The key to what?

Just follow her!

Delilah circled the blonde, studying her from every angle. She was perfect, absolutely perfect. Her telepathic link with Chaos tugged again, and Delilah flew up the stairs.

Chapter Seven.

"All you had to do was tell me you weren't alone, and I wouldn't have imposed."

Though Dora leaned close to Sheri and whispered the words, Ryder heard. The blonde exuded confidence and a quiet sort of menace. He was unfamiliar with the t.i.tle Sheri had used to describe Dora. Was the blonde some sort of soldier?

"You didn't give me much of an opportunity to explain." Sheri's tone was tense and anxious, her gaze darting toward him.

"Well, I suspect you need privacy more than tea, so I'll just leave this with you." She pressed a small packet into Sheri's hand and turned to face him. Her measured gaze swept him from head to toe, sizing him up as one would an opponent. "Nice to meet you, Ryder." She sounded friendly and calm, but the wariness never left her blue eyes.

"It was a pleasure to meet you."

"Your accent is unusual. Where are you from originally?"

"A small city in Greece. I doubt the name would mean anything to you."

"You don't look Greek."

He c.o.c.ked one golden eyebrow. "Do you know many Greeks?"

A smile finally melted her gaze. "I can't say that I do." She glanced at her cousin one last time. "If your headache is more than an excuse, try the tea. It works wonders."

"Thank you."

Sheri escorted her toward the front of the house. Ryder remained in the archway.

"I don't think she likes me," he said as Sheri closed and locked the door.

"Dora has a hard time trusting men. Life hasn't always been kind to her."

"She was victimized by a man?"

"Not directly. It's a long story, and I'm not sure she'd appreciate my telling you. Dora's a very private person."

"You called her some sort of master. What does --" He broke off in mid-sentence and darted toward the stairs. "Chaos just entered the Dream Realm."

He took the stairs two at a time, Sheri close behind him. The demi-G.o.d sprawled across her bed, motionless.

"Can you reach him? Wasn't there some sort of force field around Meagan?"

"The path to his subconscious is wide open. Delilah's daring me to join her."

Sheri touched his arm, drawing his attention. "Accept the challenge, but don't step into her trap. Sneak in through my subconscious. It's just plain stupid to play by her rules."

Heaving a frustrated sigh, he cupped her shoulders with his hands. "I'm supposed to protect you."

"We'll protect each other."

His centuries of experience and training objected to her involvement. He shouldn't need a woman to fight his battles for him.

"We'll fight the battle together. Now zap me."

He narrowed his gaze on her face. "Did you just read my mind?"

"You said it out loud."

"No, I didn't."

"We don't have time for this! Just zap me."

Scooping her up in his arms, he laid her down beside Chaos. "The succubus forced your energy against its natural flow. It doesn't hurt when I do it. Relax. I'll meet you in the Dream Realm." She nodded and closed her eyes, obviously anxious to begin.

He sent a sleep compulsion into her brain and dispersed his physical form. Pausing long enough to erect a s.h.i.+eld preventing the incubus from following him, Ryder hurried after her.

Sheri waited in an empty room inside the Dream Realm. Apprehension tinged her lovely features. A smile parted her lips the moment he appeared, and heat swirled through Ryder's abdomen. G.o.ds, she was beautiful, and brave.

Giving himself a mental shake, he turned his attention to the room. "Let's make a few improvements before I go hunting." He formed a st.u.r.dy cage with thick iron bars and a stout lock ready to be snapped shut. Manifesting shackles and a long, coiled whip, he handed them to Sheri.

"Practice with the whip while I'm gone. Don't crack it hard until you can aim it accurately. The backlash will tear your flesh."

"Sounds like my idea of a good time." Draping the shackles over her shoulder, she gingerly uncoiled the whip.

"I'll return as soon as I can." He formed himself a long, two-edged sword and headed toward the doorway.

"Do you have something against guns? You don't have to be nearly as close to shoot someone."

"Everything around you is an illusion. The only true weapon is energy. These are props to help us focus."

"Wouldn't a gun make a more believable prop?"

He chuckled. "Projectiles are very hard to control. Trust me, if it comes to hurling energy pulses, I'll have abandoned all props." Ryder blew her a kiss and ducked through the opening.

A distinct signal emanated from Chaos's collar. Ryder followed the invisible strand.

The signal weakened.

He ran.

A high stone archway awaited at the end of the corridor, Ryder extended his sword as he entered the room. Light blinded him for a second. Sharp gasps echoed off the stone walls. Blinking furiously, he brought the room back into focus. The succubus was nowhere in sight. Ryder scanned with his gaze and his mind. There was no way Delilah would abandon the fight.

Chaos sagged in the chain restraints that suspended his arms above his head. Blood seeped from numerous bite marks all over his naked body. His chin rested on his chest, and his hair concealed his face. He'd only been in the Dream Realm a few minutes. How had she inflicted this much damage?

"You look surprised, Dream Warrior. Can't you warp time?"

A door slammed shut across the archway, and a woman materialized. Her sleek hair combined blue with black; sapphire light burned in her eyes. Lithe, graceful -- tiny.

This was the succubus?

"I can't say I've ever tried." He answered her question as he attempted to scan her mind. s.h.i.+elded, her mind was impenetrable. "I have no use for most of your tricks. Let Chaos go, and I'll try not to hurt you."

"Hurt me?" She scoffed. A gauzy gown floated around her thin body, accenting her wraithlike frailty. "We'll test your boast in a moment. I've unfinished business awaiting me. Girls, continue, but stop holding back. Ryder is here now. There's no reason to delay."

