Dora crossed her arms over her chest. “That woman freed me while you were still tromping around in the corridors.”
“We don’t have time for this.” He grabbed her upper arm. She jerked it free. “We must hurry.”
“I understand that. Keep your paws off me.”
With an exasperated sound, he headed down the hallway. Dora followed close behind. She could see little more than Kane’s broad back. The scene in her dojo replayed in her mind. Most arrogant jerks would have accepted her brazen offer without a second thought. He could have screwed her brains out, and she would have loved every minute of it. A heated tingle skittered down her spine. It had been years since she was tempted to --
He stopped short, and she collided with him, muttering a curse under her breath.
“You’re a long way from home,” a deep, rumbling voice said. “What brings you to the Underworld?”
Dora leaned around Kane to see who had spoken. Her eyes rounded, and her breath lodged in her throat. Easily topping seven feet, the speaker made Chaos look small. Standing side by side the resemblance was unmistakable.
“Hello, Hades.” Kane squared his shoulders and raised his chin. “I’ve come for the girl.”
Chapter Three
“Excuse me?” Dora put her hands on her hips and faced Kane. Not even her dreams got away with that tone.
“She doesn’t seem comforted by your presence.” Chaos ambled forward. Hades yanked him back.
Dora eyed -- was Hades a god? Tension mounted within her, making her heart race. “How did I end up in the Underworld?” Hearing her own question eased the tension gripping her chest. This was preposterous. “I’m not even Greek.”
He smiled, and his face transformed. His menacing gaze sparkled, and deep brackets framed his mouth. Struck by another resemblance, she looked at Kane. Were they somehow related?
“Let’s retire to my office and see if we can sort this out.” He motioned behind him with a sweeping gesture.
Despite his apparent civility, she hesitated. Her dream had already swung from intriguing to terrifying and back. Kicking Zared’s ass had felt wonderful, then suddenly she’d been chained to a bed. “What happened to the red-haired woman?”
“What red-haired woman?” Hades asked.
“A woman with long, auburn hair freed me from your son’s chamber.”
“Now I see why the sentinels are riled. You were smuggled in without my permission, a Dream Warrior has crossed over from the Dream Realm, and I may have another uninvited guest. Cerberus is getting old. I shall have to rethink my security.”
Dora rubbed her eyes, wishing she’d wake up. Her amusement was wearing thin. In a surreal daze, she followed Hades to his office. Chaos remained at his father’s side, while Kane sheathed his word and fell into step behind her.
She’d always been slow to believe anything she couldn’t experience with her five senses. Her senses told her this was real, yet her mind refused to accept the conclusion. There had to be another explanation. She couldn’t be in the Underworld.
Hades motioned her toward a carved ebony chair situated before his large desk.
“She was a gift from Delilah,” Chaos explained as Hades seated himself behind the desk. Chaos stood on her right, Kane on her left. Dora had never felt so tiny. “Zared bribed two guards to sneak her past Cerberus. One of my spies gave me their names.”
“Zared meant for you to find her after he activated the sexual compulsion.” Kane shifted his weight from one foot to the other.
“Oh my god, if I hadn’t commanded that thing to release me, I would have… Chaos would have found me like I was in my dojo?” Dora shuddered. “Where did Morpheus take Zared? I’m not finished with him!”
Kane chuckled, but Chaos met her gaze, confusion knitting his brow. “You fought the incubus?”
Hades didn’t let her answer. “If Morpheus thought a cage would contain Delilah, he’s learned little of the succubus.” He folded his arms over his chest, his gaze settled on Dora. “She looks enough like Lyra to be her twin.”
“Which is doubtless why she’s here,” Kane said.
“Is Morpheus any closer to learning Delilah’s real name?”
Kane shook his head. “He underestimated her resolve. She knows she can’t die, and she has nothing to gain by surrendering what little control she has left.”
