The overhead lights flipped off, and Kane looked at the clock.
“Time passed while we were in there.” Dora turned back to the window.
“Icelus deals in realism.”
“Or he was just being a bastard,” Chaos suggested.
“Where will the last one take us?” Dora touched the outer edge of Morpheus’s image.
“Hopefully, home.” Kane interlaced his fingers through hers and activated the portal. They emerged in the Great Hall of Morpheus, and Kane smiled.
“Wow.” Dora released his hand and turned around in a slow circle. “This is even more impressive than your villa.”
Chaos scowled. “You took her to your villa?”
“No. Phobetor found it amusing for me to revisit the past.”
“You said Phantasos showed you Lyra’s lover.”
Dora returned to his side. “When and how aren’t important, but who has to be part of this mystery.”
“What are you talking about?” Kane rubbed the bridge of his nose, exhausted by the turmoil.
“If Chaos didn’t appear to Lyra, who did? I don’t know how accurate the image was, but her lover reminded me of Zared.”
Kane shook his head. “Zared was only able to take on form because of your command. Besides, the imposter appeared before Lyra’s transformation. Zared didn’t exist.”
“Who else could have assumed your form?”
“Zeus.” Kane shuddered. “He’s taken on a number of different forms in his pursuit of females, but I don’t think he’s ever impersonated the lady’s husband.”
“Not dramatic enough,” Chaos agreed.
Kane crossed to the reflection pool. Passing his hand over the surface, he said, “Show me the true face of Lyra’s lover.”
The waters rippled and churned. How odd. Either the pool had access to the information, or it didn’t. He’d never seen it struggle against the answer. Gradually the waters stilled and an image formed in the depths. A long black robe, features lost in shadow, and a familiar gold nimbus illuminating obsidian eyes.
“Is that --”
“How dare you use my pool to spy on me!”
Kane spun, facing the Dream Master, his mentor, his friend. “Why?” His voice hitched. “Why would you betray me like this?”
Morpheus glided toward him, his eyes gleaming in his featureless face. “How did I betray you?”
“You took on my appearance to bed my wife!”
After a long, tense pause, Morpheus asked, “Why is this an issue now?”
Kane advanced. Morpheus held his ground, his nimbus intensifying. “You don’t deny it?”
“I didn’t know you then. I’m not proud of my weakness, but I knew Lyra long before --”
“Lyra is the succubus,” Chaos informed him.
“What?”
The fury drained out of Kane, leaving him shaken and torn. “You didn’t know?”
“Of course not. How was… My brothers. I had no idea their resentment ran so deep. They turned Lyra into Delilah to punish me. Explain how you discovered all this.”
“No, you explain how you justify screwing another man’s wife.”
“Lyra was one of Persephone’s handmaidens. I visited her in dreams for many years while she remained in Olympus.”
“Was she mortal?” Dora asked.
“Her mother was a nymph. I’m not sure about her father.”
Dora looked at Kane, confusion clear in her expression. “Did you know Lyra wasn’t human?”
“There was a lot about Lyra I didn’t know.”
Chaos attempted to conceal his laugh with a cough, but Kane wasn’t fooled.
“Persephone took Lyra with her to the Underworld, and everything changed.” Morpheus resumed his tale. “Lyra became cold and distant. I thought she was horribly unhappy in that dismal place, but I soon realized the cause.”
“I often wondered when her obsession began,” Chaos said.
“Lyra was obsessed with Hades?” Kane heaved a ragged sigh. Just when he thought it couldn’t get any worse, the facts continued their downward spiral.
Morpheus passed through Chaos and hovered before the reflection pool, his fingers absently stirring the water. “She rejected me, told me to stay out of her dreams, that she wanted a real lover. I had to know why.”
“Did my father sleep with her?” Chaos wanted to know.
Morpheus shook his head. “I planted the suspicion in Persephone’s subconscious, and she acted immediately. She had Lyra banished to the Realm of Mortals, but apparently Lyra’s obsession had already taken root. If she couldn’t have Hades, she would have his son.”
