“Gareth,” she whispered.
“I’m here.”
She heard his voice, but the image in her head was just a memory.
“Go to sleep. Don’t be afraid. I’m waiting for you.”
Wrapping herself in his promise, she surrendered to sleep.
She awakened in his arms, and yet she was not awake at all, only aware.
“I missed you.” He whispered the words against her cheek, his warm breath teasing her skin.
A tingling thrill coursed through her body. Stretched out beside her, he pillowed her neck with his arm. He was here. He was really here. She pushed her fingers into his hair, sighing as the long strands slid against her sensitive skin. “I wasn’t sure…”
“I’m real.”
“I know.” She smiled. “I wasn’t sure you’d return after I sent you away like that.”
“You were frightened. How can I fault you for that? It’s the whole reason I’m here.”
She stroked his broad shoulder, his thick bicep, fascinated by the strength so obvious in his muscular build. “Where are you when you’re not with me? You said you’d been sent to comfort me. Who sent you?”
His fingers traced her jaw, then threaded through her hair, tilting her head. “I was sent to comfort you. So, let me comfort you.”
Warm and firm, his mouth settled over hers, molding and caressing. Meagan lost herself in the tingling current. She parted her lips and accepted the gentle stroke of his tongue. The man knew how to kiss! But curiosity nudged past her passion, keeping her surrender at bay. Why wouldn’t he answer her questions?
“Who are you, Gareth?” She turned her face away. “What sort of being are you?”
“I will not hurt you, Meagan. I will bring you only pleasure.”
She sat up, trying not to be distracted by his magnificent chest. “You didn’t answer my questions. How are you different from the incubus? It takes by force while you’re determined to seduce. Maybe you’re both demons. You’re just better at this than he is.”
“Demon is a human term. It is not really acknowledged where I come from.”
“And where is that? What are you? Where do you come from?”
He sat also, his gaze piercing the moonless gloom. “I fight in the Army of Morpheus. I am a Dream Warrior.”
She laughed. “I think I’ve watched too many re-runs of Hercules. Morpheus? You mean the god of dreams, I presume, not the guy from the Matrix.”
His crystal green eyes stared back at her in confusion. “I only understood about half of what you just said. Morpheus is my supervisor and Hercules died a very long time ago.”
“Am I dreaming now?”
“I accessed your subconscious through your dreams, but we are currently in an illusion of my making.” He reached for her hand, but she snatched it away. “I can form this image to your liking, if another setting would make you more comfortable.”
“Like you did the first time you came to me.” A tight knot of tension formed in the pit of her stomach and she swung her legs off the side of the bed. “Do you control everything that happens here?”
“I would never make you do anything you didn’t want to do.”
Standing beside the bed, she crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re so good at that. Try to anticipate the reason for my question and maybe I won’t make you answer. Can you make me want you? Is it possible?”
“Yes.” He sighed, then rushed on, “But I would --”
“I find no comfort in this. Tell Morpheus thanks for the offer, but I’ll figure this out on my own.”
“Meagan, it’s not that simple. You need to understand --”
“Release me. Now!”
Meagan sprang up in bed, the same bed she had just crawled out of in the illusion. Trembling, she forced her sluggish mind to accept the obvious truth. Gareth was real. Just like the incubus, Gareth was not a figment of her imagination.
* * * * *
Angry voices echoed inside the Great Hall of Morpheus, reaching Gareth long before he entered the building. He wasn’t looking forward to explaining that he had yet to complete his assignment, so he welcomed the disruption.
Morpheus stood near the reflection pool, as was his wont, but he merely observed the argument, which surprised Gareth. Hades and Rhadamanthys faced off in front of Morpheus, their heated debate well underway.
This was not the first time the god of the Underworld and the keeper of the Elysian Fields had quarreled over the final destination of a mortal soul, but why here? How was Morpheus involved?
Kane and Ryder stood back from the verbal fray with a man Gareth didn’t recognize. Kane watched the action intently, his black eyes gleaming with interest. Ryder’s burnished hair flowed in waves to his broad shoulders, and those ridiculous dimples offset the brightest smile in Olympus.
