Dream-Hunters, as a hard and fast rule, were emotionless. The only way to feel anything was through visiting the dreams of others. Many Dream-Hunters, or Oneroi, help people, or even Dark-Hunters who are having trouble sleeping, or are having nightmares. There are even some who instigate the dreams, at times altering them so they can experience the dreamer’s emotions. The nightmare demons can also become incubi and succubi as they suck either terror or sexual pleasure from their dream host. 1
These rogue Oneroi are referred to as Skoti. And it was such that was visiting Ava in her dreams.2
After finally fall to sleep slightly before dawn, Ava tossed and turned on Stone’s large bed. Stone had gotten out of the bed earlier, having received more than a few arms and elbows to the face as she tossed, and more than one knee to an area he’d like to keep bruise free. He dragged the corner chair to the bedside and tried to make himself comfortable.3
He felt like complete shit, both mentally and physically, from lack of sleep and the last evening’s events but he knew it was nothing when compared to what the woman on his bed must be going through. Stone rubbed his eyes, blinking as the room turned fuzzy, and looked up at a sensation he hadn’t felt in quite a few years while still awake. 4
He looked up to see the Dream-Hunter, D'Alerian, standing across the room staring at him.
D'Alerian approached. “You summoned me.”5
Stone stared. “No,” he said, drawing the word out. He usually only summoned D'Alerian when he was injured, since the ‘D’ branch of the Oneroi helped heal the Dark-Hunters while they slept. Stone didn’t get seriously hurt that often, and he didn’t summon a ‘D’ as much as he had when he was first created. 6
D'Alerian slowly looked at the bed, and the woman on it. “Skoti,” he whispered, then vanished. 7
Stone jerked, waking, and looked around. He wasn’t sure if his Dream-Hunter had been here or not, or if he’d dreamt it.8
~~~~~~~~~9
It was an ordinary autumn day as Ava dropped the kids off for the first day of classes before continuing on the few blocks to the school she taught at. First day was always exciting, and she loved to see the looks on the faces of those who thought education was worth it. She also loved to pick out the future troublemakers, and immediately work towards hopefully changing their attitudes. 10
She walked into her class, quieted the teens, and then turned to write a welcome on the board. The class grew too quiet behind her, and she turned slowly. The students were gone, replaced by one man who sat in the front seat, watching her. 11
He was viciously handsome, around mid to late twenties in age, with short dark hair and sunglasses. He took the sunglasses off, and she gasped as two swirling silver eyes looked at her. He flashed a smile, which was full of both malice and fangs. 12
“Your children were delicious,” he said, an instant before he vanished.13
Ava screamed, and in an instant was standing on the lawn of the school her children went to. She was bumped to the side as a police officer ran past, and looked around to see the street full of ambulances, police cars and fire trucks. 14
In what seemed to take forever, she continued in a circle, stopping as the school filled her vision. Tears fell unchecked as she watched rescue personnel carry out bodies. There were far too many people in uniform, and each held a body that they gently laid on the grass. 15
Then Ava realized that she was surrounded by the bodies of the students, all looking at the sky with blank eyes, as blood coated their necks.16
“Ava Delen!” 17
She jumped, the voice cutting through her as it bellowed from the direction of the school. She turned, her eyes going wide and breath leaving her as two officers approached, each holding the body of….18
Stone jerked awake as Ava started screaming. The sound tore at him as he sat on the bed and grabbed her into his arms. He knew that waking someone in a nightmare had the possibility to be bad, but he was willing to take the chance. She continued to scream as he held her, and then started to hit his shoulders while screaming, “No!!”19
“Ava, baby,” he said loudly but gently, “wake up.” He clenched his teeth as she stayed in her nightmare. “D'Alerian!!”20
The Dream-Hunter appeared. “Yes?”21
“Help her!”22
“She’s not a Dark-Hunter,” D’Alerian said, as if it explained all. 23
