Only in Her Dreams Read Free Page B

blindly into the flames.
    Maxim returned to Erebos quickly after his encounter with the girl. He needed answers from his eldest brother, time was of the essence. “How shall I proceed?” he finally asked.
     

Chapter 3
     
    Darius watched the girl enter her home. It seemed to fit her, tan with dark green shutters and a well-manicured lawn. An aged, quaint bungalow in a well-maintained neighborhood. Two neighbors had waved to him as he drove down the street, for fuck’s sake. He wasn’t out for a Sunday cruise. What would the neighbors do if they knew his true intentions for invading their peaceful slice of suburbia?
    His source had finally proved useful. I may have to spare his life when the time comes.
    The sight of it--the house, the neighborhood, the families--all made him sick. This could’ve been me, should be me . Instead, he was stuck on this godforsaken Earth, most of his powers stripped, forbidden to return to his rightful place in Erebos. And his only option was the girl. This weak female held his fate in her hands.
    And she hadn’t a clue.
    He moved across the street and slipped into her backyard with only a glance over his shoulder to make sure no one watched. Her yard surprised and repulsed him just as much as the front of the house. The front was straight from a promotional brochure, while the back yard gave the appearance of a Better Homes and Gardening showpiece. There were flowers, shrubs, and trees covering every square inch. The serenity of it reminded him of all he despised.
    This was almost me! Good thing I dodged that bullet. Peace, tranquility and harmony are way overrated. One word: boring. Thankfully, she had rejected him. After that embarrassing episode he’d shelved his heart--there was no room for feelings left.
    It was time to shake things up and restore order. His order.
    “Master, she has retired to her bed chamber,” Alexander said.
    Darius turned to see his man standing beside him. Alexander’s ability to move without alerting others to his presence was what drew Darius to him. After he was banished from Erebos, he convinced Alexander to join him in his crusade to right the wrongs of his father and support his new Lord’s cause.
    “Enter and report back to me. Find the connection to my brother,” he said.
    With a nod, Alexander vanished as silently as he’d appeared.
     
    # # #
     
    Maxim studied his brother from the shadows deep within the girl’s backyard jungle. His twin had aged since he’d seen him last, but their likeness was unmistakable. Darius’ clear blue eyes glowed in the darkness, a side effect of Earth’s oxygen on their demi-god eyes. Maxim pulled his baseball cap lower to hide his own glowing orbs.
    Why did I assume he was bluffing with his missive?
    Maxim wasn’t sure what drew him to the girl’s house after the disaster earlier at the coffee shop, but he had to know more about her. The call to protect her was overpowering. But was it because of his promise to Guy or because of his own inner feelings?
    That he could be attracted to a human was unthinkable. His knowledge of the girl was limited, besides her being Guy’s adopted daughter--his brother’s daughter. Granted there was no blood relation, the girl was unaware of her true heritage. Guy and his wife had continued the charade and misled the girl her entire life.
    At that moment, Alexander returned from the house, a small item in his hand. He returned to Darius’s side and they appeared to argue quietly. The pair then slipped out of the yard through the same gate they’d entered.
    Alexander hadn’t been inside the house long enough to harm her. Plus, Maxim would bet all he owned, which wasn’t much, that Darius knew the severe consequences he’d face if he harmed the home’s occupant.
    With his brother and Alexander gone, Maxim moved toward the house. He navigated through the foliage, careful not to damage the delicate plants, his pants became damp with the dew that adorned the leaves and