In His Dreams Changeling Press

In His Dreams Lacey Savage All rights reserved.

Copyright ©2005 Lacey Savage

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ISBN (10): 1-59596-225-5

ISBN (13): 978-1-59596-225-6

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Editor: Chrissie Henderson

Cover Artist: Sahara Kelly

This e-book file contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language which some may find offensive and which is not appropriate for a young audience. Changeling Press E-Books are for sale to adults, only, as defined by the laws of the country in which you made your purchase. Please store your files wisely, where they cannot be accessed by under-aged readers.

Prologue “You think you’re ready for this?” Rafe Osmond took a deep, steadying breath and closed his eyes. The pillow beneath his head felt soft and inviting, but his body hummed with anticipation. How could Master Choeki expect him to fall asleep? He licked his suddenly dry lips. “I’m ready.” He felt the dip in the mattress as the Master sat down beside him and leaned over to light a candle on the nightstand. “Good. Remember what I’ve taught you.” “Patience, kindness, strength,” Rafe repeated for the thousandth time. “We are dream walkers. People count on us to dispel dark dreams, to preserve their sanity. I won’t forget.” “And if you encounter a rager?” “I’ll stop him. At any cost.” Master Choeki grunted his approval and rose from the bed. “Sleep. I’ll be here when you return.” Rafe folded his hands across his chest and waited for sleep to come. He’d been training at the Dream Academy for three years. Since the day he’d first presented himself to the Master, they’d entered dreams together, rescued dreamers from themselves countless times, but they’d never encountered a rager. Sometimes, Rafe wasn’t sure whether the stories of powerful creatures who killed humans in their dreams were even true. He’d never seen one. The Master had told him that when his abilities became strong enough, he’d be able to sense a rager from a distance, without even having to enter a dream. If his current abilities were any indication, it would be a long time before that happened.

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***

Rafe didn’t remember falling asleep. One moment he was lying on the training bed in the Dream Academy, and the next, he was here, standing in a brightly lit restaurant. White linen tablecloths, napkins and pristine table settings awaited patrons, but the place was empty. Crystal glasses caught the light from the overhead chandelier and fragmented it in a rainbow of colors that splashed over the pale walls, leading Rafe’s gaze to the large window overlooking the street. Outside, the city looked deserted. Moonlight played in puddles, and rain fell with heavy drops on the pavement, but there were no people huddled under umbrellas, no cabs honking as they sped down city streets. A soft moan caught his attention, and he spun around quickly, scanning the restaurant. “Hello? Anyone here?” Another groan echoed through the room, followed by a giggle and a soft gasp. Rafe’s pulse raced as he moved forward. Just his luck to stumble into an erotic dream on his first night alone. He’d encountered a few when accompanied by Master Choeki, but they’d never lingered long. Sensual dreams rarely turned into nightmares. He spotted the couple at last, in a corner booth at the back of the restaurant. He walked toward them slowly, trying to stay in the shadows as much as possible. There had to be a reason his dream talent led him here. Sometimes, his ability to sense nightmares was triggered by a false alarm, nothing more than a rough edge to sex play. Other times, the possibility of a nightmare was real. Dreams could turn dark in the blink of an eye, often without the dreamer’s knowledge or consent. That’s why he was here. To watch over the dreamer and protect them. And to destroy dream ragers. The Master’s voice echoed in Rafe’s head, and he waved it away. He didn’t sense a dream rager. Not that he knew what sensing one was supposed to feel like, but he assumed it had to be hostile, dark, powerful. A strong sensation of malevolent evil would crawl up his spine. There was none of that here. Just two lovers indulging in a little fun.

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He inched closer to get a better look. What could it hurt, lingering for a moment or two? He’d move on soon. The Master would never know he dallied here. He stopped breathing when he caught sight of a woman’s shapely behind. His cock stiffened instantly as he took in her long legs, wide hips, slender waist, and smooth coppery skin. Hair the color of dark, rich honey had been swept into an untidy heap on top of her head. He took another step forward, hoping for a glimpse of her face. He wished she’d turn around, but she was busy sucking a stiff cock. Her lover lay on his back on one of the white linen tablecloths Rafe had admired earlier, hands folded behind his head, eyes closed, mouth parted in ecstasy. Rafe’s hand moved to his cock. He palmed the stiff length, hoping for a little relief. He knew he should leave, but couldn’t. Not yet. How often would he have a chance to witness something like this? The woman released her lover’s cock. It slid from her mouth with a loud pop, and she turned to face Rafe. Her features were even more beautiful than he’d expected. Long, black lashes framed gold-rimmed dark eyes. High cheekbones and full lips suggested an exotic background. He expected ire, or shock at the very least, but got neither. Instead, she moved forward and grasped his hand, tugging him close to her. “Are you here to stop me?” Rafe’s mouth was suddenly dry. “I’m here to… save you.” She laughed, the sound low and sensual. “Really? My hero.” Her tone held neither sarcasm nor anger. “I hope you can stay a while.” “Who are you?” His thoughts felt sluggish as she pressed her naked body against him. He felt her hard nipples graze his chest even through the shirt he wore and he stifled a groan. “I’m Nara. This is Vince.” “Vinny,” the man corrected. He sat up, casting a bewildered stare at Rafe. “Who’s this?” “Our rescuer, apparently,” Nara said before Rafe could reply. “Though I’m not yet sure what he’s supposed to be saving us from.”

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With quick, expert motions, she unzipped his jeans and slid them over his hips. His briefs followed. “I really can’t stay.” “Sure you can.” She gripped his hand and placed it over her sex. Shaved bare, her skin felt deliciously warm and all too inviting. His cock pulsed. A shudder trembled through his body. It’s only a dream. Dreams were as real as the dreamer made them. This wasn’t his dream, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t share in the dreamer’s delight. Only a dream, he repeated to himself. What can it hurt? The Master hadn’t prohibited getting involved in someone else’s fantasy. In fact, there were no rules about interfering at all, as far as he knew. And if the dream suddenly did turn dark and dangerous, he’d be here to stop it. Rafe lowered his head and caught Nara’s nipple in his mouth. She arched her back and offered herself to him with a small shiver and a moan that made his balls tighten in their sack. “Vinny’s getting lonely,” Nara whispered, reminding Rafe of the other man who still watched them from atop the table. “Let’s let him participate, okay?” Rafe shrugged. Usually, he wasn’t keen on sharing, but this wasn’t his dream. Who was he to argue? Nara strode to the booth and climbed on top of the table. She pushed Vinny onto his back and straddled him, her slit hovering just over his cock. “Behind me,” she said, casting a look over her shoulder at Rafe. “I want you, too.” Her meaning quickly became clear when she reached into a small black purse sitting on the edge of the booth’s bench and handed him a tube of lubricant. He squirted a small amount onto his palm, then rubbed it over the length of his erection. “As you wish.” The smooth glide of his hand over the tip of his cock made him shudder. He was ready. More than ready. His balls ached with need.

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He wondered what the Master would say if he knew what Rafe was about to do. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. This dream walker gig certainly had its advantages. Nara lowered herself on Vinny’s cock and let out a hiss of pleasure as her cunt adjusted to him. Vinny groaned and gripped her hips, steadying her as he began to thrust. Moving behind her, Rafe held the base of his cock with one hand and held the tip to the puckered hole of her ass. “Are you sure this is what you want?” She leaned forward so her breasts pressed against Vinny’s chest. Tremors shook her body. “Yes. Please.” Rafe nudged his cock inside the welcoming hole, feeling it tighten around the head. He paused, waiting for her ass to adjust to the intrusion. He gripped her waist, his fingers entwining with Vinny’s. They held her steady while driving into her, slowly at first, then with increasing fervor. She cried out when both cocks filled her, then began to ride them steadily, sensually, as though she’d done this a hundred times before. Her ass was so tight, it milked him of all his control. He tossed back his head and let out a growl as his fingernails dug into her skin. Need built inside him, made his balls throb with a yearning for release. He closed his eyes. His hips rocked harder and he thrust deeper, reaching further inside her. This was what he’d been missing. Since coming to the Dream Academy, he’d been trying to find his purpose. Other dream walkers came with lofty goals. Save humanity from distant threats, rescue people from themselves, the usual. But not him. It wasn’t until this moment that he realized what would give him the most pleasure of all. Indulging in some fantasies of his own. From a distant, faraway place, Rafe heard Vinny scream. Unable to hold back a moment longer, his seed spilled from his cock in quick spurts. His satisfied groans filled the room, echoed off the walls. Oblivious to all else but the jet of cum streaming from his cock, he drove in deeper, harder, fucked her faster. When the dizzying orgasm finally subsided, he opened his eyes and tightened his hold on Nara’s waist. Vinny’s hands no longer gripped her, he realized as he rubbed

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his thumb over her skin in soft, circular motions. He peered over her shoulder, expecting to see the man’s chest heaving from exertion, but his body was still, motionless. Glassy eyes stared up at the ceiling. A thin line of blood trickled from his mouth. Understanding hit Rafe like a punch to the gut. He stumbled back, his cock escaping Nara’s ass with a wet squish. Dream rager. His senses flared, suddenly on high alert. Why hadn’t he been able to feel it sooner? Had his lust blinded him to the thrum of awareness now edging so clearly through his mind? He ignored the trail of cum and the blood that stained the tablecloth and reached for Nara. His hand moved right through her. The dream wavered and began to fade into oblivion. “No! Stop!” He awoke on bed sheets slick with his sweat. His fingers dug into the pillow, tearing the lining. Master Choeki stood over him, arms folded across his chest. His features radiated disapproval, but he remained silent. Rafe ground his teeth together, trying to keep his anger from exploding. “I’m sorry,” he said when he could trust his voice. “I failed you.” “Yes,” the Master acknowledged. “You did.” “I must make it up to you.” He searched the Master’s gaze hoping for some sign of compassion, or understanding. It wasn’t there. “Make it up to the man who died. And to all the others she’s killed.” He swallowed hard, shame and fury warring inside him. “How will I find her?” “Her talents are strong, but not strong enough to hide from you. Track her, stealthily, from dream to dream. Her physical location will be harder to discern, but not impossible.” “I’ll do everything I can.”

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“Good.” He turned and headed for the door. Clasping the handle in one hand, the Master hesitated. “And Rafe?” “Yes?” “When you reach her, end it. For her sake. And yours.”

Chapter One Dawn hovered on the edge of breaking. Rafe could feel it in every fragment of his body. It made its way in, stroked his skin with its heat and the promising glow of morning. One more dream, then he could collapse into his own bed, his mercifully dreamless sleep. It had been an excruciatingly long night. Entering one nightmare after another, Rafe had waited patiently for the dream to take a turn for the worse before commanding those trapped inside to awaken and face their demons. Most wouldn’t, he knew. Ignorance was bliss as far as they were concerned, and terrifying dreams were to be given no more thought than a paper cut, or something equally as insignificant. A bit of pain for no apparent reason. Right. One woman had buried a pet only to have the precious critter continuously crawl back out from the dank hole. When it wouldn’t stay dead, she took to hitting it over the head with the sharp edge of a shovel. By the time Rafe arrived to end the nightmare, the bloody beast limped along, chasing her former mistress as the woman manufactured bigger, deadlier weapons. Tonight, he’d seen everything from security lights that malfunctioned to hide a serial rapist among the bushes of one woman’s cozy neighborhood, to a man locked in a prison no larger than two feet by two feet. The worst part had been that his self-made cell lacked a fourth wall. He could have escaped at any time simply by taking a step back. Instead, he’d continued to cling to the bars, howling in protest, muttering about the injustice of it all. The moment he crossed the threshold to the last dream of the night, he felt her presence. Her name came unbidden to his mind, as it always did. “Nara,” he

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whispered, the word taking solid shape as it left his mouth, each letter fluttering down slowly to land on the grass among a myriad of pink carnations, white baby’s breath and yellow roses. The idyllic scene didn’t fool him. Rafe broke into a run, bending the lush green stalks and crushing tender velvet petals beneath his feet. He hadn’t been able to find her in months. He knew she hadn’t stopped invading other people’s dreams, but she was simply too far away physically even for his abilities to sense. No, she wouldn’t have stopped on her own. It would have been impossible for her to stay out of his realm for long. Twisting benign fantasies and changing lush scenes into horrifying nightmares were her specialty. The man lying on the ground made Rafe halt in his tracks. He was naked, splayed on a checkered blanket. A smile played upon his lips, and by the look of the cum splatter dripping down his thigh and his softening cock sticking to his skin, Rafe guessed he’d gotten there just in time. In a moment, this dream would turn deadly. Nara was nowhere in sight. “Wake up,” he said, taking a step closer to the blanket. The man opened one eye, his face darkening when he didn’t recognize Rafe. “Who the hell are you?” “Doesn’t matter. You’re in danger.” The man licked his lips but made no move to rise. “You seen a hot little honey anywhere? Dark skin, silky hair, tits that could smother a man and make him die happy?” “You might get your wish.” Rafe scanned the peaceful garden. “If you don’t make an effort to end this, I won’t be able to help you.” “Listen, man, get your own tight little box. This one’s mine.” A thought pierced Rafe’s mind, lightning-quick. “Where’d you find her?” “On an expedition. Who knew there really were undiscovered treasures left in the world?”

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Somehow, Rafe didn’t think he was talking only about Nara. His pulse quickened. “Where?” “Nepal. Close to the Chinese border.” A fierce gust of wind ripped the blanket from the ground, tossing the man a few feet into the air before he landed with a loud grunt on the bent stalks of grass. In an instant, the sky darkened. Storm clouds, thicker and more menacing than any natural phenomenon could produce, gathered in full force above them. “Wake up!” Rafe had to scream to be heard above the howl of the wind. “Now!” From the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a shapely silhouette. A woman’s body, thin yet curvy in all the right places, covered by a gossamer layer of dark, shadowy mist. Her long dark hair spilled down her back in a straight, thick mass. Full red lips offered a peek at the sexiest pouting mouth he’d ever seen. But the shadows held something else. Nara turned her beautiful face his way, and from the depths of her exotic features flared the glazed golden eyes of an inhuman being. On the ground, the man’s body shuddered, writhing in fear. His glassy, faraway look proved he was beyond saving. Rafe could do no more here. Exhaustion dripped off Rafe in heavy waves. He should have crossed back into reality by now. Instead, he moved toward Nara, stopping only inches away from her. His hand slid right through her shimmering tresses when he tried to grasp her locks in his hand. If she’d felt his movement, she didn’t show it. With one last satisfied look at the man convulsing before her, Nara pirouetted, spinning faster and faster until she disappeared into the shadows. The dream collapsed, leaving Rafe once again standing between worlds in the thick, comforting brightness. Scrubbing a hand over his face, he allowed himself to travel back to where his body waited, lying on wrinkled bed sheets in his room. Nara’s face flashed before him, at first beautiful and serene, then twisted with rage. Nepal. Close to the Chinese border.

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“At last you’re mine, dream rager,” he whispered to the first streaks of daylight filtering through his blinds.

Chapter Two Narayani sat at the head of a long table. On either side, her concubine sisters kept their eyes lowered, hands tucked demurely into their laps. Directly across from her, the Conqueror twirled a spoon between long, slender fingers. “Why do we have to do this every fucking night?” Nara asked, icy exasperation seeping through her tone. Twelve pairs of eyes turned to stare, mouths agape, at her inane question. She knew the answer better than anyone. They all did. It was simply the Conqueror’s wish. In this, as in all things, they did as he commanded. The Conqueror didn’t answer. He merely smiled, a brief upturn of his thin lips, before letting the spoon clatter against the golden bowl. The candles ensconced on the walls of the circular room flickered, a few burning out altogether, plunging the rotunda into a deeper gloom. She should have kept quiet but something nagged at her, urged her to speak again. “We sit here like idiots, pretending to be something we’re not. Why?” she repeated. “Why do you make us do this?” “Because I can.” She rolled her eyes and stood, her chair scraping loudly on the marble floor. “Sit,” the Conqueror commanded. “I didn’t dismiss you.” She thought about disobeying, just this once. A moment later, she collapsed back into her chair and gripped the armrest until her knuckles turned white. The elegant carvings dug into her palm. “The dinner ritual is one of the most important among men. It’s a sign of unity, loyalty, love.” His mouth twisted on the last word. “A sign of humanity.”

