Dark Dream’s Trap

by I. T. Lucas

  That brought the smile back to Vivian’s face. “I’m so glad that you’re making new friends. Roni is about your age, and his fiancée is very nice. You are going to have a good time.”

  Ella certainly hoped so. According to Julian, Roni wasn’t the most charming of guys, but he was an amazing hacker and, more importantly, he was willing to help. She could handle some surly attitude as long as he helped her out.

  As she stepped into the shower, Ella was thankful for the short haircut and the time it shaved off her bathroom routine. Most days she didn’t even bother to blow dry it, letting it air dry instead. It seemed like the messier it was, the nicer it looked.

  But today she was pressed for time, and two minutes with the blow dryer took care of that.

  A little mascara, lip gloss, and she was ready with minutes to spare.

  Julian was already waiting for her when she came out, chatting with her mother about the halfway house and how much easier it would be for her to run her classes there instead of schlepping all the way to the sanctuary and back.

  “I would love not having to make that drive, but the girls in the sanctuary need me. Once they are in the halfway house, they are already on the road to recovery.”

  Ella leaned and kissed her cheek. “We’ll talk about this later. Right now Julian and I have to skedaddle.”

  “Have fun, kids.”

  When they got to Roni’s, the backyard party was already in full swing, with Roni flipping steaks over the weirdest looking barbecue Ella had ever seen.

  It was egg-shaped.

  “Let me introduce you to everyone,” Julian said as he walked her over to Roni.

  “Hi.” Roni waved with a pair of tongs that were dripping steak juices. “Grab a plate. They're almost ready.”

  “Thank you. And thank you for helping me with the college application stuff.”

  “Pfft.” He waved with the tongs again. “It’s child’s play for me.”

  “Nevertheless, I’m grateful.”

  He nodded, looking embarrassed.

  That was cute. After Julian’s warning, she’d expected the guy to be full of himself, and he kind of was, but he still felt awkward when thanked. She had a feeling that Roni’s crusty attitude was a shield, and under it he was a nice guy.

  “Hi, Ella.” Sylvia came out into the backyard, holding a big salad bowl. “Come meet my mother.” She put the bowl down and took Ella’s hand. “She’s in the kitchen.”

  Casting an apologetic glance at Julian, Ella let Sylvia drag her away.

  “Tessa and Jackson are coming too, and so are Sharon and Robert. Do you know them?”

  Ella shook her head. “I know Eva and Tessa, so naturally I’ve heard about Sharon and Robert, but I’ve never met them.”

  She was curious to meet Carol’s ex and, also, the one he’d found true love with.

  Sharon must be special to fill Carol’s shoes, so to speak. Although small in size, Carol cast a big shadow.

  In the kitchen, a short brunette was tossing a rice pilaf that smelled delicious.

  “Mom, I want you to meet Ella.”

  She turned around, smiling shyly as she offered Ella her hand. “I’m Ruth, but I guess everyone knows me as Sylvia’s mom.”

  There weren’t many families in the village, and the only two with grown children that Ella had known about were Bridget and Eva, and now Ruth. But even though she should’ve been prepared, it was still hard to reconcile Ruth’s youthful looks with her being Sylvia’s mother.

  In fact, the woman looked younger than her daughter. Perhaps because she was so shy while Sylvia was so outgoing, or maybe because the daughter was taller.

  “Nice to meet you.” Ella shook her hand. “Have you met my mother, Vivian?”

  “I work outside the village and I come home late. So, I don’t get to hang around much.”

  “Oh yeah? What do you do?”

  “I run a café.”

  “Cool, so you’re an independent businesswoman.”

  Ruth blushed. “I’m just the manager. The café belongs to Nathalie, Eva’s daughter.”

  “Oh, right, the one Jackson manages…” Ella scratched her head. “I’m confused. Jackson manages the café here and Carol and Wonder work for him. You manage the one in the city, right? And both of you answer to Nathalie?”