Hades stroked his chin, looking from Chaos to Kane and back. “Before I had Athena wipe all memory of the succubus from my mind, I scattered a set of clues across the Realm of Mortals. Whoever follows the clues can learn Delilah’s real name and curtail her power once and for all.”
“You’re explaining this now?” Kane scoffed.
“If Athena wiped out your memory, how do you know about the clues?” Dora crossed her legs and relaxed against the chair. If her subconscious was determined to play with myths, why not enjoy the show?
“Obviously, she left that knowledge intact in case I had need of it.”
“Obviously.”
Hades glowered.
“Don’t provoke him,” Chaos said. “He can be quite unpleasant when provoked.”
“The voice of experience?”
Resting his forearms on the desktop, Hades narrowed his gaze. “The resentment of brothers gave birth to Delilah; it is only fitting that you undertake this quest together.”
“What?” Kane and Chaos said together.
“They are both your sons?” Dora motioned to the men on either side of her.
“Yes.” Hades smiled. “A youthful indiscretion and a momentary lapse of reason.”
“The succubus is a dream spirit,” Kane said. “I will undertake the quest.”
“My folly set her free.” Chaos sounded just as vehement. “The quest should be mine.”
Hades met Dora’s gaze, his smile dissipating. “What about you? Are you ready to undertake this quest?”
“Hell, no! I want to wake up.”
“I wish you were dreaming, little one. Your presence here is more upsetting than you know.”
He’s part of my dream. There’s no freaking way I’m in the Underworld!
“Knowing the real name of the succubus is a temptation too great for any male. A woman must accompany them on this quest.”
She just stared at him silently, unwilling to indulge her subconscious any further.
“Dora, you’re not dreaming.” Hades gazed at her, expectation clear in his eyes. “We don’t have time for your denials.”
“This is bullshit.” Pushing to her feet, she rushed for the door. It slammed shut in her face.
“I cannot restore you to life, but because you were not yet meant to die, I can allow you to choose how you spend --”
“I am not dead!” She balled her hands into fists, staring at the closed door, willing it to open, demanding that her subconscious release her from the dream.
Kane touched her shoulder. She twisted away, glaring at him.
“You were in my dream,” she cried “I must be dreaming still.”
“I’m a Dream Warrior,” Kane told her, his gaze bright with concern and compassion. “I interact with mortals through dreams. Because Hades is my father, I can also manifest in the Underworld. I followed you here from the Dream Realm, thinking Chaos had captured you.”
“I do not ravish defenseless women,” Chaos shouted.
“No, you seduce them in the dark of night!”
“Enough!” Hades’s roar shook the office. Dora turned around and leaned back against the door as he continued his rant. “This is not about Lyra. The succubus must be stopped, and you three are going to stop her.”
Chaos started toward her. “I will take Dora and --”
“You’re not going anywhere with her!” Kane shielded her with his body. His protectiveness surprised and intrigued her. No one had ever defended her before.
Easing past Kane, she approached Hades. “Are you sure a woman can command the succubus even with her real name?”
“Why do you
ask?”
“Kane tried to command Zared and the incubus ignored him. It was only when I used his name that he obeyed.”
Hades looked at Kane. “Is this true?”
“Yes. I was surprised, but it makes sense. An incubus can only access the dreams of women.”
“And Delilah only interacts with men.” Hades shook his head. “I left myself specific instructions, and one of them indicated that a woman would be sent to undertake this quest.”
“I was sent to entertain your son by the very creature you’re trying to destroy.” Dora tried not to laugh, but the situation grew more fantastical with each passing moment.
Ignoring her amusement, Hades tapped his thumb against the desktop and stared at her. “You’re the one. I can sense it.”
“You’re full of shit” She gulped as he shot to his feet, black gaze glowing. “I’m sorry.” If the ruler of the Underworld squashed her like a bug would she die in reality?
“She meant no insult, Father.” Chaos drew Hades’s angry gaze away from Dora. “It’s obvious she has yet to accept the reality of her circumstance.”