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“We’re not human anymore,” she reminded him, looking at each one of her sisters in turn. Their hollow, lifeless eyes remained fixed on hers. Ethereal faces the color of polished bronze shone in the growing darkness, permanently smoothed into masks of submission. Crimson lips, eternally pouty, jutted out in a gesture of innocence. Only Nara recognized it for what it really was; compliance, docility and absolute surrender. None of the women blinked. They no longer had to. “So you think that if we gather together at sunset in front of dishes that haven’t seen food in over three centuries, we’ll retain some of our… human qualities?” Nara’s mouth had stopped watering long ago at the thought of food. She’d forgotten the taste of sweet, sugary dates, her favorite treat when she’d first come to the palace. Now, honeyed aromas held no appeal. She craved something tart to bring back taste buds long out of practice; like the juice of a hundred ripe lemons. “Sure, if this little ritual keeps you well trained for when guests arrive.” Guests. The Conqueror’s word for those who entered the Forgotten Palace, never to walk out again. Victims would have been a more accurate description. “We haven’t had visitors in over a month,” one of the women said, her melodious voice ringing through the room. Nara’s pulse quickened. She remembered their last guest’s dream, the way she’d invaded the peaceful garden scene and twisted it until it was nothing but a mere shadow of what the man’s imagination had created. She hadn’t killed him -- not really. She’d merely incapacitated him for the length of time necessary for him to become one of them. It took two full days for the spell to take effect. Two days, and he’d never be able to walk out of the Forgotten Palace again. One night with her left a man spent for at least forty-eight hours, rendering him incapable of leaving his bed until the spell’s effects were upon him. The Conqueror could have used more violent methods to keep his guests bound to their rooms, but he preferred twisting pleasure into something vulgar and terrifying. Screams rent from throats hoarse with cries of ecstasy were more his style.

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The last dream had been different. There’d been another presence, the man who’d watched her, tried to stop her from taking control of the dream. He hadn’t succeeded, of course. She’d had too much practice over the last three hundred years to be overpowered by anyone who dared to intrude on her world. “Not to worry, little Dhanya,” the Conqueror said with only a hint of impatience. “Guests will arrive shortly.” A clear image of the man she often encountered in dreams invaded Nara’s thoughts. Blond hair, straight but for a slight curl at the nape of his neck, just long enough to be fashionable by what little she knew of today’s standards. Hard, chiseled jaw. Straight, narrow nose. His baby-blue eyes had all but burned right through her when he’d fixed her with an intense stare. The light, almost purplish color had trapped her for a moment, lost in the depths of his gaze. He’d worn a white shirt that stretched over broad shoulders, giving her the slightest glimpse of firm, resilient muscles beneath. She hadn’t let him touch her since that first night fifteen years ago, but that didn’t mean he’d stopped chasing her. Her nipples tautened under her thin silk shift, grazing the delicate material, and she was grateful her long hair spilled over her swollen breasts, hiding the beaded buds from view. Involuntarily, she trembled. “He’s coming.” “Who?” Dhanya asked. Nara couldn’t answer. She didn’t even know his name, and to admit her ability to cross into the dream realm would give the Conqueror knowledge she couldn’t let him have. Her nighttime travels into the thoughts of others were all she had that was hers alone. Everything else she’d ever owned, he’d managed to take from her. If she let on that she was able to escape this place, even for a heartbeat, the Conqueror would find a way to destroy even that small bit of freedom. “No one,” she said at last, pretending not to notice the mocking glint in the Conqueror’s dark eyes.

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“She’s right.” The Conqueror picked up a wide, shallow goblet and stared into its empty depths. Firelight shone off the smooth, gleaming silver surface. “There isn’t only one man coming. There are two.” “He has a companion?” Nara asked when she could find her voice. She didn’t remember anyone else in the dream, and had hoped he’d come alone. There was something about him… She’d felt his power when he’d tried to touch her. It seeped through her veins and burrowed inside her soul. His dreams would be compelling, overwhelming. Possessing them would be unlike anything she’d experienced. Entering his thoughts would allow her to feel more than she’d felt in centuries. It might even allow her to free herself from this hell the Conqueror had trapped her in. “I’ll take one.” Dhanya lifted her chin to meet the Conqueror’s eyes. “No. Nara will entertain them, as always.” Dhanya shot her a look filled with poison. “She always gets them all. She’s been head concubine for over three hundred years. You should have tired of her by now. I would be better able to please the men. And the women,” she added as an afterthought. “I don’t want both,” Nara stated calmly. The Conqueror rose and moved to stand beside her. Flames danced in the deep velvet of his eyes. His fingers found her shoulder and dug into her flesh with a cruel grip. “You’ll fuck who I say, when I say, where I say.” She leaned into his crushing clasp, not wincing, trying desperately to feel something -- anything. But even pain was elusive. She sighed past the lump that had formed in her throat. There was no venom in her tone when she asked, “Would you care to tell me how to do it, too?” He laughed, the sound resonating like a phantom cry, shrill and terrifying. “That, I’ll leave up to you.”

***

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Almost four days had passed since Rafe last encountered another person on the deserted path through the Nepalese mountains. A balmy breeze blew from the west, bringing with it the thick, sweet scent of orchids. Rafe frowned. Orchids didn’t bloom in late October. Twinkling silver stars glittered overhead, scattered like precious gems among a sea of velvet. Pulling out a canteen from his backpack, Rafe sat on the ground beside his pitched tent. He’d set camp for the night an hour before, shortly after darkness had fully enveloped the panorama of snowy mountain peaks in the distance. Since then, the scent of flowers had only grown stronger, encouraged by light gusts of wind. He lay back and cradled his head in his hands, staring up at the stars, thinking about Nara. He hadn’t seen her in anyone’s dreams since the last time they’d met, over a month ago. As soon as he’d woken up that afternoon, he’d bought every travel guide to Nepal he could get his hands on, then spent a number of days in the library scouring newspapers and magazines reporting unexplained phenomena in Nepal. He paid particular attention to any reports of exotic events located close to the Chinese border. He hadn’t been able to find much. Aside from the tabloids that regularly reported Elvis sightings on Mt. Everest, the only promising lead was a short article describing a series of unexplained disappearances surrounding a newly discovered palace. Its ruins had been found less than a decade ago, a recent discovery by scientific standards. Oddly enough, little information existed about the place even though, according to the article, every expedition that had ever been sent out had vanished. Even the archeological and historical communities had moved on, leaving the time­ worn temple half buried at the base of Dhaulagiri mountain. Rafe had figured it was as good a place to start as any. Nara wasn’t human, and if every dream rager he’d ever encountered was any indication, the creatures that preyed upon people’s dreams usually did so from relatively isolated locations. More people meant more chances of discovery. Booming metropolises never had to worry about a dream rager moving into a skyscraper and possessing the neighbors’ dreams.

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No, city folk had enough to worry about with rapidly climbing crime rates. Other humans preyed on each other quite well without help from otherworldly beings. Dream ragers were rare, and getting rarer with every one Rafe killed. Since first encountering Nara, he’d made hunting dream ragers his specialty. Now chances were good she might even be the last one left. Once he found and disposed of her, he might even be able to give up dream walking for good. His day job suffered enough from his nighttime activities as it was. Fifteen years ago, he’d sworn an oath, promising he’d fight to annihilate every last trace of evil to threaten the barrier separating the dream world from reality. Dream ragers didn’t just frighten their victims. They terrorized them to death. Since then, he’d spent his nights scouring dreams until dawn, catching an hour or two of sleep, then rising and joining the rest of the workforce as they filed through office doors in identical three-piece suits. His work as a tax accountant wasn’t as noble as protecting the dream realm, but at least it paid the rent. A noise from his right caught Rafe’s attention, breaking his train of thought. He propped himself up on his elbows and squinted into the distance. The fat yellow moon overhead cast just enough light to illuminate some of the craggy rock formations. The sound echoed through the silence a second time, and again a third. Footsteps. Fast, yet cautious. “Who’s there?” Rafe called out, reaching for the knife he kept hidden in his boot. A figure stepped out of the shadows, hands raised high in the air. “Hey, man, didn’t mean to startle you. I didn’t think anyone else was out this far.” Rafe leapt to his feet in an instant, still crouching low to the ground, his hand clasped around the hilt of the knife. “Who are you?” The last person he remembered seeing had been a Sadhu, a wandering holy man, and that was four days ago. As the newcomer took another step forward, moonlight illuminated his face. Sharp, chiseled features came into view. Broad-chested and muscular, a good five inches taller than himself. Rafe guessed the man had to be about 6’3”. His black shirt and pants fit him tightly, encasing his body like a second skin.

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“A scholar.” Rafe snorted. The guy didn’t look like any academic he’d ever seen, and he’d met his share of professors and wannabe historians. “You got a name, scholar?” “Jeremy. Put the knife down, and I might even tell you my last name.” A surprised chuckle erupted from Rafe’s throat despite his misgivings, and he slid the blade back into its sheath. “Rafe Osmond,” he said, extending a hand. Jeremy clasped it in a strong grip. “Beck. Jeremy Beck.” “Sit.” Rafe motioned to the blanket he’d been lying on and dug through his pack for a second canteen. He’d been rationing his water, but figured he had plenty left for the trek back even if he shared a sip. Jeremy nodded gratefully, accepting the offered container. He brought it to his lips, taking two long swallows before wiping the mouth of the canteen and screwing the cap back on tightly. They sat in silence for a while, letting the languid air caress their skin. “Beautiful place,” Jeremy said at last. Rafe nodded. “Do your travels bring you here often?” “This is my third trip. I can’t seem to stay away, especially at this time of the year. Balmy weather, clean air, lush vegetation. Nepal is the kind of country that lingers in your dreams long after you leave it.” Rafe laughed at the irony of Jeremy’s words. His dreams definitely hadn’t been the same since his encounter with Nara. He remembered when his dreams had been blissfully empty of any intrusive thoughts, a long time ago. Now his sleep had a dark, erotic edge. Images of her full red lips wrapped around his cock, her slender, shapely body on top of his, tormented him every moment he wasn’t awake. And he’d been trying to kill her for fifteen years. “Let me guess,” Jeremy continued when Rafe didn’t answer. “In search of the Forgotten Palace?” Rafe raised an eyebrow. “Actually, I’m in search of a woman.” Jeremy’s lips curled up in a slight smile. “Aren’t we all?”

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“Not you. You’re looking for the Forgotten Palace.” “Ah. True. But we weren’t talking about me.” “Fair enough. The woman I’m looking for… if I’m right, then she’s part of your palace.” “She disappeared?” “I don’t think so. I think she’s connected to it somehow.” “You think she’s the cause of the mysteriously vanishing members of the archeological community?” Rafe shrugged. “I wish I knew. She’s been causing other disturbances, though.” “Disturbances?” “Ripples through…” Rafe struggled to find the right word, and failed. “The mind. She’s been toying with people’s minds.” “Uh… I see.” He didn’t, of course. An aggravated sigh escaped Rafe’s lips. He’d never been very good at explaining what he did without others thinking he was a complete nut. The few people who’d actually believed him thought of him more like a telepath, someone able to read thoughts, someone to be feared. He wasn’t any of those things. Rather than try to describe his talent another way, he decided to change the subject. “Did you lose someone to this mysterious palace?” “My business partner. He came out here over a month ago. I couldn’t go with him at the time, but to be honest, we both thought the whole thing was a load of bull. I mean, this isn’t the Bermuda Triangle. People don’t just disappear.” He took a deep breath, let it out slowly. “Even so, I insisted that David be implanted with a small GPS device under the skin of his wrist. It’s practically undetectable, and it’s top of the line. It even comes with a lifetime guarantee.” “And?” Rafe prompted when Jeremy fell silent. “And we lost the signal shortly after he was due to arrive at the palace.”

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An unnatural stillness settled in the air, sending a shiver down Rafe’s spine. The overpowering scent of orchids clogged his throat. “If your friend disappeared, why did you decide to come out here alone?” Jeremy turned to face him, the darkness hiding the color of his eyes. “Who else would come with me? The Nepalese government representative I called laughed and hung up when I told him about David.” “Another friend, maybe?” “No one I know would be willing to risk his neck out here. Besides, I’m as responsible as anyone else. I told him he’d be fine on his own. Thousands of tourists trek through these mountains every year and they don’t disappear into thin air.” “They also don’t go looking for trouble.” Rafe clapped Jeremy on the back. “Well, looks like we’re in this together. We’ll set out again at dawn.” Jeremy hesitated. “My tent ripped last night. A branch fell and tore a nice chunk right out of the canvas.” “Lucky you. Mine’s large enough for two.” Jeremy beamed a grateful smile at Rafe. “I think you just saved me from the elements, friend.” A few minutes later, as the waning moon began to slide toward the horizon, Rafe slid into his sleeping bag. He watched the soft moonlight illuminate Jeremy’s body while he pulled off his stout pair of walking boots, revealing sculpted calf muscles. Rafe turned away as Jeremy slid his hands beneath the waistband of his pants and peeled them off his hips. He managed to get a brief glimpse of six-pack abs, and dark hair that tapered off and disappeared into white, skintight briefs. Rafe’s cock stirred, and he forced himself to level the uneven tenor of his breathing before he made his new companion anxious. It felt as though he’d sported a semi-permanent erection for the last fifteen years, his rod ready to stiffen at the slightest provocation. No other woman had been able to dull the throbbing ache in his groin. He’d never been with a man before, but sharing a tent with Jeremy in the middle of

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nowhere was making him consider sexual delights he’d never even thought of. Maybe that’s what he’d been missing. A forbidden delight like the one he’d first shared with… Nara. She was the cause of all this. He could feel it in his veins -- in his groin. He’d connected with her in some way, and his burgeoning lust proved it. He had to find her. Soon.

Chapter Three Nara spent most of the day roaming from room to room, glancing out of every window she passed. She didn’t know which direction he’d be coming from, but the Conqueror had guaranteed her mystery man would be strolling into the Forgotten Palace tonight. After what seemed to Nara an eternity, long after the sun had dipped beyond the horizon and the moon’s silvery light spilled over the palace walls, she spotted him. As the Conqueror had predicted, he wasn’t alone. Narrowing her eyes to slits, she squinted, trying to bring the two men into full view. From where she stood at the top of the highest tower, they were nothing more than dark specks against the gray, rocky background. “Are you going to stand there and stare all night?” Dhanya gripped Nara’s elbow and pulled her away from the window. “As if it’s not enough that once again, you get to have all the fun.” Nara shrugged out of her silk robe, letting the flimsy material pool at her feet. Candlelight flickered over the crimson material, making it glisten. “This isn’t my doing, and you know it. The Conqueror --” “-- chose you. Yes, I know.” Dhanya planted her fists on her hips and cocked her head, fixing Nara with a piercing glare. “Though I still can’t imagine why. We both know that of the two of us, I’m more beautiful.” “More modest, too.” Nara’s smile was good-natured as she swept a loose, dark curl back from Dhanya’s face. Dhanya swatted her hand away. “Don’t change the subject. Why are you always the first to be with them?” Nara’s frown deepened. “Believe me, I wish I had a choice.”