Stone took a hand to the chin from Ava as he stared at D'Alerian, giving him a look that promised absolute bodily harm if he didn’t shove his precious rulebook just once, and help. “I had a dream earlier, you were in it. You took one look at Ava, whispered Skoti, then vanished.”24
Without hesitation, D'Alerian placed a hand on the back of Ava’s head, and closed his vibrant blue eyes. Ava stopped hitting Stone’s shoulders, and her screams turned to whimpers. 25
“Don’t make her forget the dream,” Stone whispered. “Just make sure she knows it isn’t real.”26
D'Alerian gave him a look that told Stone not to tell him how to do his job, then he vanished as Ava’s breathing returned to something close to normal. 27
Stone continued to hold her as she slowly opened her eyes and tried to focus on him, confusion evident in her face. She blinked a few times, and he could tell she was trying to figure out why he was holding her while sitting up in bed. He could also tell the moment she remembered the dream.28
“Oh, God,” she whispered. “It was a dream…right?”29
“A dream,” he assured her as she hugged him close. He could feel his shoulder dampen, and knew she was crying. As expected, the shiver crawled up his back, and he could no longer sense the others in the house. As much as the prospect of having an ‘out clause’ was, if he lost his Dark-Hunter powers at the wrong moment, then it could mean his death and an eternity of walking the path of a Shade. Constant gnawing hunger and thirst while being unable to be heard, seen or felt by anyone or anything didn’t exactly appeal to him.30
He looked as a light tapping sounded at the door, and it slowly cracked open. Ash stuck his head in. “She all right?”31
Stone nodded, and the door started to close. “Wait,” he said. The door cracked open again. “I think she had a visit from a Skoti.” 32
The door opened completely as Ash entered, and then closed behind him as he made his way across the floor. He crouched by the bed, and looked at Ava as she clung to Stone. He also glanced up at Stone’s brown eyes before looking back at Ava.33
Ava opened her eyes when she realized someone else was there, and looked into the swirling silver eyes…so similar to the ones that haunted her dreams. She gasped, let go of Stone and scurried to the other side of the bed as she stared at Ash. 34
The two men exchanged confused glances. “Ava?” Ash said slowly. 35
“The eyes,” Ava said in a low voice. “In my dream.”36
“I was in your dream?” Ash asked, confused. 37
Ava shook her head. “Short dark hair, older, same eyes, and fangs.” She slowly made her way back to them, but kept her distance.38
Ash nodded in a ‘it figures’ way. “It was a dream,” he told her, then briefly explained the concept of Dream-Hunters to her. “Str…” he paused, then correct himself. “Someone wants you to be scared and worried.”39
“It worked.” She leaned forward to stare at him. “Who else has your eyes?”40
Stone also stared. He had always assumed that Ash’s eyes were unique, some byproduct of being the original Dark-Hunter; sort of a glitch that was weeded out in any future Hunters. Obviously, that wasn’t fact. Then, suddenly, something he read on the Dark-Hunter web site made sense. He’d originally ignored it as a rumor, something tossed around to while away the time and see how far other’s could push before it caught the eye of the site administration and was removed. 41
“Stryker.”42
Ash looked at him. “What about him?”43
“He has the same eyes, doesn’t he?”44
“Where’d you hear that?”45
Stone sighed in annoyance. “For once, let’s just skip over this little song and dance routine that you do whenever someone gets too close to the truth, all right?” He fixed Ash with a penetrating stared. “I don’t really give a damn how or why the two biggest enemies in the universe have the same eyes. Hell, I don’t care if you’re related, since I’m well aware how brother can turn against brother, and the desire to kill when needed…” he paused to collect his thoughts. “Wipe my memory after you tell me, but, damn it, Ash, just fucking tell me!”46
Ash stood slowly, menacingly, and glared at Stone. He didn’t like to be questioned on anything that involved his godhood or any family ties he may have. The two men traded stares, neither one flinching, even though one knew that he might have just uttered his death wish. 47
