit to him.

  "You might wish that you hadn't come here, but you are here. All because you fell in love with a daemon. Would you do anything to be sure that your beloved Tucker remains in my services and alive?"

  My head thumped against the hard door. There was no way I was getting out of this. “Yes."

  "Then look at me.” I looked back at him and his cruel smile was replaced by a gentle one. He reached out, took my palm, and kissed the inside of it lightly. A shiver of pleasure moved through me even though I didn't want it to. “I won't hurt you, Tabby.” He leaned forward and planted a light kiss on my cheek. The imprint of his lips sent a fire down deep inside my soul. “I won't force you. I can woo you."

  I shook my head and laughed. “What does it matter? You're going to claim me anyway."

  The daemon lord leaned in closer and whispered in my ear. “It matters.” He scooped me up and crossed his study. The world shimmered and then we were in his bedroom. A sumptuous king-size bed was the centerpiece of the room. He laid me on it. He lifted my hair from my neck and kissed it lightly. I shivered at his gentleness. A sharp nail traced the line of my spine. My back arched from the pleasure shooting through me.

  "I can't do this!"

  "Shh ... I know it's a stretch, but you swore."

  "I know, but not like this.” I stopped as an idea hit me. There must be a way to trap him. There had to be some way to catch him at his own game and keep him in my reality. I have to get back there and figure out what is going on and how I can get him to stay there. I'll honor my bargain, but not now. “Come to me in my own reality.” I turned around the best I could and faced him. I pulled his face close to mine and traced my tongue over his lips. He tasted like salt and smoke. “Here you have all the power. Shadows and dreams. You have all the advantages. Let me have some of my own.” I pulled his lip between my teeth and nibbled on it. His nails pressed into my skin but didn't break the flesh.