Dream Warrior Read Online Free PDF Page A

waited for him to go to sleep. She should have let him know she was here and stayed on him no matter his protests. They should have kept him in their sights until he caved.
    But that was neither here nor there. Would’ves, could’ves, should’ves didn’t change the fact that Cratus would now fight against them.
    Damn.
    There was only a tiny handful of gods who could draw power from the Source and most of them had already defected to Noir’s side. Out of the ones left on their side, none could touch Noir’s skill. Only Cratus had been strong enough to fight against them. Worse, she’d now have to face Phobos and Zeus with her failure.
    She’d be lucky if they didn’t kill her.
    But she wasn’t a coward. Things had unraveled and she needed to let them know as quickly as possible so that all of them could adequately prepare for the war that was coming.
    And their inevitable defeat.
    Look on the bright side. You’ll most likely be dead in a few minutes instead of imprisoned for eternity.
    Swallowing, she wanted to run and hide. To find one place of safety in the world.
    If only she could. But there was no safety now. Noir and Azura were back, and they wouldn’t stop until they had all of them in chains.
    Until they had the world of man conquered.
    Her heart thundering in fear, she left her small room to travel to Olympus. To the hall of the gods, where Zeus and the others usually gathered at this time of day to eat, gossip and plot. As a demigod, she’d mostly avoided the place. She’d never felt welcomed there. The gods had their cliques and she tried to stay out of the line of fire, especially since so many of them had horrific jealousy issues. She’d heard of lesser gods being turned into all kinds of monsters for no other reason than one of the gods happened to look at her while his wife was present. Not wanting to become a gorgon, deformed spider or some other such, Delphine had avoided the place at all costs.
    Until today.
    Swallowing a fear a Dream-Hunter shouldn’t be feeling, Delphine pushed open the doors to see over three score gods gathered there. Apollo played on his lyre while Aphrodite and Ares shared a bowl of ambrosia. Hermes was with Athena, playing a game of chess with miniature live pieces.
    Zeus rested contentedly on his throne while Hera sat beside him, talking to Persephone. It was a cozy scene that she really hated to disturb.
    As she walked forward, Phobos appeared and pulled her to a stop. “What happened?”
    â€œCratus defected.” She could have sworn she’d whispered those words, but all sound and activity paused in the hall as if she’d shouted.
    Zeus stood up slowly, his eyes flaming with the weight of his fury. Tall and blond, he would have been very handsome were it not for his nasty disposition and tendency to kill anyone he took even a minor dislike to. “You are not about to tell me that you’ve failed to bring Cratus here.”
    Not while you’re looking at me like that, I’m not. She had to bite her tongue to keep that quip inside. Given his mood, he wouldn’t be exactly kind and take it.
    Phobos’s eyes widened to caution her to silence—as if she needed it—before he turned to Zeus and defended her. “Minor setback, my lord. Really.”
    That did nothing to appease the king of the gods. “Are you willing to take her place beneath my axe?”
    â€œDo I have to?”
    Zeus bellowed his anger. “I am not amused by either of you.”
    As Zeus started toward them, Nike stepped forward. “My lord?” she asked quietly. “Might I have a word with them?”
    He looked at her as if she might be the next to get blasted—right after he finished with them. “Make it very short.”
    Nike nodded before she descended the dais where Zeus’s throne was set. Apollo sneered at her, but she paid him no attention as she made her way to