Gareth focused on the stranger. Had this dazed creature caused all the fuss?
“Clearly he belongs to me!” Hades shouted.
“Nothing is clear. He was taken too soon!” Rhadamanthys’ kind face and diminutive stature were far less intimidating than Hades’ hulking form, but his tone was no less vehement.
Hades swept his long-fingered hand toward Morpheus. “You are the cause of this. You ordered your Dream Warrior to bring the human here. Explain yourself!”
“Actually, my assignment didn’t involve anyone in particular,” Ryder interjected. His wide brown eyes sparkled mischievously. “I was just supposed to --”
“Silence!” Hades roared, the sound shaking the hall.
“We are battling an incubus, Hades. It was necessary.” Morpheus glided between the opponents and approached the man standing with the Dream Warriors. “You have an aneurysm in your brain. Within a few days it will rupture and you will die.”
The human’s eyes rounded and the color drained from his face. “I’m not dead already? Where am I? Who are you?”
Gareth heard hysteria in the man’s voice and moved closer. This had been no gentle introduction to the afterlife.
“I am Morpheus. We have need of your body and the knowledge you have acquired during your life. I have made arrangements for you to remain in the Elysian Fields while we are using your body. When we have vanquished the incubus, we will release your body and your spirit will continue on to your final destination. This is a reprieve, not a pardon.”
“I don’t understand. What does that mean? What is my final destination?”
Morpheus turned to Hades. “Is this agreeable to you?”
“I should have been consulted before this decision was made.”
Inclining his head respectfully, Morpheus said, “I apologize. Ryder was told to find a mortal within my outlined criteria. I did not know if the task was possible, much less who the person would be.”
“Not possible,” Ryder objected. “Have I ever failed you? I’m your ‘go to’ guy. I specialize in the impossible. If you need --“
“Silence!” Morpheus and Hades cried in unison.
Gareth glanced at Kane in time to see him squelch a budding smile. The fiercest man in the known universe couldn’t be caught grinning, but Ryder’s enthusiasm was contagious.
“The conditions are acceptable,” Hades grumbled. “I release the human to Rhadamanthys’ authority until you are finished with his body.”
Gareth waited for Rhadamanthys to lead the stunned human from the hall before he asked the details of Morpheus’ plan. “If this man is going to die in a day or two, how is his body going to be any use to us?”
“You shouldn’t need it any longer than that.” Morpheus made a vague gesture in the direction of the human’s departure. “With a little assistance from Zeus, I’ve had Justin transferred to Meagan Addison’s research team. Take over his body and make sure she stays on task. His personality and memories are gone, but his intellect and knowledge base are intact. It may take some effort to access them, but I have confidence in you.”
“Why Gareth?” Kane stepped forward. “The incubus is dangerou
s. This may require a level of brutality to which Gareth is not accustomed.”
“I agree. But the incubus is not corporeal. Ryder didn’t locate this body to battle the incubus, but to interact with Meagan.”
“And I’ve already made first contact.” Gareth dared him to argue with a scathing retort.
“Exactly. You will keep her focused on her work during the day and continue to infiltrate her dreams at night. Or better yet, seduce her while in human form. The loss of her virginity would be a great defeat for the incubus.”
“I’ll do my best.” Gareth smiled.
“But don’t forget, your name is Justin!”
* * * * *
“What’s your sudden interest in mythology?”
Meagan gasped and turned from her screen so quickly her elbow collided with Saul’s hip. “Don’t sneak up on me like that!”
“Sorry.” He smiled sheepishly, his bright white teeth eclipsing his thin face. Intelligence gleamed in his sharp blue eyes and his hairline was just beginning to recede. A few inches under six feet, his rail-thin body swam beneath a thigh-length lab coat. “I’ve been dreading this all day, Megan, so I’m just going to get it over with. Mr. Carroll insisted that I do some cross-training. He said the project shouldn’t have come grinding to a halt because of your…illness.”
