and propped up on the peeling railing, I reek of sex, clothes rumbled. I’m a barely functioning drug addict, spiraling on a self-destructive path. Not the god of dreams. Only now am I admitting to myself I might have a problem.
Why?
Because last night in Robin’s arms, she’d become the medication I needed. Fuck, she’d been stunning lying beside me in a post fucked glow. There’d been no gnawing guilt, loneliness, or self-hate. I’d experienced something stronger, more profound. Acceptance, a deepening of the connection I’ve felt with her from the start. I’d cried like a child in the comfort of her arms. The tears I’d shed had somehow been cleansing. She’d saved more than just my life. I’ve given her a piece of myself. It wasn’t intentional. Robin never asked for it, but it’s hers now.
I’ve been orbiting a dark star of misery for far too long. It’s blinded me to the self-made prison I’ve made for myself. One that’s been maintained by the only other family member who remains. He’s been the caretaker, making sure I have everything I need. Making sure I never leave.
A presence intrudes on my revelations.
Solemn blue eyes watch me from beneath a wide brimmed hat. It hides the dark locks that have been cut short. The face is one that brings only bitter memories. Leather cowboy boots adorn his feet, the faded jeans and shirt dusty as if he’s been riding for days. Leaning on the bottom of the porch my uncle Thanatos surveys me, one hand settled on the holstered gun at his hip.
“What do you want?” I question half fearing my thoughts have summoned him.
“I’m here on business.” He replies, voice coarse and raspy like fragmented rock. “You have something that doesn’t belong to you.”
I fight the impulse to check the door, make sure Robin’s still asleep upstairs in my bed. “Get the fuck off my island.”
“I’m here for that young filly you’re bedding.” He continues sizing me up like an old wild west gun slinger looking for his next fight.
Dragging my feet off the railing, they land on the wooden porch with a thud. One more inhale of my smoke and I use the smooth surface to stub out the end. “Well you can’t have her.”
“That’s not your decision to make boy. It’s only her spirit that’s here. Her physical form is elsewhere.”
“She’s not a lost soul from the Underworld?” I question, pausing in the process of blocking the door and preventing him from entering. The thought of him touching her, taking her from me, creates a tightness in my chest.
Thanatos shakes his head. “No. Spirits haven’t passed into Hades realm for eons. He went out of business a long time ago when Lucifer took over the soul trade.”
“Well you still can’t take her.”
“You don’t have a choice, and even if you did, you’re not strong enough to stop me.” His tone slams out authority, dripping with his divine power that’s never once abated. “Mankind needs you. The dream warriors are barely keeping their shit together without a king while battling the boogeymen. Everything is going to hell, but just look at you. A washed up, shattered, remnant of the god you were destined to be. A waste of space. Your Father would be ashamed of you if he could see you now, and as for your dear Mother…”
“Be careful, Uncle,” I warn, not bothering to hide my hate.
He angles his head shooting me an impatient look. “Or what?”
For the first time in my life since the day I was ripped apart, I sense the others clearly. Their usual chaos is absent. For so long they’ve made me feel a certain way. Anger. Frustration. I haven’t stopped to try and understand them. It’s been me against them. I’ve been too wounded to know any better.
They fear for Robin.
That knowledge beats along the link that chains us. It’s so bright and strong it infuses my resolve to protect her. Death himself has come calling, but we aren’t going to let him take her.
Nightmares appears at the edge of the treeline left of the house, a hulking figure skulking in the gloom. A shimmer of white catches my attention to the right. Mist rises from the earth, illusions taking form.
“If you touch her, we’ll cause you so much pain you’ll be begging us to put you out of your misery. The dream warriors are a bunch of arrogant pricks. As for mankind? It can go screw itself. They’re not my fucking problem,” I