Ava stared at the two, suddenly feeling extremely angry with them for having this petty power struggle while the world fell apart around them. “If you two want to have a pissing contest, the bathroom's that way.” She pointed to the door in the corner. “If not, then stop this childish, an may I add asshole, behavior. Who is relate to whom is not of any importance at the moment.” She waited while they continued to stare.48
Stone sighed, and relaxed his stance. “She’s right.” He inhaled, then held his hand up. “Ash, I’m sorry. I trust you explicitly, and I shouldn’t be calling you to question when you’ve been nothing but supportive and a friend to me since we’ve met.” He glanced at Ava, then back to Ash. “I got myself involved in something I shouldn’t have, although I don’t regret one moment of it. But, by my…selfishness, I dragged innocent people into danger, and I would really appreciate your help in stopping any harm from coming to them.”49
Ash stared as jealousy started. He ached to be able to say something like that about someone he loved. To be able to have the strength to admit to have done wrong, and have the ability to ask for help. He had friends, but there was no one he could trust enough to admit a weakness to like that. 50
“I’ll do my best,” he finally said.51
“That’s all I can ask,” Stone replied. He watched as Ash turned and walked out of the bedroom. “Ash?”52
The immortal turned. “Stone?”53
“Thanks,” Stone said with the hint of a smile. “For everything.”54
Ash gave him a nod, then left, making sure not to slam the door at the emotions that tore through him. 55
~~~~~~~~~~56
Miguel glanced out the patio door to check on Ava as she slept in a lounge chair under the cover of a large beach umbrella. After tossing and turning for about an hour, she had finally fallen asleep, and it was Miguel’s job to make sure that she was safe, and to adjust the umbrella from the sun if needed. 57
Stone had, against his wishes, but in direct order from Ash, gone to bed to sleep. Ash had told him that a tired Dark-Hunter was a dead Dark-Hunter, and although it made sense, it also made the house eerily quite. Miguel didn’t want to play music in case it woke Ava, and Ash had left soon after Ava finally fell asleep.58
Miguel sighed as he hopped up to sit on the small island table, looking behind him out of habit to make sure that Stone wasn’t lurking somewhere. He grabbed his small computer and started to look through the Dark-Hunter website for some answers. He completely ignored the ‘cover’ of the site, knowing that the book series and roll playing part was a ruse to trick the unknowing public as to what lay hidden beneath. 59
Then, he stopped at a thought. Wondering if there was more to the book area of the site than just some cover, he started to look through it. Most of the things he read, he’d already known, or could easily access from any mythology web site. There were a few things that made him think, and some that made other things make sense. 60
He glance up to check on Ava, then went back to reading about Daimons versus Dark-Hunters, and the supposedly make believe world that he had basically ignored up until now.61
~~~~~~~~62
Artemis forced herself not to look as the doors to her throne room opened, and only casually glanced as a figure walked through. Her handmaidens walked out, heads down as Ash walked through the doors, closing them behind himself without touching them.63
“And to what do I own the honor of this visit?” she asked neutrally, although she knew the answer after looking into his eyes. 64
“I’m hungry,” he said, forcing his voice to be strong. He despised himself for having to crawl to her when he needed to feed. 65
“What will you give me?” she asked, knowing he wouldn’t reply. “Two weeks starting now.”66
“Two weeks starting later.”67
“No.”68
“So be it,” Ash said with a nod of his head. He turned and walked to the door, knowing it was a dangerous game he was playing. If she stood her ground and demanded now instead of later, and he still refused, then he would go too long without the nourishment that kept him sane. Only Artemis possessed what he needed to keep him from reverting to the thing he hunted.69
Artemis watched him walk away, and repressed the urge to call him back. She needed him more that anything, and hated that he didn’t need her for anything other than to feed from. “You have no counter offer?” she called as he reached the door.70