She licked her lips and tried again, her tone far more respectful. “I got the impression you planted these clues a long time ago.”
His only answer was a stiff nod.
“Then how could you have known I would end up here?”
“I can’t explain the situation, but you are the one.” That apparently settled the matter for him. “If you return with the true name of the succubus, I will reward you handsomely. If you fail, I will put you in a cage beside Delilah until she tells you her name.”
Dora gasped. “Chaos set the succubus free and Kane is a Dream Warrior. How did I get dragged into this?”
“You were in the wrong place at the wrong time, wearing the wrong face.” Hades folded his hands, his gaze boring into hers. “This is too important. I can’t afford to be nice.”
“How will I access the Realm of Mortals?” Kane asked. “For that matter, won’t Chaos draw too much attention to us?”
“This is All Hallows Eve. The realms overlap and dimensions blend. I can insert all three of you into the Waking Realm until dawn.”
“It can’t be Halloween.” A shiver raced down her spine. “This morning it was mid-September.”
“Time passes differently here. The sooner you accept it, the easier it will be for you to adjust.” Something akin to compassion lit Hades’s gaze. “You belong to the Underworld now.”
“She may have been thrust into the afterlife, but she doesn’t belong to the Underworld,” Kane insisted. He moved closer to Dora. Hades could have let her discover the truth in her own time. She couldn’t ignore her senses indefinitely.
“It’s a disservice to Dora if we allow her to be blinded by false hope. I will investigate her options while you complete the quest, but she can’t go back.”
“I’m -- dead?” Her voice shook and tears shimmered in her eyes. Kane wrapped his arm around her shoulders, ignoring her token struggle until she settled against his side. She blinked repeatedly, refusing to let the tears fall. Stubborn chit.
“Why waste all this time?” Chaos grumbled. “Tell us where the last clue is, and we’ll return with the name.”
“I can’t. Each guardian only has one piece of the puzzle. I have concealed the details, even from myself.”
“We only have until dawn?” Hoarse and unsteady, her tone sent protectiveness surging through Kane.
“I will empower you with everything you need to succeed, but you must focus entirely on the quest.”
Dora’s expression filled with speculation and cunning. The little vixen was plotting something. Pretending to yawn, he hid his smile and studied her lovely face. Her physical resemblance to Lyra was staggering, but their personalities differed vastly. Lyra would have been hysterical with her first glimpse of Hades, while Dora spoke her mind and stood her ground.
She rubbed her arms and glanced down at her borrowed shirt. “I can’t go traipsing around in this, even on Halloween.”
Hades nodded, his lips curving with the hint of a smile. His dark gaze swept her tall form and the shirt transformed. Diaphanous material gathered over one shoulder, barely covering her full breasts. A wide golden belt accented her narrow waist before the short, fluttery skirt flared out over her hips.
“Is this supposed to be funny?” she snapped.
“It’s Halloween,” Hades reminded her. “You’re a nymph.”
“Well, this nymph isn’t going anywhere until she’s fully clothed.”
Kane paused for a moment to appreciate her curvaceous body showcased in the filmy dress before he sent an image to Hades. “Try this.”
“That’s no garment for a woman.”
“We don’t have all night,” Kane reinforced before Dora could verbalize the indignation in her eyes.
Hades waved his hand and the dress lengthened and split, transforming into the white uniform she’d worn in the Dream Realm. The garment triggered memories of her mouth moving over his and her soft skin beneath his palms.
His body had demanded he take full advantage of the sexual compulsion. He wanted to touch her, and taste her, and thrust into her wet heat until she screamed with release. Each time he looked into her eyes awareness flared, keeping his desire simmering.
“Where does this quest begin?” Chaos asked with obvious impatience.
“Go to the Navy Pier in Chicago. Alexa will find you there.”