  “The original café where I work belongs to Nathalie, and this one and the one in the keep are partially hers as well. Jackson is in charge of the entire operation, and shares in the profits. I run the old café, and Carol runs the new one here. The keep has only vending machines.”

  “Are you talking about Jackson’s sandwiches and pastries empire?” Tessa came into the kitchen.

  Sylvia arched a brow. “I wouldn't call it an empire, but it’s quite impressive for a guy his age. How old is he, nineteen?”

  “Almost twenty.”

  “For someone so young to achieve so much is incredible,” Ella said. “It gives me hope.”

  “Hope for what?” Sylvia asked.

  “My charity. The idea is great, and I know it’s going to work, but then I also have doubts because I’m thinking that an eighteen-year-old can’t possibly know what she’s doing. That’s why hearing about Jackson’s success is so inspiring.”

  Tessa wrapped her arm around Ella’s shoulders. “It’s going to work. I have a good feeling about it. And you, girl, have killer instincts.”

  Ella had no idea what Tessa was talking about. “What do you mean?”

  “You know how to put the right spin on things. Like calling the filming tomorrow a presentation and not a lecture. It would’ve never crossed my mind that it might make a difference, but it would. And your decision to go first is not only brave but also smart. Your brain is just wired right for this. It’s like you know what you're doing even though you’ve never done it before.”

  “What do you mean by going first?” Sylvia asked. “Doing what?”

  “My story is going to be the first we tape, and I’m going to do it in front of all the girls currently residing in the sanctuary. Lead by example so to speak.”

  Sylvia whistled. “That takes guts. Doesn’t it bother you that everyone will know your story?

  Ella shrugged. “We are filming in silhouette, and I’m thinking about manipulating the voice recording too. No one will know who did which video.”

  “Still, it takes immense courage to tell a crowd of people what happened to you, and then release it to the world,” Tessa said.

  “You know what Eva would say to that?” Ella put her arm around Tessa’s tiny waist.

  “What?”

  “No guts, no glory.”

  6

  Losham

  Losham arrived at the meeting place well ahead of time.

  After verifying that his warriors were strategically stationed throughout the hotel’s lobby and the restaurant itself, he ordered the most expensive bottle of whiskey the restaurant had to offer and an appetizer that was aromatic enough to mask any subtle scents he might emit.

  As someone who had to hobnob with politicians, Lokan probably wasn’t under the same monetary restrictions as the rest of the Brotherhood’s leadership, and Losham planned on having him foot the bill.

  After all, the meeting was Lokan’s idea so he should pay for it.

  What Losham wondered, though, was whether his brother would bring a team of warriors with him or flaunt his confidence by showing up by himself.

  The only companion Losham was going to admit to was Rami, who was outside, waiting in the car.

  As the host escorted Lokan to the private enclave Losham had reserved, Losham got up and opened his arms to embrace his brother. “It has been too long,” he said as they slapped each other's backs.

  “Indeed.” Lokan smiled. “With both of us stationed in the States, we should make an effort to meet more often.”

  When the host left, Losham switched to their native tongue. “How have you been? Things going well for you?”

  “As well a
s can be expected. I’m dealing and wheeling, but the thing about dirty politicians is that you can’t trust their word. Not even with the hefty contribution we are making to their campaigns. Without the proper personal bribe and a nasty secret to threaten them with, nothing gets done. Which means even more time and money spent on digging out the skeletons buried in their backyards. I was lucky to find an excellent detective agency. If you ever have a need for that kind of work, I’ll gladly share the contact information with you.”

  Was that an olive branch?

  Losham chuckled. “With what I’m tasked with, I have no need for those types of services. But I’m surprised you do. With your compulsion ability it shouldn’t be a problem for you. You could just force them to do your bidding.”