Nausea rolled through Kane. He’d believed Lyra a wealthy widow when he’d met her. He’d felt sorry for her loss and tried to comfort her. Had she dreamt of his father as she lay sleeping in his arms?
“She knew the power of the Dream Realm. I’d revealed it to her. But how was she able to contact my brothers?”
“You gave her that opportunity as well.” Morpheus may not have known him personally when he seduced Lyra, but he’d known she was another man’s wife. “The bastard you planted in her belly prematurely claimed both their lives, so Lyra was allowed a final request.”
“And she requested an audience with my brothers.” He sounded speculative now, and Kane wanted to shake him. How could he accept it all so easily?
“Let’s digress for a moment. Why did you take on my form?”
“Solidifying in the Waking Realm is extremely hard for me.” Morpheus paused. Pulling his fingers from the pool, he turned and faced Kane. “She wanted a real lover, but I was unwilling to risk rejection again. So I came to her in your likeness. I’d never mated with a woman in human form. I had no idea I could beget children. I didn’t learn about the child until after Lyra’s death.” He dimmed for a moment as if the story drained his energy. “I scanned her mind while our bodies were joined and realized my suit was hopeless. She loved Hades with ever fiber of her being.”
Kane crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for jealousy and rage to erupt within him. Was he so jaded he no longer felt emotion? He looked at Dora, and tenderness gripped his heart. There was nothing wrong with his emotions. Nearly two thousand years had passed since the convoluted events. His only regret was blaming Chaos.
“Then you created the succubus,” Chaos concluded.
Dora shook her head. “Icelus said forces, not force. Morpheus is only part of the equation. I thought she wanted access to the Dream Realm to punish Kane, but -- don’t take this the wrong way -- Kane was never that important to Lyra.”
Kane laughed. “How could I possibly take that the wrong way?”
She smiled and continued her supposition. “This has always felt personal to me. She’s out to punish Morpheus for separating her from Hades.”
“Then what are the forces?” Morpheus asked.
“Love and hate. What could be more powerful than that? Her love for Hades and her hatred of you.”
Morpheus gathered his robe about him, his nimbus intensified. “Hades and I must act together.” He looked at Chaos. “Go get your father. We’ll do it right this time.”
Chapter Nine
Dora held her hand over her nose and mouth, fighting her gag reflex. She’d seen very little of the Underworld, but it was nothing compared to the vile cavern that was Tartarus. Slime oozed from the walls like pus from an infected wound. The cavern floor squished beneath her feet. One glance down had convinced her some things were better left unseen.
“Stay here until I signal you,” Hades said in as soft a voice as he could manage before he walked into the adjacent room with Morpheus.
“Hello, Delilah.” Dora could hear him clearly now.
“My love, have you… What is he doing here?” The frail female voice suddenly increased in volume and strength.
“I brought you several presents. I hope you’ll enjoy them.”
“Let’s go.” Chaos led the small procession into the room in which the
succubus was caged.
Dora stared in morbid fascination at the creature who had once been Kane’s wife. Tartarus had not been kind to Lyra. Her stooped, emaciated body hardly seemed a threat to anyone. The fact that she was solid outside the Dream Realm hinted at the power concealed within her wasted form.
“Do you remember the pleasure I brought you, my love, or did that vile goddess wash it from your memory?” She tilted her head to one side and tendrils of stringy black hair fell across her face.
“I had forgotten most everything, but it’s returning to me now,” Hades snapped. “I took pity on you once, Lyra. It will not happen again.”
“Pity?” she hissed. “Sealing me in that pit was merciful?”
“More merciful than the fate awaiting you now.”
“Why is loving you wrong?” she cried. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted. Take me to the Dream Realm so I can regain my strength. I can be anyone you want, take you anywhere you can imagine. I can --”
“Lyra!” Hades spoke her name loud and clear. “I command you to scatter to the four winds and never reassemble in any form.”
