Dream-Hunter (Dark-Hunter #11)(7)
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon

It would also explain her blocking him out of her memory.

Maybe that was why she’d been dreaming about him lately. Maybe her subconscious had remembered him and his desire to find Atlantis.

"Anyway, it’s why I’m here now. Like you, I want to find Atlantis."

She stiffened at those words. "Who says I’m after Atlantis?"

"You’re an American in the Aegean with a scientific team, on a boat that’s outfitted for probing and excavation. What else would you be after?"

"Any ancient artifact."

"Then why is it you wear an Atlantean coin around your neck?"

Her hand went straight to it. She’d had the coin mounted a month after her father’s death to remind her of her promise to him. But what confused her most was the fact that the part with the writing was on the

back. The part that showed to Arik was the image of the sunburst with three lightning bolts. "How do you know that?"

"That coin bears the symbol of Apollymi Magosa Fonia Kataastreifa."

"Apollymi who?"

"The Atlantean goddess of wisdom, death, and destruction. But she was mostly referred to in Atlantean as Apollymi Akrakataastreifa. Apollymi the Great Destroyer."

There was no way he could know that. Not unless he’d seen the mysterious symbol somewhere else.

"Where have you seen the symbol? How do you know what it stands for?"

"I’m from an old Greek family. There is nothing about this area that I don’t know. Nothing. I also know that even if you have found Atlantis, you’ll never get a permit to excavate it."

It was true. She’d been trying for years to gain one. But she was persona non grata here.

Arik’s eyes narrowed on her. "You allow me to stay on this boat as a member of your team, and I can guarantee you a permit for anything you need."

"You’re lying."

He shook his head. "I have more connections here than you can dream of. Literally."

"And how can I trust you?"

"How can you not? I’m the only hope you have of obtaining what you want most."

She sensed a strange double entendre there. "I don’t trust you. How can you get my permits when you can’t even remember your own name?"

"I’ve already told you my name."

"Arik and nothing else."

Arik smiled at her before he took a major risk. "Arik Catranides," he said, using Solin’s human surname.

It was a bold move given Solin’s unpredictability, but his brother owed him this favor, and if he failed to cooperate, Arik would kill him.

Geary stared at Arik suspiciously. For over five years she’d been bogged down in red tape as the Greek government ran her around so badly she felt like a small plastic car trapped on a racetrack in an endless loop of frustration. She’d gotten nowhere and she was quite certain she’d slammed off the track a few times and landed in a tree… face first.

Was it possible for him to get her the permits she needed?

No. Hell no at that. Nothing is ever going to get them to budge and you know it . All she had to do was call his bluff and he’d retreat.

"Fine, you want to prove yourself to me, get the permits. But the only way you get to stay on this

expedition is if I meet the man who signs them and I watch him put pen to paper. I don’t want a forgery that lands me in jail."

"No forgeries. You can trust me, Geary. I promise."

Still not sure she could, or even should, she nodded grimly, then turned to leave. Before she could make a clean exit, he gently pulled her to a stop. She expected him to say something. Instead he merely stared at her with a breathtaking expression that was part incredulous and part devouring. No man had ever looked at her like that.

Face it, at six feet tall, she dwarfed most men, and though she wasn’t hideous, she wasn’t skinny or beautiful. She was just average and men who looked like Arik weren’t interested in women who looked like her.

Except in their dreams…

Could this whole day be nothing more than a delusion? Was she dreaming even now?

Arik wanted to tell her that he was here for her and her alone. He wanted her to know what he’d gone through to get here, but from what he knew of humans, she wouldn’t react well to that knowledge.

Especially not about the part where he’d bartered her soul for it.

But from the moment he’d touched her, words escaped him. He wanted to taste her, to hold her.

She cocked a brow in expectation.

I want you with me, Megeara. Those words were on the tip of his tongue. They burned there, needing to be spoken. But to say them would cost him the very thing he was trying so hard to get.

"I need to contact my brother."

"Fine," she said softly. "You can see him once we dock."

"But I don’t know where he is or how to find him. I’ll need your help."

Her eyes turned suspicious once again.

"Please, Megeara."

"Geary," she said from between clenched teeth.

"Please, Geary. I have to find him."

She folded her arms over her chest. "What’s his name?"

"Solin Catranides."

Her entire demeanor was one of doubt. "This better not be a trick, do you understand?"

"It’s not a trick."

Still her eyes accused him. "Fine. You stay here and I’ll let you know when we’re back at the marina."

"I shall wait most anxiously."

She just bet he would. Giving him a warning glare, Geary backed out of the door and shut it tight. It was only then that she could breathe again.

Just what was she supposed to do now? Was there any validity to his claims? Or was he completely full of crap?

Unsure of what to believe, she headed topside where Brian and Teddy were chatting.

"Are you all right?" Brian asked as she joined them.

"I guess… oh hell, I don’t know. Our newest passenger claims he can get us our permits."

Teddy laughed in disbelief. "What? Is he Zeus? Does he know the gods personally? ‘Cause no offense, I think that’s what it’s going to take to get us any kind of permit."

Brian nodded. "I have to side with Teddy. It’s beginning to look hopeless. I’m afraid I’m going to have pull my funding."

Geary was sick to her stomach at the news. Even though she was the co-owner of her father’s salvage company, her money was so tied up that she couldn’t touch the kind of cash she needed to fund these summer trips.

"C’mon, Brian-"

"I’m sorry, Geary. It’s too costly and now we have no permits."

They’d never had permits. At least not legal ones.

"Can you give it a day? Arik swears his brother is good for it."