  “Regrettably, it doesn’t work on everyone, and as I discovered, the more corrupt a human is, the harder it is to compel him or her. They are suspicious of everyone and everything and are not open to suggestion.”

  Losham was surprised at Lokan’s admission. He was confessing to a weakness, which was like exposing his soft underbelly to an opponent armed with sharp teeth. Or fangs, as was the case.

  Since Lokan was too smart to just let it slip, this must be his way of reaching out to Losham.

  Interesting.

  What did he have in mind?

  Deciding to play along, Losham sighed. “Frankly, I envy your position. From my elevated station as our father’s top advisor, I’ve been relegated to dealing with humanity’s muck. I can’t say that I enjoy what I’m doing.” He smiled. “If you are willing to switch, I’ll gladly take those corrupt politicians off your hands. In fact, you are much better suited for my job than I am. With your compulsion ability, you could order the girls to take themselves to the island. You could save us a lot of money and manpower.”

  Reaching for the whiskey, Lokan poured himself a shot and downed it. “I would love a change of pace, but I can’t see myself doing what you do. The drugs I could manage. If stupid humans want to numb themselves and destroy their own brains, who am I to deny them that choice? But the women are a different story. I’m not a proponent of slavery, especially sexual slavery. There are enough women out there who would do it for the money.”

  That was a very odd sentiment for a Doomer. “Why do you care? Humans are like sheep, and they need an iron-fisted shepherd to guide them.”

  Lokan tilted his head and pinned Losham with a hard stare. “Do you really believe that, or are you parroting our father?”

  Apparently, Lokan was not as smart as he seemed. He was talking treason and trusting Losham not to use that against him?

  Perhaps it was a trap?

  Yes, that made much more sense. Navuh had sent Lokan to check up on him, and his brother was goading him into admitting dissent.

  This was bad. It meant that Losham was a suspect and everything he said was going to be used against him.

  “Are you questioning my loyalty, Lokan? Because I can promise you that it is absolute. Our goal is to one day rule the entire world. If we leave it up to the humans, they are going to destroy themselves and this planet.”

  That was a line Navuh often used in his propaganda speeches to justify his world-domination ambitions. Whether it was true or not was irrelevant. The only thing that mattered was that the warriors believed in it and fought for the supposed cause.

  Lokan regarded him for a long moment, as if trying to decide whether he was telling the truth, but Losham was careful to keep his expression impassive.

  Next, his brother made a failed attempt at discreetly sniffing for emotions and grimaced. The Brussels sprouts in parmesan crust and garlic butter were delicious, but the same couldn’t be said about their smell.

  “I'm not here on behalf of our father, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  Losham waved a dismissive hand. “Why should I be worried? I have nothing to hide.”

  Letting out an exasperated breath, Lokan poured himself another shot of whiskey and downed it. “So, you are happy with the status quo, you have no ambitions whatsoever, and you don’t think it’s time for a change?”

  “What kind of change?”

  “Our father’s ideas are outdated, and he is too stubborn and set in his ways to change. If we don’t do something, and by ‘we’ I mean the sons, the Brotherhood is doomed. It will become obsolete.”

  It was all true, but Losham couldn’t decide whether Lokan was suggesting a revolt or just stating the facts as they were. In either case, he wasn’t going to play into the cunning son of a bitch’s hands.

  “It is true that the world is changing around us and the Brotherhood cannot continue as it is, but our father is well aware of that. I suggested several changes to address the issue, and he accepted them all. We need to work with him, not against him.”

  Losham leaned closer to his brother. “You are still relatively young, Lokan, and somewhat naive despite your smarts. Navuh is irreplaceable, and his charisma is what holds the brotherhood together. Without him, infighting would have decimated our forces a long time ago, and we would have really become obsolete. We are strong just as long as we stick together and work as a team.”

  Lokan chuckled. “Only you would call a nearly one-thousand-year-old immortal young. Or naive.” He poured himself and Losham another shot. “So, tell me, what are the changes that you suggested?”

