Only in Her Dreams

by Christina McKnight

  “You’re so naïve, Maxim. Always thinking the best of people and giving them second chances.” Darius laughed as he rose to pace in front of the fire.

  Maxim stared back in silence.

  “What? Nothing to say?” Darius stopped pacing, his shadow projected onto the wall behind the couch.

  “There’s nothing I can do about that now, but I can stop you from making another mistake.”

  “Another mistake?”

  “Yes,” Maxim squared his shoulders. “Guy won’t let you live after taking his family. He’s put up with your disobedience and mutiny before. But I don’t see him continuing.” His clenched fist slammed against the arm of the sofa. The action startled both Greg and Sandy.

  “There is nothing you can do. I know what I want and I better get it soon. I cannot go back on the deal I’ve made.”

  “The deal you’ve made? Your riddles are getting old!”

  Everyone in the room fidgeted with anxiety. Greg moved a bit closer to Sandy. She didn’t shift away, possibly because that would mean moving closer to Maxim. Lucessa almost laughed but suppressed the urge. Maxim could be an opposing figure if you didn’t know him. Lucessa squeezed her mother’s hand, not to wake her but to reassure herself that she was there, still present. At least in body, if not in mind.

  Marie shifted on the arm of the chair, causing Lucessa to lean away from her, closer to Darius and away from the door. She looked up to make sure her mother was awake. Marie’s face turned toward the door expectantly.

  The room shook as the door flew off its hinges, landing against the couch Maxim, Sandy, and Greg occupied. Sandy jumped so high she landed on Greg’s lap. Alexander grabbed Maxim by the shoulders, holding him in place. Darius turned from the fire. It all happened so fast.

  But Marie didn’t flinch.

  # # #

  Maxim sensed Guy the second he parked down the dirt lane, next to Lucessa’s car.

  Guy moved into the room, gun drawn, and moved next to Marie and Lucessa. After he saw they were unharmed he turned to Darius, his gun pointed where the man’s heart should be. “Brother, you’ve taken this too far. This quarrel is between you and me, not my family.”

  “Guy! I should’ve killed you when I had the chance. Thankfully you’re here now, away from Erebos and safety. And I’m one step closer to having my kingdom.” Darius moved back to his armchair, sitting as if he didn’t have a care in the world. “Have you come to give me what I desire?”

  “You’ll have neither my family nor Erebos.”

  “I hate to interrupt but can I leave now?”

  In unison, Guy and Darius faced Greg.

  Maxim took the opportunity to pull out of Alexander’s restraining grip, throwing him off balance. He covered the distance between the couch and his brother’s armchair in two long strides. His arm lifted and cocked back. Maxim’s aim was right on and cracked Darius in the jaw, his twin’s head snapped back against the back of the chair. The smug look finally drained from his face.

  As Darius slumped over, Maxim heard Guy and Alexander shuffling behind him. “Get out! Run!” he shouted to Lucessa and Marie. Both women hesitated. “I said get out!”

  “I can’t leave you,” Lucessa breathed.

  “What the fuck...”

  Maxim didn’t let Darius finish his sentence before his fist again swung, this time hitting his brother in the temple. Next, he swung around to check on Guy. The two men struggled as Alexander tried to gain control of the gun.

  Not wanting to distract Guy, Maxim moved around the edge of the room. Sandy and Greg had moved, pressing their bodies against the wall bordering the fireplace. Maxim inched toward the door for a glimpse outside. Lucessa and Marie fled down the long drive to safety.

  A weight lifted from his chest. He breathed a sigh of relief.

  As he exhaled, the cold edge of metal pressed against his throat. “Don’t move, little brother,” Darius hissed in his ear.

  The knife pressed deep into Maxim’s neck, nicking the skin. A trail of warm blood moved slowly down his neck and onto his shirt. Darius stepped back, pushing the blade further into Maxim’s flesh, forcing Maxim to step back and away from the door. He lost sight of Lucessa. The sight would have to last him an eternity if he didn’t survive.