Ash nearly sagged in relief. He turned slowly as if considering, then looked at her. “Two weeks at the beginning of this October,” he said, not wanting to talk himself into being absent on Halloween, the busiest night for Daimons. “And, I’ll allow my hair to remain blonde the entire time.” He hated his natural color of hair, since it made him look a little too Daimon-ish, although Artemis seemed to love it.71
“Acceptable.” Artemis beckoned him over, lowering the hem of her sheer dress to reveal the one thing he completely loved about her body. The vein beckoned to him, throbbing in time with a part of his body that Artemis loved.72
He went to move behind her, but stopped as she blocked him with one long, lean leg. The leg wrapped around his hips, dragging him gently back in front of her, where she put her other leg around him and pulled him close to her. 73
“And a little sample to hold me over until October,” she said firmly as her hands unbuckled his leather pants. 74
Ash bristled at the term ‘little’, but nodded as his attention was solely on the hunger in his stomach, and the hypnotizing way her vein pulsed. He could smell her blood as his incisors grew and he brought his head down to her neck as she freed him from the leather. His teeth sunk into her the same time he entered her, the erotic groan from her making him willing, for now, to give her what she wanted, as he took from her what he needed. 75
~~~~~~~~~76
Miguel looked up after every page he read, made sure that Ava was fine and not getting sun burned, then went back to the computer. He was so engrossed with the site that he jumped when the phone rang. The laptop slipped from his lap, landing on the floor with a rather sickening crunch as Miguel grimaced. 77
“Not again,” he muttered as he hopped off the counter and grabbed the phone. “Hello?”78
“Miguel?” a deep slightly accented voice asked. “It’s Ravyn. Stone up?”79
“Ravyn?” Miguel asked, trying to remember which one he was. “Seattle Ravyn?”80
“How many Ravyn’s you know?” came the reply. “Is Stone up, or do I have to let you talk with my Squire for a couple minutes?”81
He heard humor in the other Dark-Hunter’s voice, but that didn’t cover the sudden fear that Miguel had. Ravyn’s Squire, or rather, his Squire’s daughter, and sometimes substitute squire, Erika, was an acerbic little brat that Miguel went to great pains to avoid when the ‘families’ would get together at certain Squire functions. Erika had a crush on him even since she was thirteen, and he was fifteen. 82
“You’re still Evil, Rave,” Miguel said. “And Stone’s still sleeping.”83
“Get him to call me when he gets up,” Ravyn said. “It’s important.” He disconnected the call.84
Miguel hung the phone up, placed it on the counter, then turned to the laptop on the floor. “Another one bites the dust, hey, hey,” he whispered as he picked it up. He took a quick look at Ava, who had rolled on to her side, and then pulled the jump drive out of the laptop. After ruining three of them through accidents, Stone insisted that anything done on a laptop be done on a jump drive so if, or more likely when, another got ruined, the information was safe. 85
Reaching over, he flicked on the coffee maker, inhaling as the delicious scent filled the kitchen. It was nearing time for Stone to wake, and if fresh coffee wasn’t on hand, then thing could get rather ugly, rather fast.86
As if right on cue, he heard Stone’s bedroom door thump open, and within second, the man himself slowly walked out of the hallway, through the living room and into the kitchen. 87
“Evening,” Miguel said.88
Stone stared at him. “Coffee,” he said in a gruff voice as his eyes drifted down to the laptop on the counter. A scowl crossed his face, then vanished just as fast. 89
Miguel handed him a steaming mug of coffee and watched as Stone drank half of it in one gulp, ignoring the burning that it must be doing to him. He thought that Stone looked like warmed over road-kill, but decided it wise not to point that out. 90
Stone put his mug down and started for the patio door. Miguel waited until his hand almost touched the handle before he spoke. 91
“Not sunset, yet.”92
Stone sighed, and placed both hands on the nearly opaque glass as he looked at Ava sleeping. He turned and shuffled back to the island table, and sat heavily in one of the chairs. 93
“Ravyn called,” Miguel said. “Wants you to call him back.”94