Six creatures blinked into view, huddled around Chaos. Their naked bodies were perfectly formed, but their features were so hideously misshapen, Ryder's stomach heaved. They attacked in a tangle of long black hair and naked limbs. Their mouths latched on to the demi-G.o.d, drinking his blood and draining his energy.

Ryder rushed into the fray. He fisted his fingers in one creature's hair, dragging her off Chaos as he viciously kicked another. Slas.h.i.+ng and stabbing with the sword, his arms and chest were soon covered with blood. They howled and screamed, but returned again and again to their feast. Delilah laughed and cheered from behind him.

What were these vile things?

A direct a.s.sault was useless. Ryder disintegrated the sword and gathered energy into his chest.

"Giving up so soon?" Delilah stepped up beside him. "I'd hoped you'd be a more worthy opponent."

Ryder said nothing. He continued garnering energy, drawing it directly from the Dream Realm.

"They're magnificent, aren't they?"

In one violent burst, Ryder released the energy and formed a barrier around Chaos. The creatures shrieked and writhed, trapped within the energy field.

"Stop it!" Delilah grabbed Ryder's arm, her long nails digging into his flesh. "Release them!"

"Are they your sp.a.w.n or your disciples?" He ignored her nails and her screams, increasing the intensity of the barrier. The being closest to Chaos burst into flame. Delilah rushed forward as another caught fire. She reached into the barrier to pull one out. Her skin immediately blistered and peeled. With a plaintive wail, Delilah let go. She stumbled back and whirled on Ryder, fury burning in her eyes.

He braced for impact, while continuing to feed the barrier. Their bodies collided. He stumbled back. Her arms and legs wrapped around him, and she sank her teeth into his shoulder. Pain stabbed deep into his chest, disrupting his heart's rhythm. Shocked and infuriated, he grabbed her arms, pulling until his fingers ached. She drove her nails into his back, anchoring her arms.

Strength drained from Ryder with terrifying speed. He sank to his knees, tugging on her hair. The energy field weakened in tandem with Ryder. The remaining creatures struggled free, collapsing charred and moaning on the floor at Chaos's feet.

A low creak drew Ryder's attention to the door. He angled his body so he could watch the portal open without losing sight of Chaos and the fiends.

The stench of burning flesh made Sheri gag. She shoved against the heavy wooden door. The portal inched inward, then gave way in a sudden rush. She took in the scene with one a.s.sessing glance. Ryder needed her!

Hesitating only a moment, she took careful aim and snapped the whip against the woman's back. Her thin dress split beneath the lash, and a narrow wound opened as the female screamed. Was this the succubus, or was Delilah one of the pitiful creatures lying at Chaos's feet?

Sheri struck again and again, until the woman released Ryder, shoving him over onto his back. She was clearly in charge. This had to be the succubus. Delilah turned around as she wiped Ryder's blood from her mouth.

"You will die slowly, mortal!"

"You're deluded, succubus." Sheri had expected something more grotesque, more monstrous -- taller. A stiff breeze would blow this thing over.

Delilah advanced, her blue eyes glowing demonically. Sheri snapped the whip, aiming for her face. The lash wrapped around Delilah's neck. Close enough! Sheri tugged hard, forcing Delilah to her knees. Clawing at the whip hard enough to make her skin bleed, Delilah stared up at Sheri with disbelieving eyes.

"What needs to be done?" Sheri didn't take her eyes off the succubus.

"I'll dispose of ... whatever those things are and set Chaos free." Ryder's voice sounded strained, but steady. "He can bring Morpheus to us. How did you find me?"

"You were right. I must have read your mind before. I have no idea why, but I heard every word you said and sensed what was going on."

Ryder walked toward the fallen creatures, and Delilah went wild. She kicked and writhed, screaming obscenities as well as her stifled voice would allow. Sheri turned her and shoved her face-first into the floor. Dragging both of Delilah's arms to the small of her back, Sheri used her weight to immobilize the succubus.

Finally daring to look up, Sheri watched Ryder stack the bodies in an untidy heap. With a bright pulse of energy, he incinerated them so completely, there was nothing left behind. Delilah whimpered, going limp beneath Sheri.

"What were those things?" Sheri shuddered.

"I don't think she can reproduce, but she obviously felt a connection to them."

"b.a.s.t.a.r.d!" Delilah sobbed. "You heartless murderer."

They ignored her as Ryder freed Chaos from his chains. As soon as the restraints released, Chaos crumpled to the floor. "Is he alive?"

Delilah raised her head at Sheri's question. Sheri shoved it back down.

"He's weak. Those creatures nearly drained him."

"Does he need blood or energy?"

Ryder knelt beside Chaos, pressing one hand to the center of his chest, the other to his forehead. "If I transfuse him with energy, his body can replenish his blood."

"Can his body process the type of energy you possess?"

Ryder chuckled. "His body is partial to conflict, but energy is energy."

It took several minutes for Chaos to rouse. He groaned, struggling to sit up when he spotted Delilah. "Why is she still alive?"

"My mission was to apprehend her, not dispose of her."

"As if you could." The succubus jeered.

"I've constructed a holding cell," Ryder told Chaos. "Send Morpheus to me there."

"Where? What are you talking about?"

"Morpheus will know."

"He's not coming back," Delilah said for the third time. "I know Chaos. He's snug and safe in the Underworld, plotting his next attack."

Sheri smacked her hand against the bars and smiled as the succubus scrambled back. Getting her into the holding cell had been no easy feat. Delilah had fought them every inch of the way. Each time Ryder attempted to a.s.sist Sheri, it made the succubus stronger. He'd finally been left with no option but to watch Sheri wrestle with their belligerent prisoner alone.