“I see.” She folded her hands in her lap. Was he going to fire her? It was 2:30 in the afternoon. Why let her work half a day before handing her the dreaded pink slip? Why have her come in at all?
“Mr. Carroll believes someone should have been familiar enough with your research so that your project could have continued even in your absence. So, I’ve hired a research assistant for you. Justin Garrett’s qualifications are impeccable and his experience --”
“Justin Garrett?” She echoed. “You hired someone to assist me?” She looked around the lab, but she was alone with Saul.
“He’s in the hallway. I asked for a moment to explain this to you. I told him it might be a bit awkward.”
Relief bubbled up within her until she wanted to laugh. “Have him come in.”
He started toward the door, then paused. “What does mythology have to do with the Bental-2 virus?”
“Nothing. I was taking a break.”
“I’ll get Mr. Garrett.”
She made a face at his retreating back. How the Carroll Foundation had ever hired such a prize was beyond her. Saul spent all of his time creating needless work for the research scientists. If he would just leave them alone and let them do their jobs…
Her mental grumbling trailed away as her new assistant appeared in the doorway. Tall and lean, Mr. Garrett moved with the loose-limbed grace of an athlete. Until his foot caught on the leg of one of her tables and he ended up sprawled on the tiled floor.
“Are you all right?” She rushed to his side, not sure whether to be concerned or embarrassed for him.
He held up a hand, his dark head bowed, face hidden. Had he hurt himself badly? She knelt beside him and heard his muttered curses.
“I haven’t quite got the hang of this, yet,” he said.
She chuckled. “I feel like that myself sometimes. Did you hurt yourself?”
“Mostly my pride.” He raised his head and met her gaze directly for the first time.
Meagan gasped. Those eyes! He had eyes the same crystal green color as…Gareth -- Garrett? No, it couldn’t be.
“Are you all right?” He grinned. “I know I’m no Prince Charming, but you gasped when you saw my face.”
“I’m sorry. You have eyes the exact same color as someone else I know.” She scrambled to her feet, extending her hand to help him up. “They’re an unusual color. I’d never seen anyone else with eyes like his.”
He was taller than she realized. Her head tilted back as she studied his face. Disheveled from his fall, or maybe it always looked messy, his rich brown hair curled over his ears and across his forehead. She fought the urge to brush it off his brow. Nice straight nose, mobile mouth, but all his features seemed to blur when she looked into his eyes.
“Justin Garrett.”
“Meagan Addison.”
“Do you prefer Ms. Addison or Meagan?”
Finally dragging her gaze away from his face, she smiled. “Meagan.”
Chapter Five
Mindful of his every move, Gareth followed Meagan about the laboratory. She explained where supplies were kept and the ergonomic strategies utilized in the lab’s layout. Gareth tried to remain attentive, but the realities of the corporeal world kept distracting him. The dream realm had a softer focus. The boundaries were less rigid. He glanced away to hide his smile. Actually, he controlled the boundaries in the dream realm instead of being controlled by them.
His shoe caught against the floor and he stumbled. He managed to catch the edge of a filing cabinet before he took another tumble, but his tour guide turned to face him.
“Maybe you have an inner ear infection,” she suggested, a smile flirting with her lips. “Do you always have trouble with your equilibrium?”
“New shoes. New job. I’m just a little nervous.”
She wore a lab coat but hadn’t bothered to zip it, so her striped sweater and blue jeans were visible beneath. Burying her hands in the pockets of the lab coat, she smiled. “It’s my job on the line, so you can relax.”
“I’m here to assist you, Meagan, not replace you.”
Her smile turned cold. “I wouldn’t be the first person to train their own replacement. I know what Saul said, but I also know I’m out of chances. If they can find a reason to let me go, they will.”
“So don’t give them a reason.”
They spent the rest of the day discussing the Bental-2 virus. Bental-1 had been eradicated by the immune system before it could attach itself to the target cells. The trick was finding a virus that was hardy enough to survive, while not causing damage to the host organism. All the detailed case studies and controlled experiments had yet to yield the desired balance.
