Disciple: DreamWalkers, Book 2 (15 page)

The problem was that he was itching for some emotional shit. He—Zeke Garrett. It was so unlike him, but it was that “something more” gnawing at him, driving him to make a commitment, a promise. This might be their last night in the same bed, and he had no idea what the future might hold now that Karen Kingsbury was a part of it.

He went with a statement that was a sort of promise, since mentors and disciples were already pretty fucking committed.
“You’re not going to lose me, and I already told you I won’t let a curator take you. This is temporary.”

He didn’t feel anything positive toward Karen anymore. He could barely remember whether he’d enjoyed the sex. All his former liaisons paled in comparison to how much he wanted Maggie.

Maggie fingered a button on her nightgown.
“It feels like everything is changing. I’m not sure Adi’s making smart decisions. It’s happening too fast.”

“I do think you can swing a scaled-back phase two.”
Zeke clumsily patted her shoulder. He wasn’t one to seek out physical contact unless it involved fighting, training or sex.
“Adi’s going to fly Lill in, and you said your oration has improved. Hell, maybe Lill can link with you now. You’ve practically matriculated yourself. It’ll only be a few days before we can get the hell out of here.”

“I don’t question Adi’s decision with me. I question her decision with Karen. Is finding out about dream healing worth exposing everyone to a murderer?”
Maggie half-turned from him and refocused on her shield. It widened, giving them more light from the grayish ground. He dropped his shield layer, and hers remained steady.
“After what Karen did to you…to so many people…is this a deal with the devil?”

“I don’t know.”
Recovering from broken bones in three days—it was worth some degree of risk. He’d been so caught up in his colossal discomfort at seeing Karen again that he hadn’t stopped to think about that particular ramification.
“The healing thing could help a lot of people. Some of our alucinators tonight, for example. What if we could have saved them?”

“If the dreamsphere could heal, alucinators wouldn’t get sick and wouldn’t stay injured longer than a few days. We’d already know about it. But we do get hurt. We die. This facility has a whole morgue full of proof.”

Less proof than it had had before the code one.
“We’re unusually healthy. I’m almost forty, and I look twenty-eight. Did you know Lill’s fifty-two?”

“No.”
Maggie seemed thoughtful.
“I look my age.”

“You’ve only just become an alucinator.”
Zeke warmed to the topic.
“What if the healing skill is dormant unless you consciously use it? What if it’s like confounding or sleep barricades and has to be taught?”

“Like an ability.”
She chewed her bottom lip.
“I actually need to tell you something else weird that happened while we were in trance.”

“Weirder than you being right there and me not being able to sense you through our tangible? I can find you anywhere in the sphere, Maggie. I can feel you in every inch of my skin when you’re as close as you are now.”
Her eyebrows flickered briefly, as if she were surprised he’d describe it that way.
“The tangible—”

She nodded.
“I know. And I could, I can, feel you. Like you can feel her again, and she was first. Maybe there’s only room for one tangible and she eclipsed me.”

“No, ’cause I had a tangible with a student about ten years ago. Guy named Chao Tang. Works out of Cali now. I can tell when he’s in the sphere if I focus on it.”
He hadn’t wanted to have sex with Chao, nor Chao with him. Not all tangibles made people horny.

“Is Karen in the sphere?”
Maggie asked.

“She’s barricaded. Relax.”
He didn’t even want to mention her by name. It took too much time and energy, when his time with Maggie was short and growing shorter. He wished she’d grab him again. Touch him. Hell, maybe he was the one who needed reassurance everything would be all right.
“What’s the weird thing you want to tell me?”

“I think I…”
She nodded her head several times, as if agreeing with whatever she was about to say.
“When I lost my shielding, the wraiths attacked me.”

“I bet they did.”
He glanced at her hand, unbandaged and wound-free in the dreamsphere.
“Your finger.”

“I attacked them back.”

“It’s instinctive to fight, but I taught you better than that. Don’t expend energy on the monsters—you can’t hurt them. Your job is getting yourself protected or out of the sphere.”

“I know the philosophy.”
Maggie rubbed her hand.
“I also know what happened to me. I think I’m the reason there were physical carcasses. The two dead wraith bodies? One had a caved-in skull. I did that, Zeke. With my foot. My foot was inside that monster’s head.”

“I know they had form this time, probably some psych-out tactic of Karen’s, but their bodies are like vapor in the sphere, Maggie. Your foot may have been in the area of its head, but it wouldn’t have affected it.”

“But it did. I struck out and it was solid. It crunched,”
she said, with emphasis.
“The scream it made was incredible. I’ve never heard anything like it.”