“Lyra, you are banished for all eternity from the Dream Realm,” Morpheus added.
“Please, my love. Don’t do this to me.”
“Go, now!” Hades roared.
Fury ignited within the succubus’s gaze. She shimmered, dimmed, then light erupted around her. Her skeletal features contorted as she absorbed the energy pulses. One corner of her mouth quirked in a cruel smile.
“She’s not dispersing.” Dora stepped forward, trepidation speeding her pulse. “She’s trying to escape.”
“She must obey. We know her name,” Morpheus argued.
“Put me in the cage.” Dora looked at Morpheus expectantly.
“No!” Kane moved between her and the succubus.
She has no power over me. Dora silently mouthed the words in case the thought failed to reach his mind. The protectiveness never left his gaze, but he stepped aside.
A subtle shift of Morpheus’s eyes sent Dora into the cage. She wrapped her arms around Lyra’s throat and trapped her arms against her bony sides. Lyra shrieked. The piercing sound stabbed into Dora’s head. Her hold didn’t waver.
“Together,” Dora shouted over Lyra’s shrill cry. “You must strike together.”
Hades and Morpheus aligned their bodies and sent a continual stream of energy into the center of Lyra’s chest. She bucked and writhed, pounding her head against Dora’s chest. Dora ignored the painful impact and tightened her grip. Searing heat shot up her arms and sank into her chest. She couldn’t let go. She must --
Lyra burst into a million bits of ash. Dora coughed and waved her hand in front of her face. Iron scraped, and Kane was at her side, hugging her to his chest and peppering kisses across her face.
“Are you all right?”
She smiled at the worry in his tone. “I think so.”
He eased her away and examined her arms, the exposed skin on her chest, and the underside of her throat. Then he kissed her mouth.
Chuckling at Kane’s effusion, Hades turned to face the others. “Let us away from this wretched place.”
Dora never thought she would be relieved to see the Underworld. Taking a deep breath, she purged the stench of Tartarus from her lungs.
“What are your intentions for Dora?” Morpheus asked as Hades settled himself behind his desk.
“Why do you ask?”
Dora’s pulse leapt, and her gaze darted to Kane. He’d asked for a few moments alone with Morpheus before they headed down to Tartarus. Had he made arrangements for them to be together? She really didn’t want to stay in the Underworld. He smiled and slipped his arm around her shoulders.
“I would like to recruit her, if you will allow it.”
“You want me to be a Dream Warrior?” Dora couldn’t believe her ears.
“Why does this surprise you? You proved your worth as a warrior when you insisted I put you in that cage. If not for your courage and quick thinking, the succubus might well have escaped. I suspect Kane will be more than happy to teach you how to manipulate the Dream Realm.”
“You’ve never recruited a woman before,” Hades said.
“Then isn’t it time I did?”
Hades gazed at Dora for a long moment. “Mortals who are forced into the afterlife are granted one last request.”
She smiled into Kane’s eyes, tenderness making her heart flutter. “May I please be a Dream Warrior?”
Epilogue
Dora gazed across the white-capped waves at the spectacular sunset Kane had just created with the wave of his hand. He sat on a blanket he’d manifested on the sandy beach. The cool ocean breeze rippled his hair out behind him. He looked good enough to eat.
Turning back to the ocean, Dora hid her wicked smile. “I’ll be able to do this some day.”
He chuckled. “I’ve had a few thousand years to practice, but yes. The Dream Realm can be shaped into anything you like.”
“I’d like to see Sheri again.” She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Is that possible?”
“Sheri and Ryder are linked telepathically. It allows her to accompany him into the Dream Realm.”
“I’m starting to understand what all that means.”
He smiled and pulled her down to the blanket beside him. “It means you can spend as long as you like with your friend tomorrow or the next day or the next.”
“Why the delay?”
“Because I’m not certain how soon I’ll be willing to let you up for air.” He eased her back, his arm supporting her neck. “We’ve only begun to explore the possibilities.”
