The Guardian (24 page)

loved looking out at the sea, but this …

Wow. It reminded her a lot of Solin’s home in Greece. She’d be hard-pressed to decide between them as

to who had the better view.

And she would have enjoyed it a lot more if she wasn’t stil angry at Seth.

Bastard.

Was she real y so repugnant that he couldn’t even kiss her? She didn’t know why she was so fixated on

that, but it had stomped her hard in an ego that had never been al that much to begin with. She knew she

wasn’t the prettiest of women. That her overly large eyes were a freakish color. One of her past boyfriends

had even made the comment that he’d broken up with her because she reminded him of a trol dol with its

big spooky eyes … Something that gave him the wil ies.

She wanted to kil Seth for bringing back al of this pain that she usual y kept buried.

I’m not your yo-yo, buddy.
She was tired of trying to guess his moods, which never made any logical

sense to anyone but him.

Gah, how frustrating could one man be?

And what the hel was the thumping in his room? It’d been going on for the last few minutes, to the point

that she was ready to go beat him with her shoes. Wasn’t it bad enough he hurt her feelings? Was he now

trying to make her insane?

But as she stood there, contemplating his murder, a weird sensation tickled the back of her mind.

Something’s not right
.

She couldn’t explain it, but she had an overwhelming need to get to him and make sure nothing was

wrong.

Of course he’s okay. Really? You’re freaking out over nothing.

Stil , that feeling persisted. In fact, it was growing stronger by the heartbeat until it became a ful panic that

he was under attack and needed her.

You’re so stupid. Just go check on him so that you can see what an idiot you are.

And she was, too. She had no doubt. Why else would she be worried over someone who could take care

of himself?

Fine. Whatever. “I’ve had enough.” What would the harm be? At least he wouldn’t laugh at her.

He didn’t know how to do that.

Furious at herself, she left her room and knocked on his door.

He didn’t answer.

And stil that thumping droned on.

Glaring at the wood that separated them, she used her powers to unlock and open it. But the minute she

entered the room, she stopped dead as she saw him lying on his bed.

Asleep, he was in the middle of a nightmare and it appeared as if he was trying to fight someone off him.

The thumping came from him hitting the wal with his arm while he flailed against whatever was in his dream.

She went to him and tried to wake him. “Seth?”

He didn’t respond at al .

Her bad feeling intensified. Had something grabbed him in the unconscious realm? “Seth!” She shook

him even harder.

Stil , he slept on.

Lydia ducked as he almost hit her. She had to do something to wake him. Fast.

Fine, if she couldn’t get him this way, she had another. Lying down beside him, she closed her eyes and

used her powers to walk into his dreams.

It took a few minutes to get past her fear for him so that she could make the connection she needed.

Eventual y, the haze cleared and she found herself in Azmodea again.

She cringed. Why would he come here? But unfortunately, that was what people did. They either visited

things that were familiar or things they wanted to see. Seth had so little experience with anything outside of

the hel hole that it actual y made total sense for him to be here. Where else would he go?

And he better be hurt after bringing her back here, or else he would be once she found him.

Then, they would have a nice long chat on acceptable dream locations for future unconscious traveling.

With white gossamer wings, she flew over the dark landscape, trying to locate him. At first she didn’t see

anything in the darkness.

“Where is she?” The angry voice came from her right.

Lowering herself into the shadows, Lydia fol owed it to a smal sinister meadow.

A mocking, masculine laugh rang out. “You hit like an arthritic three-year-old girl.” That was Seth’s voice.

Her heart clenched.
Oh no
…

He
was
in trouble.

“You real y think you can hurt me?” he chal enged whoever he was talking to. “Think again, bitch.”

Tucking her wings in, Lydia crept through the shadows until she found him. Her stomach lurched as her

gaze focused what was happening.
Not again
…

He was speared against a tree. Literal y. Three long-handled spears were planted in his stomach and

chest, holding him there while he was surrounded by four women.

The one she’d heard earlier grabbed his hair and wrenched it hard. “Cal for her. Now!”

“No.”

She slammed his head back against the tree. “Have we not done enough damage to you already?”

“Is that what this is?” Seth asked derisively. “I thought it was foreplay.”

Lydia couldn’t believe what she was seeing or hearing. Those were Dream-Hunters torturing him. They

must have been waiting for him to sleep so that they could grab him and drag him back into this hel .

Damn it. She hadn’t even thought to warn him about a danger she’d known from birth. Stupidly, she’d

assumed everyone knew to be wary of Dream-Hunter powers.

But Seth wasn’t Greek.

The Dream-Huntress sank her hand deep into his hair again so that she could yank his head down to

hers. “Shame we didn’t know how pretty you were the other night when we had you. Even the Phonoi would

have been impressed.”

“Fuck you.”

She smiled at him, then jerked his lips to hers.

Seth growled as she pul ed back and left his lips pouring blood. He spat the blood at her, but she dodged

it and laughed before she backhanded him.

Lydia felt sick as she realized why he hadn’t kissed her earlier.

How could I forgotten?
After al she’d seen?

But then she’d been so wrapped up in her own damaged past, she’d lost sight of the fact that Seth didn’t

know kisses could come without blood and pain.

Even
I
bit him when he kissed me.

No wonder he’d pul ed away. He hadn’t meant to hurt her. He’d only been trying to protect himself from

more harm.

Somehow she’d forgotten about biting him. But she’d lay money that Seth hadn’t. How could he? He’d

only been trying to give her a voice and she’d hurt him for it.

Strange how you always remembered the pain someone gave you, but seldom the hurt you caused them

first.