That reminded Zeke of the shriek he’d heard—the disturbance Adi hadn’t been able to locate. He had great faith in Maggie’s honesty and powers of observation.
“Adi and I did hear something screechy. She couldn’t pinpoint it.”

Maggie had no reason to lie about her dreamsphere experiences. There were too many mysteries, too much at stake, and if he trusted anybody in this mess, it was Maggie. If she said her foot was in that monster’s head and it had crunched, her foot had been in that monster’s head and it had crunched.

Wraiths weren’t supposed to crunch unless they were in the terra firma. And dead wraiths were supposed to turn to dust in the terra firma. What did this mean?

“That scream, Zeke, might have been the sound of a wraith dying in the dreamsphere.”
Her eyes, huge now, stared up at him.
“I’m some kind of dream killer. A bellatorix.”

Chapter Ten

They both charged out of the sphere in a rush and sat bolt upright in bed. Zeke glanced at the clock. Five hours had passed like a snap, the time too warped to judge from inside. They had another hour before their rest period ended.

“You’re kidding me,” Zeke whispered. Bunk rooms had no cameras or audio sensors, but there were guards outside the door. “Bellatorix?”

Maggie looked just as alert and energized as she’d been in dreamspace though she hadn’t had coffee yet. “What else do you know about the Antipodes scroll?”

“Not much.” He’d mentioned it to her the other night in hopes of distracting her from his preoccupation with sex. “They keep the oldest documents at the Orbis.”

“Which is on another continent and invitation-only.” She turned toward him. “Has a bellatorix ever been cross-referenced? Mentioned elsewhere? In, I don’t know, hieroglyphs or cave drawings or something?”

“Not that I know of.” He was no Somnium scholar. But something like this, something supposedly a myth—how could he or Maggie justify pursuing it without raising suspicion? What could they say had piqued their interest?

“If I get banished to a curator, I can ask them to show me the scroll,” she quipped. “I don’t suppose they have interlibrary loan?”

“We’ll ask Adi. Vigils have access to the Orbis and the curators that the rest of us don’t.” After Maggie’s revelation, exiting the dreamsphere had seemed like the thing to do, but now that they were out, he questioned the wisdom of it. They could be overheard more easily here. And certain physical sensations were more pronounced in the terra firma—the tangible, Maggie’s scent, and his awareness of her body.

“I don’t think we should tell Adi.” Maggie nibbled her bottom lip. “We need to find out if it’s real and how it works.”

His gaze dropped to her mouth. “I’m not sure we can hide it. Everyone’s going to want to question you about the carcasses.”

“Like the curators.” She rubbed her forehead. “Adi told us not to discuss it outside the facility. Think the curators will find out anyway?”

“It’s possible.” Probable. “Unless wraith carcasses aren’t as unusual as we assume and the whole thing gets covered up as a matter of course. After all, Adi said they’d logged other instances of wraiths eating dead bodies, and we’d never heard of that.”

Some of the sparkle and energy drained from Maggie, replaced by worry and fear. “That means I might get covered up.”

He shouldn’t touch her. He should comfort with words. Discuss plans. Repeat his vow that he’d never let them take her. But she’d know what a lie that was. Who was he to stop the curators from doing as they saw fit?

Still, he’d raise hell to protect Maggie. He’d violate his oaths and defy his superiors if he believed it would work. And maybe if he didn’t believe it.

Zeke gave up his own struggle and drew her into his arms. The tangible jolted through him like an electric smack before easing off. Her braless breasts pushed into his chest. God, she was soft. She smelled so good. Her arms, her hands, wrapped around his neck. Her face was close to his face. Her breath warmed his jaw.

“I don’t want this to be happening,” he admitted.

Her fingers curved around his neck. “Then let go of me.”

“Not this. This is excellent.” He spread one hand wide on her back and let the other drift to the swell of her hips. He could feel her panties beneath the fabric of the gown. “Being in Wyoming. Our interrupted training. This fucking awful mess.”

“I did all right with the shield and I survived trance again.” She sighed when he tugged her closer. Side by side the way they were, the hug remained awkward, but it didn’t stop Zeke from imagining her straddling his lap. “I can swing my next sleep alone.”

Their last night. Their last hour. And then, he’d be assigned to Karen and Maggie would be cut loose. “I want to sleep with you.”

“Lill will help me. I know it’s not your fault that our training is being cut short.”

“No, Maggie.” His fingers tangled in her thick hair, and he tilted her face toward his. “I want to sleep with you. Sexually.”