  Darius moved, placing his own back to the door and blocking any escape. They now faced Guy and Alexander as the men toppled over the couch and disappeared. The gun slipped out of both men’s grasps and slid across the floor. Four sets of eyes watched its progress as it came to rest under the chair Lucessa vacated moments before.

  Alexander snapped out of it before Guy and pinned him against the ground. His brother stared into the man’s eyes. They promised a painful, slow death if he broke Alexander’s hold.

  “Get up, brother. You’ve lost. Thank you, Maxim for delivering exactly what I needed.”

  Alexander rose quickly, bringing Guy with him. The agile way he moved belied his years of heavy drug use. Darius had chosen wisely when he selected Alexander to join him on Earth.

  He watched helplessly as the blade pierced his neck. Failure flowed through his veins once again. Maxim couldn’t make eye contact with Guy, afraid of what he’d see there. Disappointment, anger, guilt...all these emotions filled his being and he could only imagine the emotions coursing through Guy. If they lost this battle, they wouldn’t only doom all of Erebos, but also leave Marie and Lucessa completely vulnerable and unprotected.

  He would not let that happen.

  Feet approached on the hard packed dirt outside and heavy panting caught his attention. Had Lucessa and Marie come back to try and be heroes? He couldn’t turn around to warn them before it was too late.

  A growl emanated through the doorway and echoed off the walls. In the next instant, Maxim flew against the couch and a howl of pain sounded from Darius. He pushed himself off the couch--ready for the fight--but Goosey had Darius’s wrist in his mouth and shook it wildly, back and forth. Blood dripped from the puncture wounds.

  Darius lost his grip on the knife and it slid across the room, ironically joining the gun under Lucessa’s chair.

  With Goosey handling Darius, Maxim turned to help Guy. The men were in mid-wrestle behind the couch, neither aware of Darius’s struggle.

  Maxim bent down and heaved Alexander off Guy, throwing him head first into the wall next to the fireplace. The board, where he hit, split in two allowing the early dawn to seep through the hole.

  Guy rose to his feet. A gash covered the knuckles on his right hand, but other than that he looked whole.

  “Well, I’ll be damned!” Guy said as he faced Darius.

  Goosey still kept her death grip on his arm.

  “You might as well kill me now...I’m dead if I fail him.” Darius’s face contorted in pain.

  # # #

  Lucessa and Marie crouched behind Alexander’s car watching the scene inside the house, helpless until a few moments before. When they’d reached the car Guy had arrived in, Goosey sat inside. Lucessa opened the car door and Goosey took off toward Maxim and the man holding a knife to his throat. They watched the dog latch onto Darius’ arm, whipping her head from side to side.

  When Goosey attacked, Lucessa lost sight of Maxim.

  “NOOOO!” Maxim screamed.

  POP! POP! POP!

  The loud noise echoed in the night. From inside, Goosey yelped in pain. Without another thought, her feet carried her toward the door and closer to Goosey and Maxim. My family!

  The closer she moved to the shack, the more she could see inside the large room. Darius lay prone in the doorway, unmoving. Goosey limped toward her, a thin trail of crimson blood oozed behind her. Lucessa stepped over Darius, and scooped Goosey into her arms. She moved toward the couch.

  “Maxim!” she called as she set Goosey down. Her eyes searched the room as fear coursed through her. Sandy stepped away from the wall in Darius’ direction as Greg hugged the wall. She didn’t see Maxim, but her father--she was still getting use to the idea
he was there--rushed to her side and pulled off his shirt. “Where’s Maxim?”

  “Behind the couch, go to him. I’ll have a look at your dog.” As she hurried around the couch, her father pressed his balled up shirt to Goosey’s wound on her hind leg.

  She rounded the sofa. Maxim sat with his back against the couch, his hand grasping his shoulder. Blood seeped through his fingers and dripped down his hand and into his lap.

  His eyes traveled up her legs, her body, and eventually met her gaze. Lucessa’s legs weakened and she lowered to the floor next to him, cautiously moving his fingers from the wound to examine the severity.

  His bloody hand swatted her fingers away from the hole in his shoulder. “I’ll be fine. Where’s Marie?”