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A choice. Now there was an impossible desire. Like he’d done to so many other tribes, the Conqueror had swept through her home when Nara was only fifteen, burning everything standing in his path. He killed the men of her village without sparing them a second glance. Some of the women had been just as fortunate. Others, like Nara, were herded like cattle and brought back to his palace to serve him, in any way he chose. Back then, the sentence was only supposed to last a lifetime. No one could have fathomed that ten years after Nara’s servitude had begun, the Conqueror would devise a spell to stop the ravages of time from entering the palace. Unfortunately, it also stopped anyone from leaving it. For three hundred years, Nara had been forced to pleasure every man who walked through the gates. Her skills were legendary, though not even the Conqueror knew the full depth of her talents. All he needed to know was that after a night with her, Nara’s lover would be flat on his back for the next two days. By the end of the second night in the palace, he’d be trapped along with them, and the cycle would begin anew with the next guest. “Of course you have a choice,” Dhanya snapped. “Tell the Conqueror I should take your place, just this once.” Nara shook her head. Images of the mystery man’s lean body and piercing gaze quickened her pulse. “Not this time, amayo.” “Don’t call me little one. I hate it when he does it, and I sure don’t like it when you do.” “But you act like such a spoiled child at times!” Nara instantly regretted her words. No wonder the Conqueror thought guests were such a good thing. Three centuries of cohabiting with the same people, day after day with no relief in sight, would have driven them to kill one another if such a thing were possible. Dhanya’s eyes darkened as she lifted her chin. “And I suppose you think you’re the absolute picture of wisdom and sophistication. The way you whine about the hardship of sleeping with all those men makes me ill. Some of us would love to be as…”

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She struggled to find the right word, her hands flailing in front of her face. “Revered. Instead, we’re doomed to do no more than prepare you for the night’s entertainment and pray this night will be different, that the guest will be willing to indulge in our company the next day.” Nara spun on her heel to face Dhanya. “You blame me for everything! I didn’t cast the spell on the temple. I’m not the one who leads the travelers here, nor am I responsible for the fact that they become impotent after the spell takes hold!” Dhanya’s exotic features twisted with fury. “Impotent! If that’s all it was, this curse would be a blessing! The men lose every trace of their humanity. Once the spell takes hold, they have absolutely no interest in sex. Pleasuring themselves is as foreign a thought as pleasuring a woman.” Nara waited until Dhanya’s rage subsided, then took a step forward and brushed her fingertips across the wispy silk covering the concubine’s breasts. The girl’s nipples stiffened and her angry glare softened to smoky desire. “A woman’s touch isn’t so bad, is it?” Nara whispered, pressing her naked body against Dhanya’s lush curves. She slipped her fingers beneath the silk belt holding Dhanya’s robe together. It came undone with one quick tug. “Of course not,” the girl murmured, her hot breath quickening as it brushed Nara’s cheek. “It’s only that I fear I’ll forget the feel of a real cock. The length, the thickness, the salty taste of it.” How could Nara explain that for the last two of the three centuries she’d been here, she hadn’t been able to delight in a cock either? At first, the pleasure was enticing, addictive, but as the years passed her desire waned. Sex was no longer pleasurable for her. It hadn’t been for a very long time. A stranger could never provide the kind of euphoric, frenzied sex Dhanya wanted. Perhaps it would do for a while, but eventually, she’d grow as weary of meaningless fucking as Nara had. But Nara had found another escape. In dreams, she could achieve what she hadn’t been able to attain in reality in two hundred years. She could feel. Really feel. She could have an orgasm, cry or laugh, torment or heal. In the dream world, she was in

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control. Here, she was nothing more than a slave, a puppet whose strings the Conqueror pulled at his whim. She found no irony in the fact that the men whose dreams she commanded then became her puppets. She held the reins, and after years of practice, she’d come to realize that while pleasure was enjoyable, the effects of fear and terror were much longer lasting. She could ride the high of terrifying nightmares for days, sometimes even for a week. Dhanya’s full breasts pressed against hers. No, she could never explain what gave her life here purpose. Without her ability to invade dreams, Nara would have had nothing. Worse, she’d be nothing. Nothing but an ageless, immortal concubine, doomed to fuck men in order to trap them into a life of servitude worse than her own. At least she could escape, if only for a little while. Swallowing back a sigh, Nara parted Dhanya’s robes. The woman’s dark, coppery skin shone in the firelight. Rose-tipped nipples puckered and elongated, begging to be touched as she arched her back, letting the garment fall to the floor beside the one Nara had discarded. Their footsteps made no sound on the marble floor as Nara took Dhanya’s hand and led her to a mound of pillows. Dhanya knelt, her wild curls framing her face, wide eyes glistening wetly. “Lie back,” Nara said, spreading Dhanya’s legs with her hand. “Good. Now close your eyes.” Wetness seeped from between the woman’s luscious, pink folds, staining the russet pillows with her creamy essence. “That’s it,” Nara whispered, bending over Dhanya’s body, stopping to nuzzle her neck. She swiped her tongue against the pulsing hollow at the base of the concubine’s throat, and was rewarded with a low, guttural moan. Encouraged, Nara let her lips brush Dhanya’s forehead, her closed eyelids, her cheekbones, before finally settling lightly on her mouth.

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The kiss started out tender, then grew fevered as Nara’s hands roamed over Dhanya’s breasts, pausing to pinch a taut nipple. Their tongues toyed together, eager and yielding against one another. Nara pulled back and Dhanya’s eyelids fluttered open. “No, keep them shut,” Nara whispered. “I want you to remember… your favorite cock. The one you think about when you touch yourself. What was it like?” Dhanya groaned. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips. “It was big. Bigger than any I’d ever seen. I was only eighteen when the Conqueror took me, and innocent still. The first night in the palace…” Her sleek, curvaceous body trembled beneath Nara’s palm. She took a deep breath before continuing. “I didn’t know what to expect. But the man who had me first was gentle. He spent all night teaching me, showing me pleasure. I never learned his name.” “His cock,” Nara prodded gently, dipping her fingers in the moistness between the woman’s legs. Though remembering kindness and pleasure would be good for Dhanya, they didn’t have time. Their guests could be marching through the front gates even now. “Tell me about his cock.” “I remember his large scrotum, his balls hanging low beneath his thick shaft. The bulbous tip frightened me, oozing clear liquid even before I parted my legs to let him see me.” The tips of Nara’s nails grazed Dhanya’s clit lightly, and she shuddered, halting her story. “More. Tell me more.” Dhanya swallowed hard. “Wiry dark hairs covered the skin over his taut stomach muscles, leading my eye straight to his stiff erection. He was hard all the time. I don’t remember his cock growing soft that night, no matter how often he spilled his seed.” Nara lowered herself over the woman’s body, her mouth sweeping a trail down Dhanya’s flat stomach to linger atop the mound of curls hiding her engorged labia. Her thumb flicked over the concubine’s clit and the woman squirmed, pushed her hips up, placing her sweet cunt within tongue’s reach.

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“I loved the way his skin rode up and down his pulsing shaft when I grabbed it and stroked him.” Nara’s tongue penetrated Dhanya’s slit and she moaned. “He came, spilled his cum all over my hand. Power -- that was power.” Her words grew slurred as Nara’s fingers found her entrance and plunged deep within her core. Her thumb continued to flick over Dhanya’s clit. She lifted her head from the concubine’s honeyed depths long enough to ask, “What about when he fucked you? How’d it feel? Like this?” She penetrated her passage again, inserting a third finger along with the first two, feeling her cunt stretch, her muscles clamp down as they adjusted to the added girth. “No -- not quite -- yes!” she screamed when Nara inserted a fourth finger. Her hips bucked and she arched her back, her cries filling the room. Her inner walls fluttered frantically as she came, gripping Nara, holding her fingers tightly inside her body. Nara withdrew her hand at last and smeared the sticky cream over Dhanya’s silky, still-quivering thighs. The woman opened one eye tentatively. “Thank you,” she murmured. “I know it’s not the same,” Nara said, rising. “And after tonight, I promise I’ll speak to the Conqueror about getting you the real thing.” Dhanya nodded, wordlessly, her eyes glimmering with a force stronger than mere gratitude. Hope. Like the power to choose, in the Forgotten Palace, the ability to hope was as forbidden as walking out the front gates and if the Conqueror found out, just as dangerous. “Come,” Nara said, extending a hand. Dhanya accepted it and allowed herself to be pulled off the cushions. “We have guests to attend to.”

*** A blustering eastern gale had delayed Rafe and Jeremy’s arrival by almost half a day. They’d spotted the palace in the distance a few hours before noon, but didn’t reach

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the heavy metal gates until well past nightfall. By then, the storm had scattered, revealing brilliant stars set against a dark velvet sky. At the gates, four men dressed in what Rafe presumed to be ceremonial gear bowed stiffly and led the way through ornately decorated chambers. None spoke a word of English -- or a word in any other language, for that matter, and all of Rafe’s enquiries met with stony stares and tightly pursed lips. Silence hung over the palace like a death shroud. Even their footsteps on the bright blue, red and gold mosaic tiles spanning the floors made no sound. Lavish tapestries depicting epic battles and mythical creatures hung on the walls. At regular intervals, marble statues, gold-trimmed scimitars and spears stood among full suits of heavy armor. Not a speck of dust marred the surface of any items in the exquisite collection. “I don’t like this.” The metal items in the room caught Jeremy’s shaken whisper and amplified it, making it resonate with powerful vibrations. The man shrunk back as his voice was projected at him, a dozen times louder than he’d intended. Rafe opened his mouth to reply, but a brief, luminescent shimmer caught his eye. The guards, if that’s what they were, stepped off to the side as the two men entered a lush, inviting garden. Shaped as a rotunda, the landscape abounded with brightly colored flowers. He recognized a few, like the orchids he’d smelled for days, settled amongst buttercups, junipers and rhododendrons. There were others, even more exotic, their elegant petals reaching up to the sky. No man-made walls encased the garden, but the vivid spread of vegetation climbed to at least fifteen feet high. Lush, yet smooth like an unnatural rock face, the wall looked all but impossible to climb. In the center, benches made of white marble circled a fountain. Water spilled in a mad rush of foam along its sides. A noise from behind caught Rafe’s attention and he turned to face the archway through which they’d entered. The men were gone, he noticed, but a group of women stepped into the garden. Very naked women.

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Though there must have been at least a dozen, Rafe saw only one. Nara’s companions supported her on their shoulders as the procession passed through the curved opening into the courtyard: they on foot, she on a pedestal of jeweled gold and velvet cushions. Like the others, she too was naked, or close to it. She wore loose pants gathered at the calf, made of a gauzy, white material that did nothing to hide the smooth, tawny skin beneath. A gold chain lay low across her hips, drawing Rafe’s attention to the jeweled speck of her belly button. Pearls hung between her breasts, luminous against the backdrop of her dark skin. Silver body paint decorated her shoulders, breasts and dusky nipples with swirled symbols he didn’t recognize. Her honey-colored tresses spilled down her back in a straight mass that reached her waist. The effect was breathtaking and ethereal, causing Rafe’s pulse to quicken with helpless lust. Jeremy elbowed him in the ribs as he ogled Nara with the same intense passion Rafe felt. “Are you seeing this?” “It’s not a dream,” Rafe assured him. “At least, not this time.” “Well, I’ll be damned. If David saw this, no wonder he didn’t return. He’s probably in one of these rooms somewhere, passed out from too much sex. There’s a fate I’m definitely starting to envy.” The women set Nara’s pedestal on the ground and she rose, stepping down. “You want sex?” Her hips swayed with the slightest provocative motion. Jeremy swallowed hard. “I -- I didn’t mean to offend.” Nara waved a hand in the air. “Nonsense.” She stepped closer, stopping only inches away from Rafe. “Most guests come to us not knowing what to expect. I understand we’re a bit of a mystery around these parts.” Rafe slid his hand into the pocket of his jeans, adjusting the fabric stretching around his erect cock. “A mystery. How fitting.” She cocked a perfectly arched eyebrow in his direction. “Are you here to solve one?”

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“He is.” Rafe pointed at Jeremy. “As I told my companion earlier, I’m here to find a woman.” He thought he saw the slightest hint of dismay flicker in her gold-rimmed dark eyes. It disappeared quickly, leaving a smooth, confident mask in its place. “Tell me, then. Did you find her?” “You knew I would, Nara.” This time, she did flinch. “I told you my name, once,” she said, taking a step back. “But I’m afraid I’m at a disadvantage. I don’t know yours.” “Rafe Osmond. And this is Jeremy Beck.” Jeremy bent his head in acknowledgement, a broad grin spreading over his features. “At your mercy.” “Indeed,” Nara replied, but her gaze remained fixed on Rafe. The group of women had been silent throughout the exchange, but one broke away from the crowd and stepped forward to hover at Nara’s shoulder. She tugged on the thin material of Nara’s pants. “Let me have him. Please.” “Not now, Dhanya.” “Yes, now. There is no better time. There are two of them.” “I can count,” Nara snapped, her eyes narrowing. “But I can’t let you have him. Either of them.” Dhanya’s lower lip jutted out and trembled. She raked long fingers through unruly dark curls. “I’ll remember this.” Nara nodded curtly before turning back to Rafe. “You’ll have to excuse her. She’s been… lonely.” “I can help with that,” Jeremy offered. Dhanya’s mouth turned up into a smile and her pleading eyes settled on Nara. “No,” Nara answered before the woman could ask again. She ran the tip of her tongue over her lower lip and slid her fingers into the waistband of Rafe’s and Jeremy’s pants, tugging them forward. “Tonight, you’re both mine.”

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An unexpected stab of jealousy ran through Rafe at Nara’s words. He’d come out here to find her and put a stop to her dream invasions. In the past, that had meant killing the dream rager. Once a rager acquired a taste for the havoc they could wreak, the terror they induced in their victims, there was no turning back. Nara was different. Aside from her startling beauty and apparent willingness to perform sexual acts on uninvited guests, there was something lingering beneath the surface, a profound despair hidden in the depths of her eyes. Could he still kill her? Now that he’d seen the force of her emotions? He’d glimpsed her anguish when she’d looked at him after he spoke her name in the last dream, and he’d sensed it that night as he watched her play with her victim in the garden. This garden, Rafe realized with a start. The man’s dream had been set here. He’d thought it a place of respite, of sexual freedom and passionate delights. Instead, she’d taken what comfort he’d had in this place and twisted it into something horrifying. Had he been the man Jeremy searched for? Rafe had to convince Nara to stop, no matter what it took. To do that, he had to have her. Alone. “No.” Rafe pulled back sharply and reached down to unhook her fingers from his waistband. “I don’t play well with others.” “You have no choice,” she told him evenly, silencing Dhanya’s feeble protests with a flick of her wrist. “I’m afraid it’s not up to either of us. Though if you’d rather not, you’re welcome to wait outside the gates. Think hard before you decide. You won’t be allowed in again once you walk out.” He clenched his jaw and waited, but she faced him with unshakable determination. “Fine,” Rafe said at last between gritted teeth. “Do what you have to do. I’ll watch. But when you’re done with him, you’re mine.” She nodded, a brief smile playing across her lips. It was the first hint of real emotion he’d seen from her since they had arrived. “A voyeur, then?”

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“When I have to be,” he said hoarsely. The idea of watching Nara pleasure another man set his blood on fire. But when faced with the choice of either watching her or losing her, there was only one possible decision to make. Her smile broadened. “Maybe we’re not so different, you and I.”