Teddy snorted in contempt. "Who is his brother? King Constantine?"

"Some guy named Solin Catranides."

Brian’s jaw went slack.

A twinge of hope went through her. "You know him?"

"The multi-billionaire playboy? Uh, yeah, I know of him. But I’ve never been able to get close enough to meet him. He’s always surrounded by a harem of women trying to become his next pampered mistress."

Geary frowned. That didn’t sound like a guy who would have a brother floating in the Aegean.

Then again…

"Do you know where we can find him?"

"I can make a few calls and see if my people can locate his people."

That worked for her. "Please do so. I want to know if Arik is lying."

Teddy scratched his cheek. "You know, it could be a different Solin Catranides."

She shook her head at Teddy. How many men could there possibly be with a name like that?

"Hey, you never know," he said defensively.

"Yeah, but what are the odds?"

Teddy laughed. "About as good as fishing a half-naked guy of the sea." He looked at Brian. "You’ve got to wonder about a guy like that. He wasn’t drunk. What? Did he decide to take a swim twenty miles from shore? With no boat?"

"Oh, shut up, Teddy," Geary said playfully.

Brian left them to make his call on the satellite phone with Teddy following one step behind. But as she listened to Teddy’s questions, she realized he wasn’t being his usual puckish self. For once the man was making sense.

Why was Arik out here alone? How had he come to be in the sea when it was obvious the man couldn’t swim?

"Are you okay?"

She turned to find Tory behind her. "I don’t know. I’m wondering if maybe we should have left our mysterious swimmer in the water."

Tory frowned. "How not like you. Why would you say that?"

"There’s something weird about him, don’t you think?"

"You mean aside from the fact he was almost nak*d in the water?"

"Well, there is that."

Tory shrugged. "I don’t know. I’m not the one who was really talking to him. What about him bothers you so?"

Geary smiled at her. "I don’t know. Maybe I’m just tired."

"People only say that when they’re not really willing to deal with the issue at hand. It’s like when you ask a guy what he’s thinking and he says ‘nothing’ but in reality you know he’s checking out another woman and he doesn’t want you to give him grief over it."

Geary gaped at her unexpected analogy.

"It’s Thia’s theory."

Geary shook her head. "I think you need to stay away from her before she corrupts you."

"Nah, it’s too much fun. She has the most misguided views on everything. But I think what I just said is one of the few lucid thoughts she’s ever managed."

Geary had to agree with that, too. "All right, Doogie Howser, go back to the books."

"You know, that’s what you always say to me when I’ve hit too close to home with an observation."

She was right, but Geary wasn’t about to let her know that. "Take your little scrawny self off and bug someone else before I make you a human sacrifice, Tor. I’m trying to think, okay?"

" ‘Kay. I’ll be below deck irritating Scott next if you need me."

Laughing, Geary watched her cousin walk off. God, how she loved that little girl. There was something very infectious about her.

Tory passed Brian in the doorway. By the look on his face, Geary could tell he had bad news.

She met him halfway across the deck. "What’s up?"

"Apparently Solin is an only child. He has no brothers, sisters. Hell, not even a guinea pig."

Anger and victory whipped through her. "I knew it! I knew he was lying." Geary took Brian’s arm and hauled him back the way he’d come.

"What are you doing?"

"I’m going to confront our guest with this and you’re my witness."

CHAPTER 5

ARIK WAS FASCINATED BY THE BRISTLED TEXTURE OF THE blanket on Teddy’s bed. It was scratchy and irritating. Why would anyone want that next to their skin? Even the pillowcase wasn’t what he’d thought it’d be. In dreams, these items were as soft as air and they slid against his skin like warm water.

But here… He shivered.

This was a strange world mankind lived in. No wonder they escaped into dreams.

And he was tired of being here without Megeara. She was proving to be even more elusive in person than she’d been in her dreams. He didn’t know where she was, but it was time he found her.

He’d just reached for the door when it swung open so fast he felt the rush of air against his skin.

A warm, sweet emotion went through him as he saw Megeara. At least it started out that way until he noted the look of anger on her face.

"What?" he asked, wondering why she was so vexed now.

"Solin Catranides is an only child."

Arik laughed at the ludicrousness of that statement. As a Dream-Hunter, Solin had thousands of siblings.

Literally. "I assure you, he is not."

She gestured to the man behind her. "Tell him, Brian."

"I called a friend who knows him. She assured me that Solin has never mentioned a family of any sort."

Arik gave them a sardonic smile. "I’m sure he wouldn’t mention our family to a woman when it’s none of her business. Get him on the phone for me."

Geary glared at him over the commanding tone of voice he used. One thing she knew about Brian. He didn’t take that tone any better than she did.

Brian’s eyes flickered with contempt. "I’ve already made my inquiries."

"And they were wrong."

Brian tossed the phone at him. "You make your own calls, buddy."

"I don’t know the number."

"Then you’re screwed."

"Brian," Geary said in a gentle tone, trying to diffuse their prickliness. She took the phone from Arik and returned it to Brian. "Can you get Solin’s number for me? I want to speak to him myself."

He curled his lip at Arik. "It’s his brother. Shouldn’t he know the number?"

"Brian, please. He could call any number in Greece and the person who answers it could be anyone pretending to be Solin. I want to make sure that I’m speaking to the right person."

Brian’s features softened as he saw the sanity of her request. "Fine." He took the phone and dialed it.

After a few minutes, he pulled a pen and paper from his pocket to jot down the number. He hung up and handed it to her.

Geary frowned at the number. "You’re sure this is right?"

"It’s the only Solin Catranides I know of. Whether or not it’s his brother remains to be seen."