His mouth covered hers, and Dora parted her lips. She loved the way he kissed, bold, demanding, wild. Pushing her fingers into his hair, she angled her head so their mouths fit more naturally. His tongue surged and swirled.
Cool air touched her nipples and stirred the damp curls at the apex of her thighs. She tore her mouth away from his to confirm her suspicion. They were both naked.
“That’s a handy trick.”
He grinned. “You have a spectacular body. Do you mind my saying so?”
She laughed. “Not so long as you allow me to return the compliment. In fact, I believe I owe you more than a compliment.”
Pushing him over onto his back, she took his face between her hands and kissed his mouth. He cupped her breasts and returned her kiss with bold thrusts of his tongue. Their breaths mingled. Their heartbeats aligned. He was her match, the male half of her soul, and they had eternity to enjoy each other.
She nibbled her way along his jaw and explored his neck with her lips and her tongue. He tried to draw her back up to his mouth, but she continued her descent. If she could shape the Dream Realm into whatever she wanted…
Closing her eyes, she formed a detailed image within her mind. She pictured Kane with his hands bound above his head. He chuckled, and she opened her eyes. “I did it!” She beamed.
“Your first accomplishment as a Dream Warrior was to tie me up. I’ll make sure Morpheus records it in the chronicle.”
She knelt between his legs and splayed her hands over the distinct curves of his chest. “I should have bound you standing up, so I could enjoy both sides of you.”
“Let me know when you’ve had enough of this side, and I’ll be happy to turn over.”
“If you don’t resist at least a little, I won’t feel like I’ve accomplished anything.”
He laughed again. “You staked me to sand, sweetheart. If I resist they’re going to pull right out.”
“Fine. But you can’t pull them loose until I give you permission.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She bent his knees, moving his legs farther apart. Her hair fell forward as she bent over him. His abdominal muscles clenched. Closing her fingers around his shaft, she tested his control with teasing strokes and feathery kisses. She circled his flared tip with her tongue, while her hand pumped his entire length.
“G
ods, woman, are you trying to kill me?”
“You’re immortal.”
His eyes narrowed, then squeezed shut as she took him deeply into her mouth. She cupped his balls with one hand while her lips formed a snug circle around his shaft. She swirled her tongue around his tip at the apex of each stroke. His thickness barely fit between her lips. How had she taken him into her body? She shivered at the thought, sucking firmly.
He pushed his fingers into her hair, and her gaze flew to his. The ropes were gone! He hadn’t pulled the stakes free, he’d simple commanded them to disintegrate.
“My turn.” He hooked his hands under her arms and pulled her up along his body.
His strength astonished her. He maneuvered her as if she weighed nothing. Settling her directly above his face, he cupped her bottom with both hands and pressed his mouth against her folds. His tongue traced her slit, rimmed her core, then flicked over her clit. Over and over he repeated the pattern. She squirmed against him, reveling in the sensations, but needing more than his teasing kiss.
She cupped her breasts, abandoned to the pleasure. His lips moved against her, and his tongue stabbed into her. Again and again he returned to her clit. He circled and she trembled, tension building with alarming speed. She didn’t want to come until he was inside her, sharing the release.
“Wait,” she cried. “I want you…” He closed his lips around her clit and sucked until she cried out helplessly. Scalding pleasure erupted in her core, radiating out through her body.
He moved his hands to her waist and lifted her, sitting up as he laid her down across the blanket. “You do that so well.” His eyes gleamed with passion and tenderness. “Can you do it again?” Hooking his arms under her knees, he spread her thighs wide and found her opening.
“I’m certainly willing to try.”
Her body opened to his, welcoming him with moisture and heat. He filled her completely. She stroked his chest and his arms as he pulled back and drove deep. Her heart pounded in time to his strong thrusts. Without breaking rhythm with his hips, he leaned down and kissed her. She filled her lungs with his breath, then returned it to him, laden with her scent and her taste.
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