  “We need brains. That’s the number one priority. Well, actually it’s number two. First priority is to establish a reliable inflow of cash. We can’t do anything about the level of intelligence of the Dormants we have, they are a given, but we can bring in smart humans to breed with them, which I’ve already started working on. The next generation of Doomers is going to be all about the brains and not the brawn, and the new generation of dormant females is going to be better quality too. We are going to keep improving the stock.”

  Lokan nodded. “That’s a long-term plan.”

  “It is, but then we have time.”

  “Where are you getting the smart humans from?”

  Spreading his arms, Losham snorted. “We are in San Francisco, the hub of new technology and the brains that come up with it. Most of these geeks can’t get laid without paying for it, and they find a sex vacation to a mysterious island very appealing.”

  7

  Ella

  Ella had been in dreamland for a while when the scenery suddenly changed.

  “Logan? Is it you?” She looked around.

  It wasn’t the beach and it wasn’t sunny. She was standing on a bridge with a canal passing under it, but it wasn’t Venice. She’d seen enough pictures of it to know that.

  “Where am I?” She crossed her arms over her chest to keep herself warm. Even though it was only a dream, the wet breeze was freezing cold and it was seeping through her clothes as if she was actually there.

  Materializing behind her, Logan wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against his warm body. “We are in Hamburg. You wanted me to show you the world.”

  His hold was gentle, and his body was throwing off heat like a furnace. Leaning against him, Ella was thankful for the warmth.

  “Did you bring me here on purpose because it’s so bloody cold and I would have to let you hug me?”

  Nuzzling her neck, he chuckled. “I did not. It’s just a beautiful city, and you wanted me to show you the nicer places around the world. It’s located in the northern part of Germany, so it gets really cold here even in the summer. But I can solve that problem for you.”

  With a snap of his fingers, she was encased in a long puffer coat. A bright pink coat that was the same color as her hair. Panicking, she reached for a strand and looked at it, but in the dream it was still shoulder length and light brown.

  Thank God.

  “Are you all warm and toasty now?” Logan asked.

  “Yes, thank you. Can you also give me gloves?”

  He snapped his fingers again. “Done.”

  “Thank you.” She lifted her hands with the pink finger
less gloves. “They are cute.”

  He kissed the top of her head. “As are you. Do you want to go for a walk along the canal? There are fancy shops a few blocks away.”

  “I don’t care about stores, but I would love a walk. I want to see more of this gorgeous city. It’s like Venice, just in the north.”

  As they started walking and Logan wrapped his arm around her waist, she leaned her head against his arm. “Is Hamburg one of your favorite cities?”

  He nodded. “I like the north. I come from a very hot place, so I appreciate cooler climates.”

  “I like warm weather. I don’t like to be cold.”

  “I’ll remember it for our next shared dream. I was thinking of taking you to Scotland. The Isle of Skye is one of the most beautiful places in the world.”

  “Then take me there. Just dress me up appropriately.” She lifted her foot. “Can you give me warm boots too?”

  He snapped his fingers. “Done.”

  “Thank you.” Lifting her foot again to examine the boots he’d conjured for her, Ella admired Logan’s taste. They looked like Eskimo moccasins, made from soft brown leather and with an intricate pattern in pinks and purples sewn on top. She wished she could take them with her into the real world, and wondered where he’d taken the idea from. Was he actually in Hamburg at the moment or some other northern country?

  “You are visiting me more often lately. Are you less busy?”

  He chuckled. “Not really. I just can’t stay away. You’ve enchanted me, my Ella. I now understand Gorchenco’s obsession with you. You’re special.”

  Crap, why did he have to be so nice all of a sudden? Where was the devil she knew?

  Except, he might be thinking of her telepathy and not her feminine charms.

  Yeah, that was probably it.

  “You’re also not as wary of me as you were in the beginning,” he added. “I enjoy spending time with you.”