Chapter Four Nara, Jeremy and Rafe left the garden unaccompanied by any of the other women. Nara led the way through winding corridors and narrow passageways, past many of the sixty-three rooms housing the Forgotten Palace’s immortal inhabitants. The occupied rooms made up less than a quarter of the fortress’s luxurious accommodations, leaving the remaining chambers empty to await new guests. There would always be a place for trapped visitors, men who would linger there for an eternity. Glancing over her shoulder at the two newcomers following her, Nara felt a pang of regret. Dhanya would have enjoyed Jeremy’s company, relishing his stiff cock after so many decades of not knowing a man’s touch. But the Conqueror would never allow such a thing, and if Nara disobeyed his wishes, she and Dhanya would both pay for their defiance. No. Better still to do as the Conqueror commanded, to take both men, invade their dreams and ensure they’d remain as permanent guests for the Conqueror’s pleasure. Like all men affected by the spell cocooning the palace, the Conqueror was uninterested in feminine charms -- or masculine ones, for that matter. Instead, he gained his pleasure from acts of humiliation and torture. The guests that had once come to him with such hopes of discovering the mystery keeping this place intact from the elements were turned into nothing more than mindless drones, existing only to obey the Conqueror’s every twisted whim. The concubines themselves were spared from their master’s bizarre requests, but only because he saw them as tainted, used. He liked his toys unspoiled by the bitterness of providing pleasure without receiving any in return. That way, when he delivered

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pain, his unassuming guests were unprepared for it, and the taste of their fear was that much sweeter. He’d made Nara watch once as he took his pleasure, as a reward for some good deed she’d performed. She remembered nothing more of that night but sprays of blood streaming through the air, hot and wet as they hit her cheek, stained her breasts. After that, she made sure never to please the Conqueror again, at least not so much that he’d feel the need to reward her with the sight of his vicious cruelty. As if hearing her thoughts, the Conqueror intruded upon her mind as he often did when she began to consider the horrifying truth of her existence. He didn’t have the power to communicate with her in that manner, nor read her thoughts as she’d discerned from being able to keep her dream-invading talents secret from him, but he could implant a half-formed idea, or a hint of a desperate emotion. Tonight, as she neared the door to her chamber, he laughed. The sound started as a low chuckle, then intensified until it pierced through the barriers of her mind to idle there, obscenely high-pitched in the silence lingering between the palace walls. The mocking echo followed her as she stepped into her chambers, only to cease when she slammed the door and bolted it shut behind the two men. Pressing her back to the solid wooden frame, Nara closed her eyes and tried to rid her mind of the last traces of that menacing laugh. She jumped when someone touched her arm, her eyelids fluttering open. Rafe’s sharp blue eyes were only inches away from her own. “Are you all right?” She nodded, quickly regaining her composure. “I’m fine.” She slipped her hand inside the waistband of Rafe’s pants, finding the button above his zipper and flicking it undone. He stood close enough that her breasts brushed his chest as she breathed. His body stiffened. The sweetness of his breath caressing her skin was the only motion disturbing the still air. Her palm traced the thick length of Rafe’s cock, the intimate caress bringing a clench of pleasure to her sex. It had been too long since she’d had a man for her own

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pleasure. For centuries, sex had been nothing more than an act to fulfill the Conqueror’s needs, never Nara’s. Tonight, feeling Rafe’s erect length stir under her hand, she craved an intimate touch. One that would bring her to orgasm as her own fingers had done so many times after a guest’s needs had been satisfied and her cravings hadn’t even been considered. Her pulse quickened at the thought. Her heart pounded, threatening to leap out of her chest. Too intent on the sudden rush of emotion to consider it for very long, Nara dropped to her knees before Rafe. The marble tile felt cool beneath her skin and she tugged on his zipper, revealing white briefs under his tight blue jeans. Beside them, a sound issued from Jeremy’s throat. It could have been a frustrated groan or a fevered moan of desire. Whatever it was, it was enough to snap Rafe’s lustfilled stare away from her eyes. He pulled back and ran his hand absently over the bulge in his pants. “I said I’d watch. Not participate.” Nara frowned and rose, understanding eluding her. “You like women. I could feel it a moment ago. Why won’t you let me please you?” “Because you have to.” His eyes gleamed hotly as they bored into hers. “I want you to suck my cock because you want to, because not having it between your lips would drive you mad.” She gasped, though not at his word choice or the boldness in his gruff voice, but because he’d somehow managed to read her thoughts better than the Conqueror ever could. Moving toward him, she tried to hide her surprise by reaching out to unbutton his shirt. She touched his broad chest, felt the ripple of muscles beneath the curly hairs. Rafe laid a warm hand on top of hers. “Enough,” he said gently. “See to Jeremy.” The rejection stung, but she pulled her fingers away and spun around to face the second man. Jeremy grinned, showing pearly white teeth in a handsome, aristocratic face. His features were stronger, leaner than Rafe’s, but he didn’t have the same erotic quality in the depths of his brown eyes, or the full bottom lip that invited Nara to trace the tip of her tongue over the slight dip in the middle every time she glanced at Rafe.

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“And you?” She stopped before Jeremy, her hand hovering inches away from his stiff bulge. “Would you like your cock sucked?” “Lady, if you have to ask, you have no idea how long it takes to reach this palace of yours. It’s been months since I’ve had a woman’s mouth wrapped around my dick. So yeah. I want my cock sucked.” He unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans himself, freeing his erect rod from the constraints of the clothing. The whole ensemble hovered around his knees and he placed both hands on his hips, glancing pointedly at her. Nara sighed. This was more like the treatment she was used to. A man who wanted nothing more than to be serviced by a whore. Forget her desires. They were irrelevant, inconsequential. It was his release that mattered, and in the end, his orgasm would lull him into a deep sleep where Nara could extract her revenge and carry out her master’s wishes. A win-win situation, really. So then why did she grit her teeth as she dropped to her knees and cupped the heavy weight of Jeremy’s balls in the palm of her hand, fighting the urge to squeeze -hard? Relaxing her jaw, Nara slipped the bulbous head of Jeremy’s cock between her lips. Somewhere behind her, she heard Rafe release a deep breath and collapse onto a mound of pillows. Fine. You want to watch? Watch. She licked and sucked on Jeremy’s cock, teasing the slit with the tip of her tongue until he shuddered and buried his fingers in her hair. He yanked roughly, bringing her head up with a jolt. Her teeth grazed the sensitive skin beneath the mushroom cap. Unleashing a flurry of creative curse words, he jerked his fist in her hair, bringing her eyes up to meet his. “Careful, bitch. It’s not a toy.” She felt, rather than saw, Rafe get to his feet. She waved him away with a flick of her hand. “I apologize. I’ll be… gentler with you.” Jeremy snorted and thrust his cock against her lips. “Good girl.”

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She lowered her head and sucked his balls into her mouth, one at a time. The rough, curly hair covering his scrotum tickled her tongue as she set upon it, lavishing the wrinkled skin with as much careful attention as she could muster. His cock swelled and grew, firm and hard, its head and base glistening wetly with her saliva and a drop of pre-cum. Her tongue found the beaded moisture and she trailed it down beneath the tip of his cock, to the center of his glans and back up again before enveloping the entire head with her lips. Jeremy’s hips pumped, shoving his cock deeper into her mouth and she took it as she’d been trained to do, until it reached the furthest recesses of her throat. “Ah, yeah, sweet,” Jeremy muttered, his words so slurred they were almost incoherent. “Suck me. Suck my cock.” Obedient, Nara did as she was told, twirling her tongue along his shaft, feeling it spasm as the beginning of his climax squirted from the narrow slit. His cock pumped as his semen jetted down her throat in thick spurts. She swallowed each wave, rising to her feet immediately once he finished. Her head pounded. Pasting a fake smile on her face, she turned to where Rafe had been. “Are you sure you don’t want --” The rest of the question died on her lips. The pillows were empty. The indent his body had made earlier still showed clearly upon the lush silk, but Rafe was no longer in the room. She darted a glance at the only exit. The bolt had been drawn back, but he’d taken the time to close the door behind him. For a brief moment, Nara considered going after him, but the sleepy, satisfied smile on Jeremy’s lips held her back. “That was amazing,” he murmured as he flung himself on a low, plush cot. Nara placed her index finger to his lips. “Sssh… rest now. You’ll need it.” He nodded briefly and yawned, stretching his arms above his head. His jeans and underwear were still bunched around his knees when he drifted off to dream, heading to a place where only Nara could follow.

***

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Rafe’s mood had declined steadily since he’d left Nara’s chamber. His head pounded with a dull ache that had settled behind his temples as he watched Nara suck Jeremy’s cock. Listening to that ungrateful prick treat her like a common whore had made his blood boil. Only Nara’s calm, expressionless features held him back from punching the son of a bitch in the nose as he received his pleasure from her luscious lips. How was it possible that he’d grown to care so much for the woman he’d spent so long hoping to kill? Was there really more to Nara than he’d expected, or had he spent so long looking for her that now that he’d found her, he wasn’t willing to let her go? He wandered aimlessly down long passageways and maze-like halls for close to an hour pondering those disturbing questions before he ran into another soul. One of the naked women who’d greeted him along with Nara eventually caught up to him. She didn’t speak or try to seduce him -- much to his surprise and slight dismay -- but gently grabbed his elbow and led him to one of the lavish guest rooms. After casting only a cursory glance at the polished floors, the four-poster bed and the brilliantly hued silks covering every inch of the soft mattress, Rafe collapsed into it, releasing a deep breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. His cock throbbed, the sensation tightening his balls painfully. His shaft had stiffened the moment he’d seen Nara in the garden. It had remained hard as steel as he watched her lick, suck and nibble another man’s cock, the need to fuck her nearly driving him to the brink of madness. He wanted his shaft in her mouth, plunging into her throat, not Jeremy’s. He yearned to see her squirming beneath him, panting with need, breathless from wanting him. It would have been so easy to reach down, grab his cock and satisfy the pounding desire setting his groin ablaze, but Rafe had never been one to take the easy way out. Nara’s full, red lips would wrap around his shaft, and she was going to love every delicious moment of it.

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Damn, but the woman needed an orgasm even more than he did. He’d seen it in her startling gold-rimmed eyes when she knelt before him: the desperation, the lust. He wondered briefly when she’d last enjoyed the same pleasure she brought to others. How long since she’d had her pussy licked, her nether lips teased and taunted? How long since she’d cried out a man’s name? Gazing up at the ceiling, Rafe vowed he wouldn’t leave this place until he showed her what she’d been missing. Then he could worry about finishing his mission. A brisk autumn breeze blew in from the west, but when he turned his head, he realized the only window in the room was shut. A prickling of awareness slithered along the back of his neck. In the blackest hours before dawn, the dream world beckoned. As always, Rafe heeded the call. Tonight, he would have done so even if it wasn’t his destiny. Nara needed him even more than the man whose thoughts she tormented. He felt her spirit calling to him. A second later, he slipped between worlds. Cool, dewy mist glistened on his skin as he broke through the brief barrier separating reality from the dream realm. For a moment, disorientation swept over him, making him dizzy as he tried to adjust to the cacophony of light and noise surrounding him. Everyone’s dreams were different. Some men dreamt in color, others in perfect grayscale. Jeremy apparently had a fondness for the garish and the bizarre. Rafe found himself standing in the car of an old-fashioned steam train, judging by the sound of the spinning wheels on the track, the locomotive’s release and the chime of a distant bell. But raucous laughter and the unmistakable din of passion muted those sounds. All around him, men and women in flashy costumes groped one another, clutching, fondling, gripping. They danced to music only they could hear, giving everything to the ghostly sound. Rafe pushed through them, elbowing his way past nurses, cheerleaders, naughty schoolgirls and police officers in skintight leather brandishing nightsticks shaped like giant penises. A woman dressed as a grown up, horny version of Little Bo Peep

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smacked him on the ass with her crook and he clenched his teeth, hurrying his step. Nara’s spirit tugged him along from one wagon to the next through the never-ending Halloween party on the time-worn train. At last, he came to a set of double doors. This entrance lacked the round portcullis windows that allowed him to see into the next car, and he knew he’d reached the end of his journey. A French maid and a pirate teasing her pussy with her wooden leg stood in his way, blocking his entrance. “You can’t go in there.” “Sure I can.” They shook their heads in unison. Identical blonde ringlets swayed with the gesture. “Not without paying the toll.” The pirate pulled off her skintight black shirt, revealing high, full breasts and tawny nipples. “Bite them,” she demanded. Rafe rolled his eyes. There was only one woman on this train whose breasts he craved, and she was on the other side of those doors. He lifted his hand, cupping it in midair. A whirlwind of power twirled around his wrist until it came together in a reddish ball to hover above his palm. “Enough.” His voice boomed through the car. He tossed the magical energy sphere into the air, where it settled for a brief second before charging toward the two women blocking Rafe’s path. They vanished in an instant. Rafe stepped through the threshold into a simple room, its wooden table, bookshelves and sparse chairs surprisingly plain. The striking, modest décor stood out in contrast to the dissonance of bright colors, garish costumes and turbulent merriment on the other side of the door. The gloom of the enclosed space enveloped him, and his stomach tightened involuntarily. Jeremy lay on the floor, naked, huddled in a ball with his knees drawn up to his chest. Nara towered over him, hands on her hips. She didn’t wield any weapons over the man’s still form, but she might as well have been armed with sharp swords or matching submachine guns. The sheer terror in Jeremy’s eyes spoke volumes about

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what had been happening in this room while Rafe made his way through the partying throng outside. “You tried to hide him from me,” Rafe said between gritted teeth. Though he didn’t want to acknowledge it, admiration tinged his tone. “I knew you’d find us eventually.” Nara prodded Jeremy’s ribs with her toes. The man flinched, his pale features drawn with pain and fear. “Release him,” Rafe demanded, stepping closer. Nara looked up and met his gaze boldly. “Why? You were there. You saw him.” Rafe didn’t have to ask what she meant. He remembered Jeremy’s words, Nara’s submissive stance. Here, she was anything but helpless. “This isn’t right.” She scoffed, but didn’t glance away. “Why isn’t it? Because your moral code doesn’t allow for torture?” “Something like that,” he acknowledged. “Do you really think what you’re doing is going to change anything? I’m here now and I won’t let you hurt him again. Jeremy will wake up in the morning, momentarily terrified, but he’ll explain the night away as a nightmare, nothing more.” Her smile was anything but comforting. The small upturn of her lips gave her exotic features a vicious glow in the shadowy room. “You are so very, very wrong. Jeremy won’t wake up tomorrow.” She tilted her head, narrowed her eyes and waited for her words to sink in. “Maybe he’ll never wake up.” “I won’t let you kill him.” Nara tossed her head back and laughed, the sound filling the small, enclosed space with menacing force. Rafe reached out and gripped her arm, shaking her slightly until her lips tightened into a thin line. “You’re toying with me.” She stared at him for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Even now, when years of hunting dream ragers should have taught him what to expect, she remained a complete mystery to him. “Believe what you will.” “You’re not afraid of me in the least, are you?”

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She pressed her naked breasts against his chest. Hard nipples poked through his shirt, presenting undisputed evidence of her arousal. Her warm breath tickled his lips. “Should I be?” Rafe gave her a dark frown to hide his growing lust. His cock strained roughly against his jeans. “Yes,” he said simply, gathering the shadows to him. Nara’s eyes widened in confusion. Her mouth opened as though to speak, but no words came out. Rafe twirled his fingers in the air and light burst through the tiny space, filling every crevice with a brilliant glow. From his spot on the floor, Jeremy groaned. It was the last sound Rafe heard before the light chased Nara’s nightmare away and plunged all three of them headfirst into reality.

Chapter Five Rafe was beginning to think Nara wasn’t coming. Crossing back into reality the previous night had been rougher on Rafe than ever before. Normally, the transition was smooth, even pleasant as he drifted through the dream world until he reached the barrier separating it from the comfort of his bedroom. Ending Nara’s nightmare had taken its toll. The otherworldly realm dropped away suddenly and without warning, leaving him gasping as he opened his eyes to familiar surroundings. Pulse racing, he pulled a pillow over his eyes and waited for the room to stop spinning. His head still pounded an hour later when he tossed away the flimsy covers and sat up. He propped another pillow behind his back, and waited. The cool autumn night had given way to pale pink sunshine by the time Nara arrived. She didn’t bother to knock or inquire about his state of undress, but simply pushed the door open and strode through as if she had every right to be there. Which, of course, she did, Rafe thought as he watched her place a silver tray on the squat marble table by the window. Her hair fell in a straight, satiny mass to her hips. Unlike the day before, when she’d worn nothing for his arrival but a pair of transparent pants and a string of pearls, today she wore a short, sleeveless garment resembling a kimono. Silky and delicately woven, it clung to her full curves, ending just below the round globes of her ass. The crimson material shimmered, catching the light as she moved. Two shiny goblets and a container with a thin, long neck and a wide spout sat atop the serving tray. “You didn’t sleep.” It wasn’t a question, nor did she turn around to face him as she spoke.