“Here, Maia.” One of the Dream-Hunters passed his tormentor a knife. “What say we castrate him? You

think it would carry from his dreams into his real life if we did?” She looked up and tsked at Seth. “What? No

smart retort for that?”

Seth didn’t say anything as he tried again to pul one of the spears out of his chest.

The damn thing wouldn’t budge.

He glared at the four women who’d dragged him to this realm against his wishes. “Do whatever you want.

You’re just wasting your time anyway. Lydia won’t come for me.”

He wasn’t the one she loved. And even if by some miracle he was, she was stil furious with him. Hel , he

was lucky
she
hadn’t pinned him to the tree.

When he’d tried to apologize again at Maahes’s house, she’d slammed her door in his face.

Devastated, he’d gone to his room. And with nothing else to do and no one to talk to, he’d made the

mistake of trying to sleep.

He should have known better. Why would he have ever thought himself safe? Slumber had never once in

his life given him peace. It’d only left him weak and open to attacks.

The Dream-Huntress lifted the knife to his neck. “Where would you rather I stab you this time? Hmm?”

She hovered the blade over the hol ow of his throat. “This is always a painful place to be stabbed.”

She trailed it down to his chest, raising a bloody stripe under the blade. “Then there’s always the heart,

or…” She moved it to his cock. “So what’s it to be? If we harm you badly enough in a dream, you’l carry

those wounds with you back to your waking state. So if I were you, I’d cal her while you’re stil able.”

He shook his head in steadfast denial. “I won’t do it.” He would never put Lydia in harm’s way.

“It sucks to be you tonight.” She pul ed her arm back to stab his cock.

Seth tensed and held his breath in expectation of the pain he could already feel.

For once, it didn’t come.

Before she could stab him, a blur came running from the shadows and tackled her to the ground.

At first, he thought he was imagining things. But there was no mistaking the flash of topaz eyes glowing in

the dark.

Lydia was on the woman, beating her down with a ferocity he hadn’t known she was capable of. The other

three launched themselves at her.

“Lydia, behind you!”

She came to her feet and manifested a staff that she twirled around her back to the front. She caught one

of the women with the hard end of it against her face, then knocked a second in the head. The third, she

punched in the middle.

He had to give her credit. She knew how to handle herself with a skil he wouldn’t have thought possible. It

was a good thing he’d taken her powers when he captured her. With her abilities, she might or might not

have defeated him, but she would have definitely put a hurt on his body.

In a matter of minutes, she had the bitches on the run. As they fled, she shouted after them. “Send the

word out, you whores. If you want to fight me in this realm, you better practice more and bring serious

backup.”

Her breathing labored, she turned to face him.

Never in al of his life had he seen anything more beautiful than her tousled hair fal ing into those eyes that

touched a part of him he thought was gone forever.

His heart.

Brushing her hair back, she threw her staff to the ground and ran to him. “You stil with me?”

He looked down at the spears in his torso. “Sadly, I can honestly say, that compared to other sessions I’ve

had this one wasn’t so bad.”

She sighed wearily. “You find your humor at the strangest times.” Her brow furrowed, she reached for the

bottom spear. “This is going to hurt. I’m so sorry.”

He stopped her before she could yank it out. “Why are you here?”

Lydia paused at the odd catch in his voice. He real y had no comprehension. “Don’t you know?”

He shook his head. “You were so mad at me. I didn’t think you’d ever speak to me again.”

She took his hand into hers and held it tight. “Baby, I would always come for you.”

“But I didn’t cal you.”

“You didn’t have to. I knew you needed me. Now hold on.” She jerked the spear out as fast as she could,

hoping to spare him as much pain as possible.

Seth bit his lip as she freed him of the other two. Instead of letting him hit the ground, she caught him

against her and held him close.

“Hold on,” she whispered in his ear as she draped his arm around her shoulders. “I’l take you home.”

* * *

room or, worse, in Noir’s torture chamber.

But as he caught the scent of his precious lily, he knew he was safe.

When he blinked his eyes open, it was to see the most beautiful woman in existence.

Before he could move, she started tearing at his shirt, pul ing it up to expose his stomach and chest.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Making sure those bitches didn’t hurt you so much that you brought your wounds back with you. I swear if

they did, I wil stalk them down and kick their teeth in until they beg me to stop and even then I’l …”

Lydia froze as she heard the most incredible thing of al .

Seth’s laughter.

Stunned, she sat back on her legs to scowl at him and marvel at the way his smile lit up his entire face

and made him al the better looking.

He truly had an adorable smile that could melt the iciest heart.

But she was completely bemused by his mood. “You find
that
funny?”

“No,” he breathed. “I find it a miracle.” He reached up and cupped her face in his hand. “You real y came

for me.”

Closing her eyes, she rubbed her cheek against his palm, savoring the feel of his skin on hers. “I told you I

would.”

But he’d never believed it. Not for a single heartbeat. Words were cheap.

Actions cost.

Even so, she had fought off his attackers and brought him home. Just like she said she would.

She released his hand and went back to searching his body for injuries. Something he wouldn’t have

minded so much if it wasn’t turning him on so badly that he couldn’t stand it.

And when she leaned over him, spil ing her soft hair across his chest that she’d bared, he almost came

just from the scent of her alone.

Lydia hesitated as she saw the fire in those blue eyes that fol owed her every movement. More than that,

she felt his desire for her swel ing against her thigh.

Neither of them moved as they stared at each other, both afraid to move. Afraid of how the other would

react if they did.

They knew one wrong word or action would shatter this moment, and it was something neither of them

wanted to accidental y spoil.

But Lydia had never been timid in anything. She dissolved his shirt completely so that she could run her

hand over his bare chest and feel the wal of cut muscles there. He had the lightest dusting of red hair over