  “You always worry about others. She followed me in after we heard the loud pops.” She attempted to soothe his apprehension. “What the hell was that? How did you get hurt? Did someone shoot you?” The questions kept coming; she was unable to control the words. Tears ran unbidden down her face. The stress of the past several days overwhelmed her all at once. Her body sagged in exhaustion.

  Maxim’s uninjured arm moved around her shoulder and rubbed a soothing pattern up and down her arm. Maxim only cared about comforting her--making sure she was unharmed. How was I ever scared of this man?

  “Brother, are you well over there?” Guy called from the other side of the couch.

  Maxim withdrew his arm from around her shoulders and attempted to stand, his legs quivering under him.

  Cold settled on Lucessa’s body without his protective arm.

  “Let me help you,” she offered. She stood quickly, before he decided to stand on his own. With her help, and the back of the couch, he hoisted himself off the floor and they turned toward her father’s voice. “Father, will she be okay?” Her eyes traveled to Goosey, lying on the couch.

  “She’ll be just fine. I think Darius got the worst of it, the bullet just grazed Goosey’s leg.” Her father kneeled by Goosey, tying a strip of his shirt around the cut in the dog’s leg. Her mother wasn’t far away, her hand stroking the dog. Lucessa could hear the softly murmured words spoken into her dog’s ear.

  Relief flooded her body and she turned in to Maxim’s outstretched arms.

  She had so many questions, but right now she wanted to get out of this place, patch up Maxim and Goosey. Most of all, Lucessa wanted to talk to her father...and to her mother, for that matter. They had a lot of explaining to do.

  # # #

  Maxim hugged Lucessa to him, her body molding to fit his own. It felt right, something he’d never felt before and never expected to feel in the future.

  “Maxim,” she whispered in alarm. “Look!”

  At the unease in her voice, Maxim whipped around to face the doorway. Darius still lay motionless on the floor but now Alexander kneeled next to him attempting to staunch the flow of blood from his gut.

  “It’s what he wanted...it’s what he wanted,” Alexander muttered over and over.

  “Leave him, Alexander!” Guy’s voice boomed from the couch.

  “But...my Master needs me,” Alexander turned pleading eyes toward Guy. When he saw no sympathy coming from that direction his eyes shifted in Maxim’s direction.

  Maxim knew, no matter what his brother did, he’d always try to help him. To save him! He couldn’t turn his back on him. He released Lucessa, the hardest thing he’d ever had to do, and moved to Alexander’s side.

  “Be careful, brother.”

  “Brother mine, I cannot walk away from him.” Maxim ignored Guy’s warning and leaned over his twin, placing two fingers against his neck, where a pulse should be. But his life force was quiet. Darius’s blood no longer flowed through his veins, but spread across the rough wooden floor. Maxim rose and shook his head.

  A sob echoed across the room. Sandy stumbled toward Maxim. Instead of stopping at Darius, she continued out the door. As she fled, Maxim saw the tears threatening to spill over.

  “He is dead?” Alexander and Lucessa asked at the same time. Both sounded heartbroken, but for completely different reasons.

  “Yes, he’s gone.”

  “I’m so sorry, Maxim.” Lucessa moved to his side and wrapped her arms around him. She offered him her source of warmth.

  I let him down again. They’d grown apart when Darius was banished--which couldn’t be changed--but they’d been close...once upon a time. His brother had lived the last twenty-two years thinking Maxim had abandoned him, but that simply wasn’t true. His only intent was to save Darius from his inner demons, prevent him from making horrible mistakes that would have consequences for millions. In the end, he’d still fallen prey to his demons.

  “It was his choice. I’m sorry for him,” Maxim replied.

  Greg took that as his cue to leave. He slipped along the wall, squeezed past Lucessa and Maxim, exiting the shack. Leaving a shattered family in his wake.

  “What will happen to me...and the others?” Alexander asked, his eyes cast to the floor.

  “You will live out your existence in the world you tried to ruin,” Guy commanded. “There will be no other chances for the lot of you. You will abide by the rules. Or I will be back.” The sternness in his voice reminded Maxim of the old Guy. His brother, who was guarded, locked into himself.