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“The party kept me up.” She picked up the jug. “What party?” “The Halloween party raging in Jeremy’s dreams last night.” The slight lift of her shoulders was the only answer he received. He doubted even she expected what she’d stumbled upon when she entered Jeremy’s mind after he’d passed out from the afterglow of the undoubtedly earth-shattering orgasm. “He’s still alive, isn’t he?” Rafe asked, unable to hold back the satisfaction tingeing his tone. “Jeremy? Of course.” “That must be killing you.” She ignored his comment and with careful, delicate movements poured a deep burgundy liquid into the goblets. “Wine?” he asked, when it was clear she wouldn’t take the bait. “Probably not exactly what you’re used to. It’s our own creation, made of herbs found only in this garden.” “You’re very self-reliant,” he remarked dryly. “I suppose you’d have to be, all the way out here in the middle of nowhere. Then again, living in a secluded area must have its advantages. No loud noise from obnoxious neighbors. No one rifling through your mail. And yet, you somehow manage to find all the victims you need. How is that?” She turned to him then and crossed her arms beneath her breasts. The movement caused the top of her kimono to part, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of smooth, coppery skin. Rafe’s balls tightened and drew up. Desire stirred in his groin. “Why are you here?” she asked him after a moment’s hesitation. “I mean, I know you’re here for me. You proved that last night. What I don’t know is why you bothered to make the journey, or even how you found me.” He stood and moved toward her, stopping just in front of her delectable form. Standing so close, he could see the slight sheen of sweat coating her face and the sides of her slender throat. She was nervous, and the sight caught him off guard. He

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swallowed hard, trying to rid himself of the sudden, overwhelming need to pull her against him and thrust his tongue into her luscious mouth. “You first,” he whispered, brushing a damp strand of hair away from her cheek. She met his eyes boldly but her warm, throaty voice trembled. “There’s nothing you need to know.” “On the contrary,” he said. “There are many things I need to know. Tell me how you came to be here, when you learned to cross over, why you do what you do. Tell me everything.” She stepped away and picked up one of the goblets, handing it to him. He took it wordlessly, watching her as she paced toward the window. She cradled the cup in her hands but didn’t sip from it as she stared out over the rocky landscape. In the distance, snow-peaked mountains stood like silent guardians over Nepal. “I was fifteen when the Conqueror battled my tribe,” she began. “My parents and both my brothers were killed, whether by his soldiers or whether he murdered them himself, I don’t know. He took my sister and me with him along with a handful of other girls from the village. Some fought. Others tried to run away in the middle of the night. All died before the next morning.” Rafe closed the distance between them. He halted behind her, close enough that he could feel the body heat seeping through the thin material of her robe. “But not you.” She shook her head. “No. At the time, I wanted to live. I figured that whatever he did to me couldn’t be as bad as dying that night.” “And now?” he prompted gently. “Do you still feel that way?” She spun around quickly, some of the liquid sloshing over the rim of her cup to drip down to the floor. “No. I’d do anything to have gone with my sister that night. I should have died with her. I’ve spent decades wishing I had.” Rafe’s spirits sank. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Dream ragers were supremely confident beings. They relished their power, their ability to twist and invade other people’s fantasies.

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In His Dreams

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Nara was nothing like any of the others. Where they’d been arrogant, cocky and violent, she was tender, fragile and, despite her appearance and the lewd duties she performed, even innocent. Unable to hold back a moment longer, Rafe bent his head and covered her mouth with his. Tightening one hand around his goblet, he moved the other to stroke the curve of her back. She parted her lips, her tongue stealing out for only a moment to dart over the tip of his, inviting him deeper. He tightened his grip, crushing her to his chest. She moaned. The sound made blood roar through his veins and pound in his ears. “Nara,” he murmured against her mouth. “You have to stop.” “I want you,” she said, her warm breath caressing his moist lips. “Isn’t that what you asked? That I should want you when I come to you?” He groaned, gliding his palm lower to cup the full curve of her ass. “That’s not what I meant. You have to stop invading other people’s dreams. What you’re doing isn’t only wrong, it’s dangerous. I don’t know how you came by your powers, and you don’t seem to have had much training in dream raging, but --” “Dream raging?” Her hand slid over his briefs to cup his hard cock. “What’s that?” He kissed her cheek, her chin, then moved lower, trailing his tongue over the pulsing hollow at the base of her throat. “It’s what you do.” She shuddered beneath his touch and tangled her fingers in his hair. “No one but you knows what I do. How is that possible?” “You’re not the only one with hidden talents.” He caressed the underside of her breast through the thin silk. Her nipples tautened, budding and straining toward him. “Or secrets.” Her laugh held a hard edge. “It seems you know much more about me than I do about you.” She cupped his balls. A rush of desire shot straight to his groin and his sac tightened further in response. “What do you want to know?” “Why are you here?” she asked again.

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“To stop you.” Her body went rigid, refusing to react to any of his caresses. The graceful movements that only a moment ago had incited his lust became cold and agitated as Nara drew back from him. “Are you here to end this for me?” He nodded. “Yes, though probably not in the way you mean. I won’t kill you.” As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he knew he meant them. He’d killed the others. He’d had to. But he wasn’t going to hurt Nara. There had to be another way to convince her to stop invading dreams. “My ability to… rage.” She spoke the word slowly, as if testing its weight on her tongue. “It’s all I have. If you take that away from me, you’ll condemn me to an eternity of hell. A fate worse than death.” He lifted an eyebrow and balled his free hand into a fist at his side to keep from touching her. “I may be wrong, but I think you’re already there.” The warm glow of her golden eyes disappeared, and she cast him a glance that could melt steel. “Enjoy your drink. I’m afraid I won’t be staying.” The silver goblet rang out as she tossed it carelessly against the table. Blood-red liquid spilled out, a striking contrast against the white marble. Long after Nara left, Rafe still paced the length of his room, his fingers clenched hard around the goblet in his hand. He’d spent years training himself for this. He knew his duty. It was to the unsuspecting humans who suffered at the cruel whims of dream ragers, and to others like him, dream walkers who gave everything they had to stop them. He brought the silver cup to his lips and drained the contents, grimacing slightly at the potent, bitter aftertaste. Picking up the jug, he eyed the remaining liquid. The only way to end a dream rager’s addiction to dream invasion without harming the rager was to kill his master. Without the power that created them, ragers could slowly be coaxed back to humanity. Due to their cruel nature, most ragers had already managed to kill their masters before Rafe ever got to them. Not Nara, though. She had no rage master. He hadn’t sensed any abilities even remotely like hers in the palace.

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Refilling his cup, he wondered how much more he could wait until he no longer had a choice in the matter. Until she threatened another man’s life. The liquid burned his throat. He clenched his jaw and waited while the strong drink settled in his blood. His vision blurred and wavered. The door opened, and Rafe found himself unable to speak. The time had come much quicker than he’d hoped.

*** Nara watched from the doorway as Rafe collapsed upon the bed, his goblet dropping from his hand. After making sure he was sound asleep, she crossed the distance to the small table and peered into the narrow jug. A silent sigh of relief escaped her lips. Her plan had worked even better than she’d dared to expect. He hadn’t just drunk a sip or two of the herb-laced inebriant. He’d drained every drop! She glanced at Rafe’s sleeping form and tried to still the quickening of her pulse. His sleek, muscled body stretched out the length of the mattress, his chest rising and falling with every breath. Long lashes swept a dark shadow over his cheek. His disheveled, unruly hair gave his serene appearance a hint of mischief, substantiated by the slight upturn of his luscious lips. The tip of Nara’s tongue swept over her lower lip. She’d been looking forward to this for years, ever since their first encounter. The craving to invade his mind, twist his thoughts while he slept, had been almost unbearable since he’d walked through the palace doors. Now she finally had her chance. Unwilling to waste another moment, she climbed into the bed beside him and closed her eyes. A ray of bright sunshine fell through the uncovered window and lingered on her eyelids, warming her face. A moment later, her heartbeat pattering an insistent rhythm against her chest, Nara swept through the barrier between worlds and stepped into Rafe’s dream. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected. A fantasy setting, another recreation of the reception garden, a hint of Rafe’s life, perhaps even a dream depiction of his guest room. Whatever she’d imagined, she wasn’t at all prepared for where she ended up.

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In His Dreams

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Bright, white light greeted her, surrounding her from every angle as she crossed the misty threshold into his mind. The glow held incandescent warmth, penetrating her skin, burrowing inside her own mind where for centuries only darkness and cold had dwelled. The sensation was uncomfortable and Nara shivered, trying to dislodge it. Squinting against the unexpected brilliance, Nara scanned the area. There was nothing but an infinite amount of light. No other people, no lush gardens, no bed or even the kinky activities she’d become so accustomed to. The lack of life in Rafe’s dream made a shiver crawl down her spine. This wasn’t right. She spotted him at last, sitting on a short stool, his back turned to her. Before him was a canvas, stretching out the size of a palace wall. She didn’t pay attention to the image it depicted as her concentration settled on Rafe. He held a brush in his right hand, completely disproportionate to the size of the painting. He would have needed a ten-foot ladder to be able to reach the top of the canvas. Straightening her spine, Nara moved toward him, gathering tendrils of power to her. No matter how bizarre his dream, this part was easy. She’d turn this place of brightness and light into a dark, airless cave, filled with the scent of rotting flesh and filth. She’d watch him writhe in horror as his comfortable, endless space was taken over by snakes, bats, spiders and every other type of creepy creature imaginable. Nara grinned as the image took shape. An intense surge of her talent swept through her, settling low in her belly. She groaned at the pleasure rushing into her cunt. Here, pain and pleasure were the same thing. Terror, fear and lust all mingled to create an empowering, indescribable sensation. She could almost taste it -- the control she’d have over him. It would sate the need that constantly poured through her veins; it would fill every unfulfilled wish. Here, dominating him, she’d be able to have the upper hand. She’d be in charge of every word, every action he took. Everything that happened would be her doing. She’d already begun twisting the fabric of the dream as a flash of pigment caught her eye. She looked up from where the tip of Rafe’s brush met coppery, flesh-colored

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canvas and followed the elegant curve of a leg, the flatness of a stomach, the full swell of a breast, the hollow of the base of a throat, and finally ended up gazing into her own eyes. Startled, Nara stumbled backward, forgetting to stifle a yelp that broke free from her throat. Her first instinct was to run, to retreat from the brightness into the welcoming shadows of Rafe’s room. Rafe turned at the sound and met her eyes. He rose, grimacing. Anger worked the muscles of his jaw. “I warned you to stop.” Nara swallowed hard and glanced at the painting. She was asleep in his depiction of her, and nude. Her legs were spread wide, her pussy lips glistened with slick cream. He’d even managed to capture a beaded drop in mid-fall, just before it hit the satiny sheets. Her eyes were closed, her features serene. Her hand reached out, fingers sweeping forward as if beckoning to someone. Following the direction of the outstretched hand, Nara’s breath caught in her throat. Her image had been reaching out for Rafe. His hands wrapped around thick black bars, he stood imprisoned in an iron cage, his features distorted in agony as he watched her. Between them, a black shadow rippled. Indistinct shapes marked the place where its face would have been and Nara couldn’t make out any recognizable features. Yet, she knew exactly what it was that stood between them. Or rather, who. “The Conqueror,” she said, her voice tinged with desperation. “Why?” Rafe’s blue eyes revealed nothing. “I don’t know. This isn’t my dream.” She gasped. “Not your dream? I -- I don’t understand.” “It’s yours.” Nara’s mouth gaped open as she tried to formulate a coherent thought. “No. That’s not possible. This is all your doing. I drugged you. I entered your dream when you fell asleep.” “Ah.” He closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath, then opened them to glare at her. “That explains a lot. You assumed I couldn’t stop you if I didn’t have control over the cause of my unheralded sleep.”

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She nodded, tilting her chin up defiantly. “I was right.” “Not exactly.” As if to prove how foolish she’d been to think otherwise, he lifted his hand and made an almost undetectable gesture. A mere flick of his fingers, and the vast brightness was gone, along with the canvas and everything else that had settled in the fabric of the dream. Nara awoke with a start, gasping for the air that had suddenly left her lungs. She used her power to grope blindly, but the thread leading to his dreams was gone. Rafe propped himself up on an elbow and watched her, his blue eyes almost purple in their intensity. “You can’t have my dreams. You can’t have me.” Her thoughts spun. For years, she’d feared him, been intrigued, enchanted and surprised by him. But it was at that moment, as his features hardened with the certainty of his rejection, that she began to love him. Terrified of this new ache of longing sweeping through her, Nara stumbled to her feet and lunged for the door. Disoriented, she pulled on the knob until the handle finally bent. She ran down the hall, where suits of armor and marble statues became a chaotic blur around her. Not caring where she ended up, she let her feet lead her down a spiral staircase, along the length of a dark hallway and out into the waning sunshine of early dusk. She didn’t even realize she was being followed until a hand grabbed her shoulder in mid-stride and spun her around harshly.

Chapter Six The sky had taken on a purple hue, casting the last remnants of light flickering off Nara’s uncertain golden gaze. She tried to shrug out of Rafe’s grasp, but he tightened his grip, beyond caring if his hold hurt her. “If you hadn’t crossed that boundary between my world and yours --” “Your world?” He glared at her, fighting off the urge to shake some sense into that gorgeous head of hers. Why couldn’t she understand the danger she posed? Did she actually think invading men’s dreams didn’t harm anyone? “You heard me. There are places where you don’t belong. Dreams are personal. They’re forbidden territory.” “Then why are you allowed in?” “Because I’ve been trained to put the needs of the dreamer ahead of my own. Because I enter only when beckoned, when needed. And because unlike you, I do it for them.” “How… noble.” She spat out the word as if it were poison. Her full, parted red lips glistened. Her chest rose and fell with barely contained anger. Rafe was intensely aware of her full breasts, her narrow waist, the heat emanating from the forbidden depths of her sex. Unleashing all his fury, he shoved his mouth down on hers, hard. She moaned beneath him, parting her lips. His tongue swept in, meeting hers, and the kiss turned savage. They fought each other at every turn, tongues twining, teeth gnashing. When they broke apart, he tasted blood. Beyond the full-grown plants guarding the perimeter of the garden, a wild animal howled a predatory cry. “You hear that?” Rafe asked between gritted teeth. “You’re no better. At least that beast has a purpose. It’s driven by hunger, by an instinct older than mankind. What drives you?”

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She seemed shaken by his question, lowering her eyes for the first time since he’d caught up to her. Her full lower lip had swelled from the force of their passion and her body trembled beneath his grip, but she didn’t answer. At once, he knew. He released her and she stumbled backward, still not meeting his eyes. “Pleasure. You get pleasure from their pain.” She nodded, slowly. “It’s not really the way you think. In dreams, I have everything I don’t have here. Control, power, but there’s more. There’s… sensation, feeling.” He raised an eyebrow and shook his head, more confused than ever. “You don’t feel?” “I do… and I don’t.” She gestured wildly, as if groping to conjure the words out of thin air. “I’ve lost count of the men I’ve pleasured. For me, sex is mechanical. It’s a duty. Here, in his house, I have no free will, no ability to choose. When I enter a mind, that man’s fear fuels my desire. For a few fleeting moments, I can finally remember what it’s like to let lust build up slowly, to crave an intimate touch.” She paused to take a breath, then plunged on. “As soon as it begins, that faint awareness of passion, the sweet throb of anticipation, it’s over. Satisfaction is impossible, both in reality and in the dream world. I haven’t felt pleasure in centuries.” Rafe knew his mouth gaped open, but he couldn’t help it. He simply couldn’t believe what she was telling him. “Centuries?” he echoed, feeling foolish. “You don’t mean that.” She turned her back to him and headed for the hallway. He lunged for her again, but this time his grip on her shoulder was gentle. Nara’s breath came in harsh gasps, and Rafe wasn’t sure if she fought back tears, or something more dangerous, more primal. Like the need to unleash all that pent-up dream energy she hadn’t been able to use. “Let me show you,” he whispered in her ear. “What can you show me that I haven’t already seen?” “What you’ve been missing.”

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Though she looked at him skeptically, she allowed him to lead her to a patch of lush, green grass before the fountain. She didn’t protest when he lay down and tugged on her hand, bidding her to join him. They cuddled together, Nara’s back pressed against Rafe’s chest. He stroked her hair, and the soothing sound of foaming water eased their passage between realms. Guiding Nara into his dream was effortless. He simply drifted off to sleep, knowing she would follow. When she probed his mind with her power, he let her in, weakening the barrier separating the two worlds. There was no garden in his dream, no wild Halloween party. Though he’d managed to lose track of time since he’d been here, he assumed Halloween was actually today. As he and Nara fought over the ability to conquer nightmares, others were celebrating theirs. He couldn’t help but smile at the irony. Nara stood about a dozen steps away from him, gazing at her surroundings. “What is this place?” “My apartment.” “You live here?” He chuckled, trying to see the place from her point of view. Unadorned walls, rumpled sheets, a stack of unread newspapers by the door, dishes piled up in the sink. “I’m a bachelor,” he said by way of explanation. She shrugged, then raised her arms and glanced down to examine herself. “And I suppose you’ll explain why I’m naked?” Amused, Rafe shook his head. “It’s my dream.” She lifted her chin. “Fine. Then I suppose you’ll command me to pleasure you. It’s clear I have no say in what happens here. I’m used to that.” The pain in her eyes cut through Rafe like a knife. He moved slowly, every determined step bringing him closer to Nara. It took all his self-control to keep his suddenly trembling fingers from touching her. “You’re wrong. Everything that happens here happens because you want it to.” She scoffed. “I don’t see how that’s possible.”