A soft tapping drew their attention to the doorway. Sheridan Vellmos stood there, her hazel eyes bright with curiosity. “Are you ready to go, Meagan?”
Meagan’s gaze darted to the clock mounted above the doorway. “I guess it is about that time. Have you met Justin Garrett? Justin, this is Sheri Vellmos. Sheri, meet Justin.”
Stylish heels clattering, Sheri crossed the lab and shook his hand. “Nice to meet you. How long have you been with the Carroll Foundation?”
He chuckled. “About two and a half hours.”
She flashed a warm smile, her eyes sparkling. “Well, welcome aboard.”
Meagan gathered her belongings, but hesitated by the door. “Was there something else you wanted to accomplish today? I like to make sure everything is locked up.”
She didn’t trust him alone in her lab. “No. I was just dreading traffic.” That was the understatement of the millennium. If she thought he was graceless on foot, she should see him behind the wheel of an automobile. Morpheus insisted all of Justin’s skills were intact, so operating the four-wheeled deathtrap shouldn’t have been such a challenge. Perhaps Justin had just been a horrible driver.
Chatting comfortably, the women headed off in the opposite direction once they reached the parking garage. Gareth started the engine of the bright red sports car but couldn’t bring himself to engage the transmission.
“It won’t get any easier, Justin.” Ryder appeared in the seat beside him.
The mocking observation made Gareth wish Ryder was more than just an apparition. If Gareth smacked the back of Ryder’s head, as he desperately wanted to do, his hand would pass right through the illusion. The oldest and most skilled of the Dream Warriors, Ryder alone was able to manifest in the waking world.
“This is the twenty-first century,” Gareth muttered under his breath. “Put some clothes on before someone sees me talking to a toga-draped imbecile.”
“Testy.” The illusion rippled and reformed. A black tee shirt and blue jeans now ado
rned Ryder’s tall form. “Shall I style my hair? Is my makeup okay?” He batted his long eyelashes and then laughed.
“Smart ass.”
The echoing clatter of high-heels announced the visitor. Gareth looked out the passenger window and saw Sheri Vellmos approaching the car. “Too late to blink out. I’m pretty sure she saw me.”
Using the driver controls, Gareth rolled down the passenger window and smiled at Sheri. “Did you forget something?”
“Just my manners. We’re going to grab a pizza and thought you might like to join us.” Her gaze moved over Ryder with obvious interest. “Where did you come from?”
Ryder chuckled. “I’m afraid that’s a really long story.”
“Well, you’re both welcome to join us, if you like.” She reluctantly dragged her gaze away from Ryder and smiled at Gareth. “Meagan thought we were being rude.”
“We appreciate the offer, Ms. Vellmos, but we’ve got other plans,” Gareth said dismissively.
She waved haphazardly as she walked away.
“Now they’re going to think we’re lovers,” Gareth grumbled.
Ryder laughed at the notion, but Gareth didn’t find the situation amusing. He was trying to seduce Meagan. This was a complication he couldn’t afford.
* * * * *
“Did you see that blond?” Sheri’s voice rose passionately. “He was to die for.”
Meagan laughed at her friend’s melodramatics. “I’m sure Justin thinks so, too. No wonder he seemed so nice.”
“There is no way those two are gay. Believe me, honey, there was simply too much testosterone in that car.” Sheri raised a slice of pizza to her mouth and took an enthusiastic bite.
“Hungry?”
She nodded while she chewed and then said, “Ravenous. He made my insides quiver.”
“Is that a good thing?”
Sheri paused, lowering the pizza slice. “Haven’t you ever been with a man who -- made your insides quiver?”
Picking up her mason jar filled with cola, Meagan intentionally took a leisurely sip. Thankfully the restaurant was dimly lit, so her friend couldn’t see her fiery blush. Why was everyone so fascinated with her sexual inexperience? It made her feel…deformed.
Dream Warriors 1 - Gareth Page 3