“Yeah, because it’s your last shot if I disappear.” She didn’t sound as angry as she had in the SUV. Her fingers stroked his shoulders and the nape of his neck. He was glad he’d slept shirtless.

“No, it’s because I want you. I always want you.”

“Rules,” she whispered, not drawing away from him.

“To hell with the rules. Everything is crazy. Only this makes sense.” Zeke kissed her softly to see what she’d do. It wasn’t easy. He didn’t feel soft. He felt hard all over, from his cock to his rule-breaking head.

He kissed her lips, and she sighed. He kissed her cheek, her temple, that sweet spot below her ear. Her fingers tightened on his shoulders. He found her mouth again.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen to us.” He kissed her, coaxing her lips apart. “I don’t know if I can keep you safe. I know this is against policy.”

“It is. Zeke, we shouldn’t—”

He kissed her to silence her, to keep her from thinking. “I’m not asking for this because I’m afraid I’ll lose you. I want you. Do you understand? I’ve tried, Maggie. I’m the one who’s weak. You think I have no trouble resisting you, but the past two months have been hell.”

“For me too,” she whispered.

“I need you. I have to be inside you. I have to feel you.”

When she parted her lips and stroked his tongue with her own, the tangible surged. His cock surged. He pulled her roughly into his lap, needing her close. Her gown rode up around her hips. They kissed and embraced, hesitant at first but growing bold as they gave in to sensation.

The tangible ebbed and flowed like ocean tides. Drawing them together. Allowing them to part so they could breathe. He couldn’t wait to feel her body without anything between them.

Soon. God, please, let it be soon, before he came in his boxers. He was so erect, his cock ached.

Zeke caught her lower lip between his teeth. He’d try not to hurt her, but he wanted her so bad he felt violent. He caught her ass in his hands and squeezed.

Maggie squirmed. Her hot pussy rubbed his cock.

Too much fabric. He yanked her gown over her head. She squeaked with surprise. Buttons flew. But then she was practically naked, and he had her breasts in his hands.

He’d touched her two months ago and briefly in the SUV. This was different. This—they weren’t stopping. She was his. Her brownish nipples, rigid already, tempted him. He palmed her breasts before catching the tips between his fingers.

When he pinched, she gave a breathy little moan and buried her hands in his hair. He thrust against her heat, simulating intercourse. Her panties were in the way too, but he’d take care of them momentarily. Right now he was all about her breasts.

He pulled and tweaked as he kissed her, letting her angle his head the way she wanted. She took control of the kiss, her tongue in his mouth. After a tight pinch on her nipples that made her moan—and made his cock jump against her—she pressed his head down.

He was only too happy to turn his attention to her breasts. He licked one tight bud, sampling her skin, before drawing it into his mouth. She held his head and gasped. Sucking and tasting, he thoroughly loved her breasts. Bit her nipples. She quivered against him. She was everything he’d imagined—sweet and desperate and demanding, all at the same time.

He would happily lick every inch of her delectable body, but their rest period would be over soon. He had to complete this connection and drive himself deep, deep enough that she’d understand how he felt. Swiftly, he flipped her onto her back.

Maggie’s cheeks were rosy in the dim glow of the night lighting. Her body curved lushly, in and out in so many delicious ways.

“I want to see you,” she said. “Take off your underwear.”

He shucked his boxers without ceremony. Her gaze dropped to his cock and she raised an eyebrow. Her hand found him. “You’re kind of curved. It’s cute.”

“You did not just call my dick cute,” he said.

She pumped him confidently. Oh, God. So good. Her touch nearly sent him through the roof. He caught her wrist. “Stop.”

She tightened her grip on the sensitive head. “I’ve imagined you so many times.” Her thumb rubbed across the moisture at the tip of his cock. “Imagined sucking you. Come up here.”

She tugged on him. Her eyes gleamed. He almost gave in, but if her tongue came within an inch of his cock, he’d blow. That wasn’t the experience he wanted them to share right now.

“Maggie, I mean it. I can’t—I want you too much.” Had he ever turned down head before? He dragged her arm away from him and pinned her wrist to the bed. “Let’s get you ready.”

She licked her lips. “I am ready.”

He rolled halfway off her so he could reach between her legs. “I’ll be the judge of that.”

He trailed his hand down the center of her body. Her skin flowed beneath his touch like satin until he reached her underwear. Instead of taking them off, he slid beneath to caress her soft curls. This time, there was nothing between him and his goal.