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He traced her collarbone with the tip of his finger, then dipped into the valley between her breasts and circled back around a nipple. The bud beaded, peaking beneath his touch. Nara shivered. “You’re safe here. With me.” He scooped her up into his arms and carried her to the bed, where he placed her on her back, then stood back to drink in the sight of her against his wrinkled cotton sheets. Wordlessly, he watched as her gaze roamed over his body, her eyes widening as it settled on his cock. “I’ve never seen…” “A cock piercing?” he supplied. Making a circle with his index finger and thumb, he cupped the base of his shaft and pulled it forward to show off the golden loop thrust through the tip of his cock. Lust darkened the golden rims of her eyes. “You didn’t have this the first time we met.” “You’re right. I got it only recently. I thought of your reaction when the ring was driven through my glans. I thought only of you.” “A dream,” she said, her voice a breathless whisper. “No more.” He knelt before her and parted her legs. Slick cream coated the lips of her swollen sex. Not a hint of sticky pubic hair marred the perfection of her sweet, pink cunt, leaving her exposed to his every whim. The smell of her arousal permeated the room. “Wrong again, Nara. This is real.” His hands gripped her waist, then slid behind to cup her firm ass and lift her hips off the bed. Burrowing his head between the warm flesh of her inner thighs, he dipped his tongue into her pussy, tasting the liquid streaming from her slit. A cry broke free from her throat and echoed off the walls, fueling his lust. His erection throbbed. His cock needed release, but he’d wait all night if that’s what it took. Nara came first, or he didn’t come at all.

*** Three hundred years of performing every sexual activity known to man, and Nara had no idea what sex was really supposed to feel like. Until now.

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Rafe licked, nibbled, stroked and swept every inch of her folds with his tongue until Nara panted and writhed on the bed, her hips lifted off the mattress, her thighs locked around his head. Cream ran freely between her legs to stain the bed sheets, coating his face, blending with his saliva in a sticky, hot mess smeared over her thighs. “No more,” she managed to gasp. “I can’t --” The force of her orgasm drowned out the rest of her words. It shattered through her defenses, pouring through her veins like lava bursting forth from a thousand-yearold volcano. She sobbed, letting tears stream openly down her cheeks, too exhausted to keep them at bay. As her climax subsided, Rafe thrust one finger inside her willing cunt and glanced at her from the apex of her thighs. “Good, baby. Let it go.” Nara thrashed her head wildly from side to side. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Even in dreams, her power was dark, dangerous, terrifying. This overwhelming pleasure wasn’t just foreign, it was forbidden. If the Conqueror ever found out… “Harder,” she whimpered. “Give it to me rough. Fast. Please!” She panted, her breath coming in wild, choking gulps. Her magic hovered just out of reach, dark and menacing, beckoning to her. If Rafe could only cause her pain, if he’d hurt her, ravish her, violate her, she might be able to gain some semblance of control. She could call that power to her then, and use it to do what she always did when she invaded a man’s thoughts. She could hurt him. Unbearably, the more she begged, the more he only slowed his momentum. Over and over, he inserted his fingers inside her sex with infinite patience, each thrust sending wave after wave of delicious, agonizing rapture through her body. Every few strokes, he’d flick the tip of his tongue across her engorged clit, the sensation threatening to send her over the edge with each careful stroke.

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In His Dreams

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“No,” she gasped as her cramped muscles convulsed with the unmistakable rise of another onslaught of breathtaking climax. “Not like this. Be the same as the others! Vicious, cruel, ruthless!” He stilled his movements and peered at her, his brows knotted above his startling blue eyes. “I won’t hurt you, Nara. There’s no pain to be had with me. Only pleasure.” A mixture of euphoria and terror swept through her at his words, and for a moment, she had her power in her grasp. It flickered and teased her with its tendrils, playing over her budded nipples, caressing them with its icy-cold touch. Rafe was wrong. There was no such thing as pleasure without pain. For her, they were one and the same. A moan of ecstasy or a groan of horrified terror, a cry of delirious bliss or a whimper of fear; there was no difference between them, nor could there be one without the other. She opened her mouth to tell him that, but in the time it took her to gather her thoughts, he’d moved to hover over her and thrust his tongue between her parted lips. Evidence of her arousal flooded her mouth. The taste of her own juices on his lips, spicy and redolent, drove the magic further out of reach, leaving her at Rafe’s mercy. She tried to beat her fists against his chest, to shove him away with a well-placed punch and a jab, but he was relentless. He didn’t force himself on her, merely kissed her thoroughly while she fought him, and held her down until all the fight had drained from her body. The only thing left in the wake of her despair was hunger. Eager, greedy and ravenous, Nara tangled her fingers in Rafe’s hair and pulled his head down, thrusting her tongue into his mouth, matching the heat of his passion with a tempestuous response of her own. His rock-hard cock hovered at the opening to her cunt. The thin golden ring she’d spotted earlier brushed against her swollen folds. She reached between them to encompass his shaft. Another burst of longing dizzied her as she struggled to wrap her trembling fingers around the base of his thick girth.

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In His Dreams

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“You’re bigger than I remember,” she whispered in his ear. He chuckled, but his ragged breathing told her he was just as voracious for this as she was. “I’m not sure if I should take that as a compliment.” She moaned and lifted her hips, urging his cock closer to her cleft. “No more waiting, Rafe. I need you inside me.” For a moment, she thought he was going to refuse, argue, tease her mercilessly for the rest of the night. Her pussy throbbed with need and her labia felt swollen and heavy. She exhaled a long sigh of relief and pure elation as his cock nudged her entrance and slid effortlessly into her tight passage. She ground her hips against him and clenched her fingers around the hard muscles of his ass, pulling him closer. Rafe’s movements started slow and precise, but quickly sped up as Nara set their rhythm with her own frenzied need beneath him. “You’re incredible,” he murmured as his rod slid deeply into her. She felt his cock ring nudge her womb with just enough force to send a trembling response through her spent muscles. “I’m…” Not, she wanted to say. Not worth all this fuss. Not good for you. Not the one you should be with. Instead, what came out was, “… yours.” Rafe covered her lips with his and kissed her passionately, cutting off all other attempts at conversation. His cock moved in flawless, rhythmic thrusts inside her soaked channel. She gripped him tighter, wanting to hold on to him and memorize every movement, no matter how slight. The scent of his salty musk imprinted itself on her senses and she shuddered as the first tremors of her climax assaulted her body. Her orgasm wrenched the air from her lungs. The rest of the world stilled. Nothing else existed but Rafe’s thick cock inside her cunt. She contracted her inner muscles, clenching and squeezing until she felt his shuddering release. Euphoria rushed through her at dizzying speed, each pulse of her exquisite orgasm milking Rafe’s cum, their climax blending into frenzied, savory bliss.

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In His Dreams

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It took a few minutes for Nara’s world to right itself, and even then, she couldn’t tell whether reality had intruded upon Rafe’s dream, or whether the dream had blended into reality. Rafe’s weight on her, the feel of his hard chest against her breasts, his cock still embedded deeply in her cunt… she took note of all these things through a fog of delirium. When her eyelids finally fluttered open, she glimpsed the lush, green leaves of the garden plants glistening in the orange firelight of a nearby torch; the purple, yellow and blue velvety petals of the night-blooming flowers growing at the base of the fountain; the black wings of a bird soaring between heaven and earth, caught in the frame of the full silver moon overhead. And the red, glowing eyes of the Conqueror.

Chapter Seven Nara’s strangled cry startled Rafe out of his sleep. Dawn hadn’t yet extended its reach into their garden, and he’d hoped to make love to Nara at least one more time before he had to surrender to reality. “It’s okay, baby.” His groggy whisper should have calmed her, but she shoved harshly against his chest instead. “Get up,” a deep, hoarse voice commanded. A chill crept over Rafe’s body as he struggled to make sense of his surroundings. He remembered the garden, but he was surprised to find Nara beneath him, naked, his palms cupping her perfect breasts, his cock still deeply embedded in her pussy. She struggled to sit up, and her inner muscles clenched around his softening cock. He gasped at the tumult of pleasure and uncertainty rushing through his body. The torches had been lit, he realized, and the wind howled outside their enclosed perimeter. The comfortable temperature of the previous day had dropped considerably, and a few airy snowflakes began to sift from the wisps of dark clouds hovering around the brilliant moon. A black shadow flickered over Nara’s creamy skin, tainting her gorgeous breasts with its foul presence. “The Conqueror,” she murmured, her words still slurred by sleep. Tension crept into Rafe’s chest, tightened his gut. Slowly, he slid his cock from Nara’s welcoming sheath and stood. She sighed, though whether from relief or fear, he couldn’t be certain. “Who the hell are you?” Rafe demanded. He had a brief glimpse of a demonic red glare, but was too busy scanning the area for his discarded jeans to take another look. The knowledge that he’d somehow stripped and made love to Nara in reality

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while their dream unfolded undisturbed was unsettling, to say the least. Nothing like that had ever happened before. For all he knew, that kind of blending between the dream world and reality was impossible in anything other than the most basic of forms, like sleepwalking, but that had nothing to do with dream magic and everything to do with the state of a person’s mind. But so were many unexplained things about this place. About Nara. “I’m your gracious host,” the newcomer said, his voice booming through the garden. “And you’d do well to show a little more respect when you barge into a man’s home and take what’s his.” Rafe’s stomach rumbled, and he remembered he hadn’t eaten since he’d arrived. With the exception of the potent herb-laced drink Nara had brought him that morning, nothing but her sweet juices had passed through his lips. “Your hospitality leaves a lot to be desired.” The man crossed his arms over his massive chest. Rafe sighed in frustration. He didn’t see his clothes anywhere. The blow came suddenly and without warning, catching him full in the face and sending him sprawling backward to the ground. The landing hurt almost as much as the punch. Pain shot up his arm. His jaw throbbed. He reached up instinctively to feel if anything had been broken. A cursory movement of his mouth told him he still had all his teeth, and the bones still seemed to be in place. He glared up at the man Nara had referred to as the Conqueror. He stood with his feet slightly spread apart, towering above Rafe, his bald head shimmering in the glow of firelight, his crimson eyes dull and unmoving. It was like staring death in the face, and the shock of that knowledge rattled Rafe even more than the unexpected assault. “Now I know why you didn’t come to greet me sooner,” Rafe said slowly, considering each word. He didn’t want a repeat of that blow. Somehow, he had a feeling that even if he’d been paying attention, he wouldn’t have been able to see it coming. There was something not quite human about the savage Conqueror.

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In His Dreams

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“I have no interest in what you think of me,” the Conqueror roared. Gone was the faint trace of sociability that had been in his voice only moments earlier. “I want you out of here. As far away from this palace as your feet can take you.” “No!” Nara screamed, and lunged at the Conqueror. Tears streamed down her cheeks as sobs escaped her throat. She beat her fists against the man’s thick form, but her blows had no effect. It was like watching her attack a brick wall. The Conqueror bore her ineffective attack for only a moment before sweeping out an arm effortlessly and flinging her away like an annoying insect. She stumbled to regain her footing. Her legs made impact with the marble fountain and she groaned, reaching out to steady herself. Rafe rushed to her side. He drew her protectively into the circle of his arms and held her tightly to him, her back against his naked chest. His cock strained against her bare flesh, instantly responsive to her nearness, heedless of the danger they faced. “Look,” Rafe said between gritted teeth. “I don’t know why you get off on hitting everything that moves, and frankly, right now that’s not my problem. You want me to go, so I’ll go. But she’s coming with me.” The Conqueror’s cruel laugh reverberated through every fiber of Rafe’s being. His throat muscles seemed to tighten with the effort, as if he wasn’t used to the sound breaking free from his lungs. Then he stopped as suddenly as he’d begun, and fixed his fierce glare on Nara. “The only place you’re going, whore, is up to your chambers to await my demands. There will be punishment for you, make no mistake.” Nara swallowed rapidly and drew back her shoulders, trembling slightly in Rafe’s arms. Her distress made his chest ache. To his surprise, when he moved to draw her closer to him, she stepped away, freeing herself from his grasp and leaving him standing in the middle of the garden with a fierce hard-on and a pounding headache. “I can’t go with you,” she murmured, the words barely discernable through her clenched jaw. More confused than ever, Rafe reached for her, but she took a graceful step back. “You must do as he says. You must leave.”

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In His Dreams

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“One way or another,” the Conqueror said, turning those glowing orbs on Rafe. “He will be gone by dawn.” Nara’s sharp intake of breath left no doubt in Rafe’s mind as to how the Conqueror intended to dispose of his unwelcome guest. “Where is Jeremy?” Rafe asked, partly to stall the inevitable, and partly because he was genuinely curious. Though Jeremy’s behavior toward Nara had been despicable, Rafe didn’t relish the thought of leaving him here with the Conqueror. Besides, he wanted a chance to teach the guy a lesson about the proper way to treat a woman, and he’d be damned if he’d let this creature do it for him. “Your companion is no longer your concern.” “He’s not my companion,” Rafe said, fighting to keep his voice even. “But I led him here, so he’s my responsibility.” “He’d have found his way here even without your help.” The Conqueror waved a hand lazily in the air. “I tire of all this inane chatter. Leave. Now.” The same guards who’d greeted Rafe at the gates when he’d first arrived at the palace came out of the shadows to flank him from both sides. A third stood at his back. Rafe’s gaze never left Nara’s wide eyes as the guards prodded him to get him to move. Naked, he felt every jab of their sharp spears nudging his ribs, but he could only concentrate on Nara’s face, ashen of its usual coppery color, her lips parted as if to utter a final goodbye. They were barely out of the garden when the men’s propelling lunges turned vicious. One tore through Rafe’s leg with the tip of his spear, while another rammed him in the gut with the butt of his weapon. Rafe didn’t know whether they’d been ordered to kill him or merely maim him, but he quickly decided he didn’t care enough to find out. Operating on nothing but pure instinct, he fought back, coming at them with a growling fury he didn’t know he’d possessed. It was to his advantage that they didn’t think he had it in him, either. The surprised look on one guard’s face as he reached out to grab the nearest thing to him -- a copper bust of a long-forgotten emperor of some

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sort -- remained imprinted on Rafe’s memory long after he’d brought the statue down over the man’s head. A loud crack resonated through the hall and the guard collapsed at his feet with a strangled cry. The remaining two men lunged for him, and Rafe was lost in the chaos of the fight. Though he’d never had to use his bare hands, he’d fought enough dream ragers to know what to expect. The scent of blood teased his nostrils; the taste flooded his mouth. His own blood, he realized with only a flicker of dismay. He barely had time to react as one of the guards came at him, his spear pointed at Rafe’s stomach. Rafe dove out of the way and leapt into the air, landing a killing blow when his elbow connected with the back of the guard’s neck. Only one remained, and Rafe turned quickly, arms spread out before him, shoulders rigid, knees braced apart in a gesture of welcome provocation. Nara’s beautiful face swam before his eyes, beckoning him. He had to find her and get her away from this place. The final guard dropped his spear and raised his hands in surrender. Rafe nodded his acceptance, then punched him square in the nose. The man’s head slammed against the wall and he crumpled to the ground, leaving a dark bloodstain marring the white marble in his wake. Not stopping to double-check that all the guards were dead, Rafe used his power to find Nara’s rager essence and bolted for the stairs leading to her room.

*** One way or another, he will be gone by dawn. Those words kept playing in Nara’s mind, over and over, as she paced the length of her room. Torches had been lit, but the warm glow of firelight did nothing to alleviate the icy shiver that ran over her skin. Rafe was gone, and it was her fault. It was all her fault. He shouldn’t have been here. If not for her, he would have never found the palace. She should have been more careful when invading dreams, but before Rafe, she’d had no reason to believe that there were others with her abilities. And she

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certainly didn’t imagine he’d come after her in the waking world, no matter how much her behavior had appalled him. Now it was too late. The bruises on the backs of her knees where her flesh had slammed into the fountain ached with a burning, steady pain. She was grateful for it; grateful for anything that made her feel something other than the agonizing sense of loss that gripped her heart every time she thought of Rafe. A spark of firelight caught the glint of gold in the door as the handle started to move. Pulse racing, Nara stumbled toward it. She glanced around her for something she could use as a weapon, then abandoned that impulse. Nothing she could conjure up would hurt the Conqueror. Like it or not, she was stuck with him for all eternity. But that didn’t mean she had to like it. “You couldn’t even wait until he was well away from this palace, could you? Are you going to open all the windows so he can hear me scream?” Her breath caught in her chest as Rafe’s handsome face appeared in the opening. Relief and confusion swept through her, clogging her throat. She fought the urge to jump into his arms. “What are you doing here?” she asked, trying to keep her voice steady. “Where are the guards?” He grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him. Her body leaned into every naked inch of his own. “No time,” he said, then seemed to reconsider and dipped his head to cover her mouth with his for only the briefest moment. The rush of warm, heady pleasure that enveloped her as his taste flooded her mouth made her knees weak. “Wait.” She dug her heels in the lush carpeting, but he only yanked harder on her arm. “We have to go. Now. I’m pretty sure I killed two of the guards, but the third might have already come to. And if not, then someone’s bound to find them lying in the hallway any minute now.”