  The rev of an engine sounded from outside as Greg took off in the rust bucket parked out front. Headlights shone briefly on the room as the car turned around and headed down the dirt road. A female scream ripped through the air and then a solid thump, froze everyone in their spot. The engine whined tighter and fled into the distance.

  Chapter 40

  Extreme heat surrounded him. The pain gone, replaced by a weight pressing against his chest. He kept his eyes closed to the sight he feared would greet him. He lay curled in a tight ball, his knees rested under his chin. The cool ground beneath him provided the only relief from the vast heat.

  “Come, Darius. I know you’re conscious.”

  Shit! He cracked open one eye and concentrated on focusing on the little he could see around him. A thin layer of black covered every surface.

  “You failed, Darius. And then you took from me the pleasure of killing you,” the Dark One whispered in his ear.

  Darius clamped his eyes shut and concentrated on being out of this place--back on Earth or in Erebos--but the heat persisted to close in on him. Images of his twin flashed in front of his closed eye lids. He tried to save me!

  “Now, you are truly mine.” Hades straightened next to him.

  Chapter 41

  The door shut firmly behind Lucessa and her parents. The comfort of her home surrounded her.

  As the sun reached its zenith, they drove back to Lucessa’s house with barely a word spoken. Maxim insisted on accompanying Alexander to bury his brother. Lucessa had let him go, sensing he needed closure. A huge part of his life was coming to an end. She hoped he was strong enough to move forward, even if it wasn’t with her.

  Marie clutched Lucessa’s hand. Her father’s arms were burdened with the weight of Goosey.

  Within a few minutes, a cup of hot tea warmed Lucessa’s palms and her eyes moved between her parents. From her position, perched on the edge of the couch, she watched as Guy’s arm lay protectively around Marie’s shoulders.

  She was ready for answers. She’d been kept in the dark for so long and she was no longer willing to be a silent, sheltered member of her own family. The silence extended between them. How can we address all the years of lies and deceptions?

  The space between them grew wide enough for a river to flow.

  Her father spoke first. “I did what I believed was best for you and your mother.” Guy sighed from his seat across from Lucessa. His eyes frequently traveled to Marie, her legs wrapped in a lap blanket. The love that passed between the two was undeniable.

  Why do I feel so detached from them?

  She feared their love didn’t include her.

  Lucessa didn’t know where to start to decrease t
he ever widening gap between them. Her mind swirled with questions and concerns--questions about Erebos and her father’s role there. She had concerns about her mom’s future, could she stand to lose Guy again? And there was always that one nagging question at the back of her mind. Ever since she learned Guy wasn’t her real father. Was that just two days ago? She wondered about her origins.

  “I don’t blame you for what you did. I just have so many questions.” Lucessa rubbed her thumbs along the rim of her steaming cup of tea.

  “We’ll be happy to talk about everything,” Marie said.

  Part of Lucessa didn’t want to have this conversation now. After all these years, it was hard to demand answers when all she wanted was time in their company, reminiscing the past and planning for the future.

  Hope blossomed in Lucessa’s heart.

  “Okay, why’d you leave Erebos in the first place?” She aimed the question at her father but she had a hard time taking her eyes off her beautiful mother. Her thick hair, so much like her own, hung wind blown down her back and around her face.

  Her father looked down at Marie. She nodded and Guy swung his gaze back to Lucessa. “I was unhappy with my lot in life.” He sighed. “I was able to experience Earth through the dreams of another and I wanted that life so badly. I no longer wanted to train and study to lead the people of Erebos.”

  “Tell her everything, Guy.”

  “I began visiting dreams more and more. I eventually broke the main rule all Oneiroi must follow, and I knew I couldn’t continue in Erebos. My life and destiny lie elsewhere.”

  “What did you do?” It was hard to imagine her father breaking any rule.

  “I spoke to your mother.”

  Not for the first time in the last week, confusion flooded Lucessa mind. “I thought you met in college?”

  “That’s true, darling,” Marie said. “I was attending college.”