God of My Dreams (Greek Heroes #1) ✅ Completed

Chapter Twelve: A New Game is Started

A New Game is Started

Gwen-Stacey knew someone was inside her apartment the second after she’d stepped inside and shut the door behind her. She felt the displacement in the very air, caught the scent of familiar cologne, though it was not one that she knew personally.

Where had she smelled it before? Dark and spicy. It was exotic yet not overpowering.

Casually, so as not to arouse suspicion, Gwen-Stacey moved to throw her keys into the awaiting bowl she kept on the side table next to the door. Just as she tossed them in, she made a slight exasperated sound like she’d forgotten something. Perhaps her home invader would think she’d forgotten to get her mail from the lock boxes downstairs. Cursing slightly, she fished her keys out and turned around nice and easy before reaching for the door knob.

She hoped whomever was lying in wait for her wouldn’t see the slight tremble she felt in her hand as she unlocked one of the deadbolts and turned the knob to step back outside.

"There is really no point in leaving Miss Reynolds. There is no place on this earth you can go that I cannot follow.”

And though she didn’t realize it, she froze at the sound of the familiar voice for the second time that day.

It was the voice from her dreams.

~~ ~

Morpheus knew Gwen-Stacey felt his presence inside her residence the moment she did. She was a very good actor. Had he been human, he would not have suspected she noticed his presence. However, since he was not and had the advantage of being connected to the human psyche nearly every moment of the day, he'd known instantly. She would never be able to fool him, nor could she ever hide anything from him. All that remained to be seen was if Gwen-Stacey was strong enough to play with the big boys.

He was banking on the unlikely chance that she was.

~~ ~

“Why don’t you step inside so we can talk?” Morpheus asked, gauging her reaction closely.   

“Alright,” Gwen-Stacey turned and faced the direction that darkly rich voice came from. She needed to assess the situation properly. For all she knew he could be holding a gun to her head. Putting on her best game face she met the stranger in her apartment head on, “Cut the crap. Who are you?”

Morpheus materialized fully and though she couldn’t see anything, she felt his presence solidify inside the living room. It was like he was just more there. It was unlike anything Gwen-Stacey had ever experienced before. She was pretty sure she wasn’t dealing with the average, everyday sort of mugger. Not unless they could manipulate reality all of a sudden. God help the NYPD if that ever happened.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” he answered flatly. Morpheus knew that sort of answer wouldn’t satisfy her in the slightest. However, several millennia dealing with mortals had made deceit and artifice the name of the game. Anything else didn’t come easily anymore. Still, even he could admit he was curious enough about this particular mortal to seek her out and learn more about her. It would be interesting to see how well she did with some good old fashion truth.

“Try,” Gwen-Stacey urged, waiting patiently for him to continue. Knowledge was power. Right now she had no idea what was standing inside her living room so she was definitely on the losing end of this confrontation. She needed more information. Maybe he would be good enough to give it to her.