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In His Dreams

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She shook her head, struggling to comprehend. Blood seeped from a wide gash in his leg and a purple bruise the size of her clenched fist darkened his ribs. “You killed the Conqueror’s guards?” He rolled his eyes, impatience showing in the tightening of his jaw. “Are you coming or not?” “No.” He reacted as if she’d slapped him. His head jolted back and his eyes widened. “I don’t understand you. Why won’t you leave this place? Is it him? Are you unwilling to leave him?” “I can’t walk out of here, Rafe. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.” He stepped close to her, his chest tight against her breasts, his eyes boring into hers. “You’re going to be the death of me.” The nervous giggle that escaped her throat surprised them both. Rafe stepped back, releasing her from his intense grip. She rubbed at her sore wrist. “The Conqueror cast a spell upon this place.” Rafe quirked an eyebrow. “Really?” “It’s… complicated. All you need to know is that I can’t leave. Nor can he. And if you stay here another night, neither will you.” He seemed to consider her words for a moment, then released a deep breath. “When you said you hadn’t felt pleasure in centuries, you weren’t exaggerating, were you?” A weary smile lifted the corners of Nara’s mouth. “I’d love to explain everything to you in detail, but you really do have to go. If the Conqueror finds you, he will kill --” She inhaled sharply, her thoughts veering in another direction. “You said you killed those guards. How?” Rafe shrugged. “The old-fashioned way. With my bare hands.” For some reason, he found this amusing. A wide grin broke over his face. He spread out his palms before her and wiggled his fingers.

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She peered at them, but no blood marred his hands and she shook her head impatiently. “They can’t die. You couldn’t have killed them.” His smile faded. “I really think I did.” “It’s impossible,” she stated flatly. “Once caught in the spell, they’re as immortal as the Conqueror. And just as dangerous.” Rafe scrubbed a hand over his face. “Unless…” “Unless what?” He paced to the window, where gold drapes were drawn against the infinite blackness of the night. He stood there a moment, staring through them as if seeing the mountaintops that lay miles away, while she admired his narrow hips, his perfect tight ass. Suddenly, he spun around and gripped her by the shoulders. “I can kill you.” She forced a laugh. “I’m not comforted by that knowledge, but I believe you.” “Why? You’re immortal, like them, aren’t you?” Nara tried not to stare at his massive, naked chest, but the faint dusting of golden hair made her pussy swell with desire. “Your dream power. I felt it. You could end my life the next time I stepped into someone else’s dream. I…” She let her gaze drop to the ground. “I wish you had.” Rafe gripped her chin and angled her head until she looked into his purplishblue eyes. His stare was magnetic, drawing her to him with a force that stole her breath. “You don’t mean that,” he whispered. “But you’re right. I could have killed you in dreams… or in reality. My power surges through me all the time. Even now, I can feel its pull. And I can feel the same force flowing through your veins. In that way, we’re connected. I can end your life, not through the use of magic or ancient spells, but simply because I have the ability to do so. This is the way of dream magic.” Nara swallowed hard. “Those guards, then…” “Like you, and I’m guessing, like the Conqueror, they had the ability to rage. His powers are different than any I’ve ever encountered. Cloaked, somehow. Hidden from others with my abilities.”

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In His Dreams

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She leaned into him, inhaling his scent. His cock stirred against her stomach, sending a wave of liquid heat to her pussy. To have found a man who could arouse her, make her feel all kinds of wondrous emotions she hadn’t believed herself still capable of experiencing, only to lose him again… it wasn’t fair. But when had her life ever been fair? Tears welled in her eyes. “All this time,” she murmured, “I thought I was different. Special.” He kissed the top of her head and ran his hands down her back, stroking her spine in slow, sensual circles. “You are special.” “So they could all do this? Enter dreams?” “The Conqueror can. I suspect the others could too, though whether they knew it or not, I have no idea.” A muffled gasp startled Nara out of Rafe’s arms. Heart racing, she moved to the window and pulled back the curtains, afraid of what she’d find, but even more frightened of not knowing. The Conqueror didn’t sneak around in his own palace, she reminded herself. If he wanted to enter the room for any reason, he’d break down the door and take what he wanted. Dhanya stood against the wall, her cheeks streaked with tears, her dark eyes wide with fear. “He taught me,” she said, her voice barely discernable. “He taught me how to do the things you spoke of.” “You can enter dreams?” The disappointment surging through Nara’s veins was palpable, threatening to stifle her. “Since when?” “Months… years, maybe. I don’t know. Time doesn’t mean anything anymore. The guests were always yours, and my power wasn’t strong enough to reach too far outside the palace. I had a Sadhu once. His dreams were of endless peace and holy mercy. I was bored.” Her lower lip trembled as she took a breath, then another before continuing. Accusation and pain glittered in her eyes. “I wanted Jeremy. I needed to see if I could do what you do. But you got to him first.”

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In His Dreams

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Rafe ran a hand through his disheveled hair. Two days’ worth of stubble sprinkled his jaw, the effect leaving him looking wild and infinitely sexy. Nara bit back a moan. “I can’t kill all of you,” Rafe said matter-of-factly, as if commenting on the weather. “But I can kill the source.” It only took Nara a moment to figure out what he meant. “The Conqueror. You think he made us.” “I know he did. Where there are ragers, there are always masters, those who train and teach. But their power is usually even easier to discern, and until the Conqueror came to me in the garden, I had no idea there were others with abilities here.” He took Nara’s hand and caressed the inside of her wrist, then shifted his touch up her arm. A shiver ran down her spine, but this one had nothing to do with the cold. “You are special,” he insisted. “Your powers brought me to you.” “And to certain death,” she reminded him. He seemed to think it over for a moment, then turned to Dhanya. “Not necessarily. I have a plan, but we’ll need your help.” Dhanya dried her cheeks with the back of her hands. “Whatever you need. Just end this.” “On one condition.” “Which is?” Nara wondered, her stomach tightening in a knot. Would he really lead them so far down this path only to ask for something they couldn’t give? “For God’s sake, feed me. I haven’t eaten since I came to this place.” Nara groaned. He might as well have asked for the moon.

Chapter Eight While Nara and Dhanya foraged for anything edible in the garden, Rafe had dragged the corpses of the guards away from the hall and stored them in a nearby room that looked like it hadn’t been used in a century. He’d been relieved to find that the third guard hadn’t recovered consciousness, and wasn’t likely to, judging by the lack of a steady pulse beneath Rafe’s fingers. Now back in Nara’s chambers, Rafe gnawed on bland roots and bitter leaves as he tried to explain his plan in as few words as possible. “Your part is simple,” he said, pointing the sharp tip of a dark-brown root toward Dhanya. “The Conqueror asked for entertainment tonight, right?” Dhanya nodded. She’d told them that just moments after the Conqueror had sent Rafe away, he’d ordered Dhanya to fetch Jeremy as soon as he awoke and she was certain the curse had taken firm hold. “Good,” Rafe continued. “Nara gathered some of those potent herbs she’d laced my wine with. If you can get the Conqueror to drink even a few drops of the mixture, it will be easier for us to enter his dream and do what must be done.” Nara sat cross-legged on a satiny pillow across from Rafe. She leant forward and watched him attentively, her golden eyes still and devoid of emotion. “Kill him, you mean.” “Yes.” She released a deep breath and relief flittered over her features. “Good.” “The Conqueror doesn’t often drink,” Dhanya said, “but I believe he will tonight. He has cause to celebrate. He thinks he’s gotten rid of you, and he has Jeremy as another slave for all of eternity. Things just couldn’t get any better.”

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In His Dreams

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Rafe grinned. “But they sure can get a whole lot worse,” he said between a mouthful of red, sour leaves. The stuff he was ingesting made his throat and stomach burn, but at least the hunger was gone. Unfortunately, he couldn’t tell whether he’d just been poisoned, but he figured death by indigestion would be a whole lot better than death by starvation. Besides, he couldn’t face the Conqueror half-starved. He needed every advantage he could get when going against a dream rager who was likely more powerful than any Rafe had ever faced. Dhanya rose and headed for the door. She clasped the handle, hesitating. “He has many guards with him at all times. If things don’t go as planned, don’t come in after me. Especially you,” she said, turning to stare at Rafe. “Nara needs you.” Two hours later, Rafe and Nara waited, perched on the edge of sleep in a tangle of naked limbs. Rafe’s power swam around him, lazy yet alert, and he waited for the crackle of electricity indicating Dhanya had been successful. He and Nara hadn’t made love, but simply lay upon the mound of pillows in the center of the room. Nara’s breasts brushed against Rafe’s chest, her nipples hardening as he caressed the underside of her full curves. His face was so close to hers he could feel the heat of her breath on his lips. “How is it that you waited three hundred years to come for me?” Nara asked, her voice drowsy with sleep. He brushed his lips over the smooth skin of her neck, darting the tip of his tongue along the sensitive hollow at the base of her throat. “I wasn’t born then.” Her scent enveloped him, sweet and fragrant, as he placed a kiss just above her perky nipple. “But I do think I was made for you.” She smiled. “You’re a terrible liar.” “I’m not lying.” He tried to look affronted, but gave up when her grin widened. His cock hardened further and a bead of sticky pre-cum dripped from its tip. “Think about it. Everything I’ve ever done in my life has led me here, to you.”

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She gasped, but he wasn’t entirely sure whether it was his words that had stunned her or his fingers delving into her soaked slit that wrung the cry from her lips. He stroked her sensitive, swollen folds while his thumb rubbed her clit, gently at first, then faster as she arched her back and rocked against him. Nara reached down and fondled his erection. Rafe thrust his aching cock against her palm. Her mouth left a burning trail of wetness across his chest, his stomach, then moved lower toward his eagerly waiting shaft. He’d promised her that she’d only suck his cock because she wanted to. At that moment, while she stroked him with an expert’s touch and he drove two fingers inside her moist, tight channel, there was no doubt in Rafe’s mind that Nara wanted him as much as he needed her. Then it came at last, riding a wave of really bad timing: the surge of power he’d been waiting for. It traveled through Rafe like a jolt of electricity, straight to his brain. Instead of jerking him wide awake, it had the opposite effect, luring him into the warm mist separating the dream world from reality. He entered the Conqueror’s dream holding Nara’s hand and sporting a massive, painful erection. Using the smallest possible shred of talent, Rafe conjured up clothes for both of them, not because he was modest, but because the idea of the Conqueror looking upon Nara’s naked form tightened his stomach in knots. “Where are we?” Nara murmured in his ear. “I don’t recognize this place.” “A cave of some sort, I think.” In truth, Rafe had no better idea where they were than Nara. Aside from the allencompassing blackness that enveloped them like a thick cloak, he could make out no distinguishing landmarks. It was cold though, and the air smelled of smoke, blood and fetid mold. In the distance, a hint of orange light glowed, no larger than a tiny speck. He tugged on Nara’s hand and headed off in that direction. Something caught his foot as he moved forward and he stumbled. Pain, sharp and unexpected, shot through his bare toes. Rafe bit the inside of his cheek to keep from

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unleashing a storm of curses and fought the urge to speed up his steps. Going faster when he couldn’t see the ground would only cause a repeat of that stagger, or worse. Nara didn’t protest their pace, even though the speck of light didn’t seem to be growing any brighter. For all Rafe knew, they could walk like this throughout the night and never get anywhere. That was the problem with dream ragers. They liked to toy with their own dreams as much as they liked to distort those of others. Especially if they knew someone was watching. Rafe shook his head and tried to clear away that disturbing thought. The herbs Dhanya had given the Conqueror wouldn’t have impeded his abilities, but depending on how much he’d drunk, the wine should have been enough to make him sluggish and keep him from sensing them as they broke through the mist barrier and into his mind. They came upon him after what seemed like an eternity. The Conqueror stood with his back to them, a dark shape against a black background. Smoldering embers illuminated his feet, but not much else. He was naked except for a strip of cloth that covered his loins, and his broad shoulders blocked most of the light. Clearly, he hadn’t noticed he had company. Rafe squeezed Nara’s hand twice for good luck before releasing it and moving forward to stand only a hand’s span away from the rager. Blood thrummed in his ears. His head pounded with the imminent release of his pent-up power. Lifting his hands in the air, Rafe prepared to unleash the blow that would free Nara from the confines of her magical prison and rid the world of an entire slew of dream ragers. His mind swirling with dream energy, he didn’t hear Nara’s scream until it was too late. Slamming face-first into the craggy rock surface, he realized belatedly that the shape he’d been staring at hadn’t been the Conqueror at all but only an illusion meant to confuse and distort the fabric of the dream. “What have we here?” the rager asked, his demonic eyes glowing red in the inky nightmare.

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He bent over Rafe’s fallen form as if to study him, dipped his head and unleashed just enough energy to strip Rafe of his conjured clothes, then delivered a well-aimed kick to his ribs. The blow sent Rafe rolling backward over sharp, pointy stones. What felt like thousands of bits of gravel and pebbles tore at his skin and he came to a stop against a massive rock wall. Gasping for breath, his lungs feeling like they’d been crushed by a bowling ball thrown from the top of a ten-story building, Rafe struggled to stand. Pain sliced through him like a razor. His movements were sluggish, but he knew he had to get to Nara before it was too late. “I do love guests,” the Conqueror declared, his voice booming through the cave. “Especially when they drop by uninvited. Nosy travelers always get what they deserve.” With a flick of his wrist, the embers dimmed and the light went out entirely. Nara’s scream turned Rafe’s blood to ice.

*** The sudden loss of light plunged Nara into an inky blackness darker than the inside of a grave. She couldn’t make out even the faintest shapes surrounding her, but she could feel the Conqueror’s presence, malicious and threatening. Not to her, of course. She was immortal, and besides, he needed her. Rafe wasn’t so lucky. The cave, if that’s even what it was, felt humid and airless, and the stench of decay clogged her throat as her scream faded. Crying out had been an instinct more than anything else. A way to express all the horror tightening her gut with the thought of the myriad of untold terrors the Conqueror could unleash on Rafe. She took a tentative step forward and strained to listen for any sound that would indicate in which direction Rafe lay. If she could only get to him, perhaps she could distract the Conqueror long enough for Rafe to use his abilities. He said he could kill the Conqueror, could end this for all of them. Nara’s spine stiffened. She didn’t hear anything but the quiet drip of moisture flowing down the side of the rock face and the sizzle of embers.

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And then, just as unexpectedly as the lights had gone off, they were back on and Nara found herself out of the frightening interior of the dank cave, and into a lushly decorated room. She didn’t recognize it as one in the palace, and it certainly didn’t look like Rafe’s apartment. A chandelier spilled golden light over the dark wooden frame of a large bed, on which she inexplicably lay. Somehow, she’d been knocked on her back, though she didn’t remember losing her footing. She was also naked again. The sudden shift in locale left Nara dizzy and disoriented. She closed her eyes for a brief moment and when she opened them, Rafe stood at the edge of the bed, watching her intently. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse, raspy. “I need you.” Nara frowned. “Where is the Conqueror? What happened?” Rafe climbed into bed to kneel beside her and placed a finger on her lips. “No more questions. We’re together now.” She wanted to protest, argue that she couldn’t possibly relax until she knew exactly what happened between Rafe and the Conqueror while she was being transported to this luxurious room. She knew she was still dreaming, though whether it was her own dream now or Rafe’s, she couldn’t tell. “Why didn’t you let me help?” she said when his hand trailed away from her mouth to cup her breast. “I could have been of use to you.” Rafe didn’t answer. Instead, he pulled off his shirt, revealing broad, sinewy muscles. She reached for him, her fingers moving of their own accord to play in the sprinkle of blond curls. His blue eyes dark with passion, Rafe moved his hands seductively over the full curves of her bare breasts. She closed her eyes and moaned as her nipples hardened into pointy peaks at his touch. She loved the way he paid attention to her body’s response and molded his sensual caresses accordingly.