She was hot. Wet. He ran a finger through her slick folds, and she parted her thighs to give him better access. Her eyes fluttered shut. Her hands caressed his chest and belly, brushing closer to his cock than he wished she would. He’d masturbated to orgasm while thinking of her plenty of times, but her physical presence, her touch, raised the bar.

This was Maggie. He had her. And he never wanted to let her go. He stroked her clit, testing her swollen flesh. Testing her. He pulled it like he had her nipples, and she moaned. He slipped two fingers into her softness and felt her inner muscles squeeze him.

God, he’d like to eat her until she screamed, but then she’d want to do the same to him, and…

She grasped the head of his cock with her fist. He loved her hands. Her mouth. He’d really love her mouth on his cock. Instead, he kissed her. With his fingers, he worked her. She worked him. Soon they were kissing and panting and, he hoped, close to the thrill. He bent over and bit her nipple.

Her hand stilled on him, like she had frozen. He licked the sweet pebble trapped between his teeth, giving her pain—and pleasure. At the same time, he sank his fingers deep into her body and teased her clit with his thumb.

“Oh, God. Zeke.” Her body tensed. He could sense her rising desire in her breathing. In the fist holding his cock.

The tangible thrummed through his whole body. They touched one another in so many intimate places. He could only imagine how her pussy felt with his fingers inside her and the tangible tugging her core.

The next time she massaged his cock, he stopped her. He had to. “I need to get a condom.”

“No, you don’t. Come inside me.” Her free hand skated down her body. She caught the elastic of her panties and wriggled them past her hips, revealing her pussy, covered with damp, dark curls.

Zeke helped her slide the underwear from her legs. He realized his hands were shaking. Her scent filled him, spicy and vanilla-sweet at the same time. The dampness on his fingers was her longing. “I oughta get a condom anyway.”

“I’m on the pill, and I know we’re both clean.” The Somnium’s physicals made sure of that.

She stroked his chest, following the line of dark golden hair that arrowed toward his cock. Before she could entice him again, he tumbled out of the bed.

“It’ll help me last longer than thirty seconds. You have no idea how much I want this.” His gaze fell on her body, and she parted her legs. Her pink slit had swelled with all the attention he’d given it, and her clit begged to be sucked.

“I want this too. And this.” She touched herself, rubbing more moisture through her folds.

He whirled away and complained over his shoulder. “You keep that up, this is gonna be over before we get started.”

Dumping his shaving kit on the floor, Zeke found the packets. He sheathed himself in a jiffy and climbed back onto the bed, shoving her thighs wide.

Maggie caught his shoulders. Her eyes gazed into his, suddenly uncertain. Her hair splayed on the white pillow. “You’re sure we should?”

He paused with his cock at her entrance. Her heat beckoned to him, and the tangible caught him like her fist. It gripped him. “You feel that?”

“Yes,” she said softly. She ran her hands down his back, coming to rest on his ass. He liked the feel of her fingers there and hoped she’d dig in. “Tingles everywhere.”

“Whether we should or not, we’re going to anyway. I can’t think straight around you, Maggie. Sometimes I get hard-ons when I have to train you in hand to hand, not to mention every night when we go to bed.”

She raised her knees high. Higher. She pulled his ass like he wanted, her fingers insistent. Her feet brushed his thighs. “I didn’t know.”

“I want this.” He pushed forward. The tip of his penis entered her, and she trembled. “I want this all the time.”

“More.”

He obliged her, and himself, until he was seated comfortably. Their connection was complete. Losing her after this would cause twice the pain and he didn’t give a shit.

He had her right where he wanted her. It was so electrifying, he felt like a fucking idiot that he hadn’t been doing her since day one.

“Do you like this?” he asked.

She smiled, slow and happy and completely beautiful. Neither of them had been doing much smiling in the past couple months. It transformed her. “I love this.”

“And this?” He kissed her as he began to move, not giving her a chance to reply.

Her breathing deepened, as did his thrusts. The condom didn’t cut down on much sensation. The glide of her around his cock was going to get him off as quick as a shotgun if he weren’t careful.

She broke off the kiss, gasping. “Harder.”

Her nails dug into his buttocks. Zeke hissed with pleasure and held still. “God, you’re so… Gimme a minute.”

“You can’t have one.” She pulled at his ass, insisting he move. “Need you now.”

Zeke reared back, nearly withdrawing. She moaned. Thrusting hard and deep into her perfect heat brought him to the brink. When she urged him on and tightened around him, he tumbled over it.

Sensation shot through him. The tangible boosted the orgasm like gas on a fire. He shuddered through it, trying to please her too, and knowing he was probably failing.