“Kontis?”95
“You know more than one Ravyn?”96
“Shut up or I’ll invite Erika up here for a week,” Stoned warned as he grabbed the phone off the counter and dialed from memory.97
“It’s Stone, you called?” He listened as the Dark-Hunter started talking, and remained silent until he finished. The one time Were-Hunter was involved hip deep in the events in Seattle a few months back, and had come up close and personal with Stryker himself. He was also distantly related to Apollites, and thus Daimons because of being a Were-Hunter in his ‘life’. His ancestors had been created when a king magically spliced Apollite life forces to various animals. Ravyn was a shape shifting Arcadian panther who wielded some pretty impressive magick. 98
When Ravyn finally stopped talking, Stone took a few minutes to think before speaking. “And he was positive?” He grimaced at the response. “Okay. Thanks, Panther. I appreciate the call.” He went to hang up, but paused. “Oh and tell Erika that Miguel said ‘hi’.” 99
Miguel stared in shock as he heard Ravyn’s deep laugh coming from the other end of the phone. He said something to Stone, which prompted a laugh before both men hung up. 100
“That was for ruining another laptop,” Stone said darkly. He looked up as he sensed that the sun had set, and went to the patio door, pulling it open. 101
Breathing in the crisp ocean air, he quietly walked to the large lounger that Ava was in, and slowly sat then laid down behind her. He placed an arm over her, smiling as she curled up against him as she continued to sleep.102
The words Ravyn told him circled through his mind as Ava’s warm breath tickled his arm. A Doulos, or human servant of an Apollite or Daimon, who also worked supplying information to a Were-Hunter, who in turn supplied it to Ravyn, had hinted that something was going on between Vancouver and Seattle. 103
As soon as Ravyn heard that it involved a Dark-Hunter who had killed far too many of them, he knew that the Daimons were after Stone. Ravyn had seen Stone in action more than once, and held a healthy dose of respect for the human. For the planning to span two cities, there had to be something big in the works. 104
Stone only hoped that the ‘something big’ didn’t include Ava or her children. All it took was for one Doulos to make it past his defenses and invite Daimons onto his property. He doubted that even he could save them from an all out Daimon attack.105
~~~~~~~~~~106
Stryker stared at the human who stood in front of him in the main hall of Kalosis, the fear in the air a delicious aroma that he savored. The Spathi Daimon leader stood and casually walked to the man, circling around him without word. 107
“My…my lord…” the man stuttered, stopping when Stryker held a finger up for silence. 108
“You’ve served me well,” Stryker said in a smooth tone. “I am sure your Daimon master is equally pleased with your years of service, and your willingness to secure certain…food sources for him.”109
The Doulos nodded in agreement, but didn’t speak. 110
“As it stands, you will be richly rewarded,” Stryker said as he finished slowly circling the man. He stood in front of him. “Or rather, you would have.” He grabbed the man by the back of the neck and pulled him in close. “You betrayed your master, you betrayed me…”111
The human struggled against the iron grip of the immortal, and could do nothing but scream as fangs headed straight for him. He kicked slightly as Stryker dug into his neck, and then fell silent as the life force left him. 112
Stryker let the body fall as he took a step back, and gracefully wiped a bit of blood from his chin. “Kill his family, “ he said easily, not looking, as he knew Spathi Daimons were leaving to do his bidding. He looked at Davyn. “And kill his Daimon master for being too stupid in not knowing his Doulos was betraying him to Were-Hunters.”113
His second in command didn’t question killing a ‘brother’ as he turned and walked out of the hall.
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Comments
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oh you really make you evil guys kickin'.
and now your stoy is starting to remind me of mine cause the girl is sleeping all the time. im working out of that though.
good editing on this part too -
nice write
d this piece is so gooodd i totally enjoyed reading this
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