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“No one’s ever made me feel like this before,” she whispered. Thoughts of the Conqueror forgotten, she spread her legs apart and shifted her hips, hoping he’d touch her swollen folds. She lusted for him, craved him like she’d craved no other man. As if sensing her distress, his fingers roamed over her stomach and he circled her clit lightly with the tip of his finger. Teasing, fondling, caressing, his touch toyed with the entrance to her cunt. She needed his cock in her. Turning her head to face him, she darted her tongue along her lower lip, moistening it. She wanted to ask for it, but before she could utter a word, she realized that aside from the shirt he’d discarded, he was still half-dressed, though she clearly remembered the Conqueror removing his conjured clothing as the battle ensued. Frowning, she tugged at the fastening of his jeans. A low, throaty chuckle rewarded her efforts as he quickened his strokes on her cunt, teasing her sex until she writhed with longing. The zipper wouldn’t come free. She cursed the rotten invention, longing for the days when men’s breeches were easy to remove. At last, the mechanism slid down, impossibly loud in the stillness of the room. He wore white briefs underneath, and she marveled at the blond hair peeking over the top of his waistband. His firm, flat abs trembled as she ran her fingertips over the inviting flesh, following the narrow trail leading to his hidden cock. Her pussy clenched as she pictured his shaft, hard and thick, the golden ring glistening with pre-cum. She slid her hand down to cup his balls, then up along the velvety skin and along its tip. Its very bare tip. She gasped and struggled to pull down his briefs. Rafe chuckled at her impatience and rose to his knees, giving her access to pull down the maddening clothing. She yanked them over his hips, freeing his cock. His rod sprung out, erect and eager against his stomach.

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A clear bead of pre-cum oozed from the slit, but no trace of the cock piercing marred the perfect flesh. She looked up at him, her heart pounding so hard it threatened to break out of her chest. She sat up and slid back along the bed. He must have seen the terror in her eyes because he smiled, and the grin was no longer welcoming or passionate, but maddeningly horrifying. As she watched, the scene shifted again, along with the man before her. His features changed slowly, nose widening, lips narrowing, his unruly blond hair disappearing to display a shiny pate. The bed remained, but the golden light from the chandelier twisted and darkened to blood red, spilling its crimson glow over everything. The Conqueror’s eyes gleamed in the misty shadows, and for the first time, she noticed they weren’t alone. Rafe stood against the wall, his wrists shackled with black manacles. Chains rattled as he moved, and though he wasn’t trapped in a cage like he’d been in the painting, she recognized the similarity. Pure dread iced her veins. The Conqueror gripped her hair and yanked her up until her face was close enough to his to smell the sickeningly sweet odor of his breath. “You would have fucked him, wouldn’t you?” She gritted her teeth, unwilling to speak. The thought of her heated reaction to the Conqueror, even as he pretended to be Rafe, nauseated her. “After all this time, I thought you knew better than that. You only fuck because I tell you to. You have no right to enjoy what I don’t give you.” Spittle flew as he talked, the faint moisture landing on her cheek as he unleashed his fury. “Now, you’re going to watch him die. After that, maybe I’ll let you fuck him if you still want it so much.” His words, delivered with such cruelty, made her recoil in horror. Her mind reeled as she struggled to formulate a coherent thought. He was going to kill Rafe, and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do about it. A violent shove made her head hit the headboard with a repulsive crack. The room spun, the eerie red glow confusing her senses even further. Between flashes of

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pain, she remembered Rafe conjuring clothes for both of them using only his talent, and before she could even consider what she was doing, she squeezed her eyelids firmly shut and called forth her dream power. She needed a knife, and somehow, she had to put that knife into Rafe’s hand. It stood to reason he couldn’t kill the Conqueror with his bare hands, and whatever dream power he possessed seemed puny in comparison to the Conqueror’s. The weapon didn’t have to be fancy, so she pictured a sleek, metal blade and a rough wooden handle. She molded her fingers around its hilt and opened her eyes, expecting it to be in her hand. She held nothing but air. Only a few feet away, the Conqueror stood before Rafe, grinning as he watched Rafe struggle against his bonds. Rafe’s searing blue eyes met Nara’s, narrowed in anger. At her? She couldn’t be sure. Gasping, she fought to gather more power. She knew she could do it, if only she tried harder. Rafe didn’t have much time. At any moment, the Conqueror could snap his neck, eviscerate him, or do any of a million other things that could either lead to a quick death or to a slow, painful one. Panting, she summoned the image, watching the misty illusion harden into an actual object. She felt her fingers close around it, ran her thumb along the rough wooden texture of the hilt. Sweat dripped down her cheeks and neck, running in rivulets between her breasts. Her eyelids fluttered and the room spun. The wave of dizziness hit with unexpected force and Nara tightened her grip on the weapon she held. When she was sure she wouldn’t collapse, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and opened her eyes. Only to find herself wide-awake. It took a few moments for Nara to orient herself after the dizzying descent into reality. She stood in front of a golden-gilded door, which she instantly recognized. On the other side, the Conqueror would be sleeping soundly, guarded by half a dozen men.

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Her hands tightened into fists. Her right palm met with resistance, and she looked down at the object she still held. It was too late for second thoughts, or logical reasoning. The blade gleamed in the torchlight, and she shoved against the door, flinging herself into the Conqueror’s room. There was more light here and the sudden illumination blinded her. Not stopping to adjust, she ran forward to the mound of pillows and the shape upon them. From the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of the startled guards. A bloodstreaked form lay in a heap in the corner of the room. Jeremy’s body, hardly recognizable. Nara moved as though still in a dream, all her thoughts bent on only one task. She focused on the rise and fall of the Conqueror’s copper-toned chest, his parted lips as the breath escaped his lungs. She concentrated on the moisture lingering on his lower lip as he slept, and when the knife impaled his flesh to pierce his heart, she heard the sound of arteries bursting, bones crunching and ligaments tearing. The Conqueror’s eyes blinked open, widening as if ready to erupt right out of his head. He struggled to breathe. The gasping, choking sounds he made echoed through the room, and she felt, rather than saw, his grip on the dream world receding. Rafe was safe. A deep, foreboding rumble thundered from somewhere deep in the castle. The floor shook, and the walls began to crumble. Beside Nara, the guards that only moments before had been shocked into a state of motionless dismay as they watched death finally descend upon their master, now began to decay. The flesh seared off their bones and they dissolved in fragmented pieces into thin air. The noise was deafening. Nara dropped to her knees, her arms wrapped around her head. She tried to shut away the booming sounds, the apprehension and the unwelcome, hollow sense of loss. This was the end, she knew, and all she could do was wait for death to take her along with everyone else in this unnatural palace. She only prayed she hadn’t been too late to save Rafe.

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By the time the tumult finally died down, she felt as though another century had passed. She hadn’t moved and her legs and arms ached, burning from the awkward position. She heard footsteps behind her, but couldn’t raise her head. Exhaustion swept in and settled over her skin like a heavy burden. Strong arms wrapped around her, pulled her close. She inhaled the scent of sweat and masculine musk, and when Rafe spoke, his deep voice traveled through her, soothing her fevered mind. “Are you all right?” Nara barely had enough energy left to nod. Licking her lips, she found them dry and cracked. Her voice came out feeble, as though steeped in time. “I had a very bad dream.”

Epilogue Nara stirred, waking from a blissfully dreamless sleep. Rafe’s arms encircled her and she could feel the rhythm of his heartbeat against her back as he slept, his breath stirring the tendrils of hair at the nape of her neck. It was cold in his tent, but she didn’t care. Outside, the wind whipped the canvas stretched tightly around them. Somewhere in the distance, a bird chirped, welcoming the feeble rays of sunshine that penetrated the thick clouds signaling winter’s approach. According to Rafe, they were only another day’s walk from the nearest town, but being here with him, alone, was enough to make her endure the coldest weather in the stark, mountainous landscape. After the palace had crumbled, they’d spent three days looking for survivors, as well as anything they could recover. Most of the wealth remained, buried beneath layers of rock and marble. As for survivors, there were some, but not as many as Nara would have liked. Many of the concubines perished under the onslaught of walls collapsing, while others seemed to have suffered the same fate as the Conqueror’s guards. Dhanya lived. Jeremy didn’t. It didn’t take Rafe long to discover that all the survivors had one thing in common: they could all rage. He could have killed them -- they both could have -- but watching them escape the Forgotten Palace to taste freedom again for the first time in centuries was heartwarming. Instead of death, Rafe had offered them a new life, one that included protecting others from the viciousness of dream ragers like the Conqueror. They’d agreed to follow him, some willingly, others more because they didn’t know what to do now that they were no longer shackled to a master whose whims they had to obey.

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Rafe had confided in Nara that he expected a few of them to run off and try to carve out their own existence, and he’d told her that those who raged again would meet a swift death by his hands. She didn’t doubt him, but hoped for their sake that they wouldn’t be so quick to walk down that path again. After all, they were no longer immortal. They deserved to spend the rest of their days in peace and contentment, rather than within the depths of the terror to which they’d become accustomed. Nara shifted slightly, trying to ease the cramping in her right leg. She was used to sleeping alone, and as much as she found Rafe’s presence sexy and infinitely comforting, she hadn’t yet adjusted to the physical demands of being held all night. Her movement woke him and he tightened his hold around her waist. “Good morning, sunshine.” She laughed as she had before when he spoke those words. It had become a morning ritual between them, he calling her sunshine, she elbowing him softly in the ribs. “Rays of sun are pure and delicate. I’m none of those things.” His breath caught at the unexpected retort. This was new in their exchange, but she’d thought it since the first time he’d used the endearing nickname. Now, she finally had the courage to speak the words aloud. She held her breath, willing him to deny the accusation she’d made, yet knowing every word was true. Rafe grabbed her shoulder and gently turned her so she was lying on her back. They shared a sleeping bag, and his body heat seeped from his naked form, warming her. She couldn’t meet his eyes. “You’re perfect, Nara,” he whispered, then bent his head to nuzzle the side of her throat. “The things you’ve done while under the Conqueror’s control are not who you are. They’re a part of your past. We all have a skeleton or two in our closet.” Alarmed, she propped her weight on her elbows and turned to stare at him, mouth agape. “You have skeletons in your closet?” He laughed at the expression on her face. “In a manner of speaking. I’ll tell you about them sometime.”

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She relaxed, but only slightly, picturing all kinds of horrors she didn’t know existed in Rafe’s small apartment. She was in for a lot of adjustments. From what little she’d discerned from other men’s dreams, and from what Rafe had told her, life sure was different in the twenty-first century. Rafe circled her nipple, drawing her attention away from anxious thoughts of her future to the intimate heat of the present. She drew in a breath and let it out in a long shudder as he pinched the hardened bud. “You like that, don’t you?” She nodded, her words catching in her throat. He’d shown her a myriad of pleasurable sensations since they’d left the palace behind, and every one was an unexpected delight. She’d given up long ago on ever being able to feel the kind of sexual ecstasy she’d provided to others, but Rafe’s touch found every hidden crevice of need and desire, and tore those sensations from her with no more than a caress and a naughty whisper. He bent his head and captured the nipple with his mouth, darting his tongue around the areola. When he withdrew, cool air brushed over her skin, sending a shudder through her. Tangling her fingers in his hair, she drew his head away from her breast and pushed him down until he lay on his back. She gripped his cock, stroked it, tugged at the golden ring piercing his foreskin. Rafe sucked in a groaning, shuddering breath. “You sure you’ve never seen one of those before? You drive me crazy.” “Before you, I didn’t know such… adornments even existed.” She tightened her grip around the head of his shaft, filling her fist with it, then stroked downward, rotating the ring around the sensitive opening in its tip. He rewarded her with another moan. “You’re a quick learner.” Heat rushed to her cheeks at his compliment. She loved pleasing him just as much as he delighted in pleasuring her. She continued to tease him with her touch,

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sliding her grip up and down his shaft, twisting the ring in his glans then delving lower to caress the soft tissue between his balls and the puckered, inviting hole of his anus. His cock hardened to the strength of a steel rod, and she shifted along his body until her lips nudged the ring. With the tip of her tongue, she caught a drop of pre-cum and smeared it along his shaft, relishing the shudder that traveled through him. Darting her tongue back up to the head of his cock, she caught the ring between her teeth and pulled gently. Rafe gripped her head and thrust his hips closer to her mouth. “I see I’m not the only one who likes a little pain with their pleasure,” she told him playfully. Nara remembered the time he’d rejected her offer to suck his cock. She’d been offended then, even hurt, but now realized he’d done the right thing. Like everything else, having his shaft in her mouth was a hundred times more intense for both of them when she did it because she craved it as much as he did. Opening for him, she took the head into her mouth, enveloping it gently in the heat and moisture before delving down to suck the rest of his rod. She cupped his balls, caressing them slowly as she licked and teased his glans. His fingers tightened their grip in her hair, but he didn’t force her head down, or make her take more of his cock than she was comfortable doing. With every stroke of her tongue, she took him deeper, until the head of his shaft nudged the back of her throat. Rafe pumped his hips in almost indiscernible movements, groaning. She felt his balls tighten in their sac beneath her expert fondling. Pulling back, she nudged and turned his cock piercing with her tongue, then drove him to the brink of orgasm before letting his cock escape her mouth with a loud pop. He groaned and grabbed her arms, pulling her up. She straddled his waist, lowering her throbbing, wet cunt over the pulsing shaft. She knew he wouldn’t last long before he spilled his seed inside her, but neither would she. Tasting his desire had brought her more pleasure than she’d thought possible, and the wet heat between her legs trickled down her thighs to drip into the curly hair surrounding his cock.

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Slipping his fingers between her folds, he found her hard clit and stroked it as she impaled herself on his cock, the sudden thrust wringing a strangled gasp from both of them. He filled her completely, stroking her to the edge of madness as she set the rhythm for them both. He thrust his hips up to meet her movements, plunging his rod into her tight channel again and again, driving the breath from her lungs. The intensity of her orgasm caught Nara unprepared. Her stomach muscles clenched and she cried out as Rafe’s cock spurted its climax inside her. His fingers never stilled their motions on her nub, and the combination of his shaft inside her and the perfect, rhythmic caresses brought her to dizzying heights of completion. Collapsing against Rafe’s chest, Nara closed her eyes and let the last trembling shudders of her orgasm flow through her. Rafe brushed the hair back from her cheek and placed a kiss on her forehead. The air in the tent had grown warm and redolent with the smell of sex and their combined musk. She smiled, listening to the frantic rhythm of his heart as it came down from the heights of ecstasy. “When you found me in the palace after it crumbled… how did you know where to look?” she asked him at last, curling a damp strand of his hair around her finger. His hands came up to cup her ass and he kneaded the flesh slowly, awakening another jolt of desire low in her belly. His softening cock didn’t slip from her depths. “You’re mine, dream rager,” he said softly, the word holding no negative connotation this time. “I’d find you anywhere.” She smiled contentedly and closed her eyes, letting the exhausted afterglow of her orgasm bring her to the edge of sleep. Rafe’s dream power nudged at her mind and she opened to him. Together, they slipped through the misty barrier between worlds.

The End

Lacey Savage Lacey Savage began her love affair with romance at an early age. In high school, she checked out steamy romance novels from the public library and would often be found reading them in the middle of class. Lacey still reads more than she cares to admit, and probably more than her husband would like, considering how many books she keeps bringing into the house. Her favorite genres have always been erotica, romance, fantasy, science fiction and mystery, so she tries to incorporate a little of each into her writing. She initially majored in Marketing, then went back to school to major in English Literature. After earning her degrees, she decided to turn her efforts to her true passion: writing. A hopeless romantic, Lacey loves writing about the intimate, sensual side of relationships. She currently resides in Ottawa, Canada, with her loving husband and their mischievous cat. You can learn more about Lacey by visiting her website at www.laceysavage.com, and can reach her at [email protected].