Chapter Four
Dora clung to Kane’s arm as they manifested in a secluded corner of a park. Maybe Dream Warriors and demigods were used to instantaneously zapping from one location to another, but her legs trembled and vertigo made her stomach heave. Cool night air wafted against her cheeks as she waited for the world to stabilize. Her eyes focused in the twilight, nausea receding with each deep breath.
“Are you all right?” Kane asked, his voice warm and caressing.
“I will be.” He wrapped his arm around her waist as she took a wobbly step.
She swept the park with an assessing glance. Beyond the trees concealing them, she caught a glimpse of manicured gardens and a tiered fountain. On her right a massive Ferris wheel rose into the sky, illuminated with colorful lights.
“The pier is sure to be crowded. I thought it best to arrive here.”
Accepting Chaos’s explanation with a nod, she eased away from Kane. “Before we begin this adventure, I need to find a phone.”
“Who do you wish to call?” Chaos asked. “It’s unwise to --”
“She should talk to Sheri. It will alleviate her doubts once and for all.”
Dora put her fists on her hips and faced Kane. “How do you know Sheri?”
“She’s been spending a great deal of time with one of my friends.”
“Ryder is a friend of yours?”
“Ryder is a Dream Warrior,” Chaos said, absently kicking at the fallen leaves.
She shook her head, searching her memory. “He can’t be. Not only did I see him while I was awake, I shook his hand.”
“Most dream spirits aren’t able to solidify in the Waking Realm, but Ryder is the oldest and most powerful of the Dream Warriors.” Kane motioned toward the colorful attractions waiting in the distance. “Let’s get going. We only have a few hours to complete this quest.”
“Why is learning the real name of the succubus so important?” Dora stayed close to Kane as they crossed the park. Years of training and discipline taught her self-reliance. Still, having a warrior covering her back held undeniable appeal.
“Delilah is not just a succubus,” Chaos told her. “She’s the original succubus. She’s the source from which all others descend.”
Dora looked at Chaos as confusion knitted her brow. “How does a spirit reproduce?”
“She doesn’t actually create other dream spirits. It’s more like she trains them.” She’d directed the question to Chaos, but Kane replied. “For the longest time only Morpheus and his brothers were able t
o manipulate the Dream Realm. Then Morpheus recruited Ryder.”
“Does Sheri know what Ryder is?” They continued across the park, myriad questions spinning through her mind.
“Of course. Your cousin and Ryder have become quite close.”
Needing the distraction, Dora focused on her unanswered questions. “When did Delilah first appear?”
“Shortly after humans spread across the face of the earth, the Dream Realm became too vast for one being to manage. Morpheus and his brothers separated the responsibilities into three divisions, designating roles according to each brother’s expertise.”
“Morpheus has two brothers?” Dora dragged the elastic band off her half-loosened hair, gathered the thick mass at the nape of her neck and refastened the band.
“He has three brothers,” Kane corrected.
“But you said they separated the Dream Realm into three divisions.”
“Morpheus oversees the entire realm. His brothers have specific roles, but they more or less answer to Morpheus.”
She paused on the sidewalk and looked at Kane. “Hades said the resentment of brothers unleashed the succubus. Who created Delilah?”
“Morpheus isn’t sure.”
“Or he won’t say,” Chaos countered.
“Why would he withhold the information if he knew?” Kane asked.
Dora shook her head and started walking again. This could be a very long night if these two continued to snarl at each other. “You said the realm became too big to manage. How did dividing it help?”
“Each brother was empowered to create helpers, within the scope of their responsibilities.”
“Whose responsibilities required a succubus?”
“The succubus is evil.” The passion in Chaos’s tone drew Dora’s attention to him. “Whoever created that creature did it with malicious intent.”
Laughter drifted on the air as a family rushed past. Adorned in simple discount store costumes, three children scrambled toward the entrance of the amusement center. The youngest paused and stared at Chaos until his mother dragged him away by the sleeve.
Dora’s chest tightened. It was Halloween. Six weeks had vanished in an instant.
Dream Warriors 3_Kane Page 3
