52

Luca had kept a close watch over him ever since the dream-walking event, and Shade was clearly not himself. He’d been quieter and somewhat withdrawn. Luca had felt the effects of a dream-walk once, although it had been years ago. A good dream-walker created an experience that made it hard for the dreamer to distinguish between their dream state and reality. A pleasant dream left no aftereffects, but a dream meant to attack, to weaken the dreamer, was designed to fill the dreamer with fear and doubt and leave the dreamer in pain. Shade hadn’t spoken to him about the contents of the dream, but whatever it was, it had him shaken, and that wasn’t something he often saw in his master. Luca stood in the door of Shade's office and watched without speaking as Shade leaned over his desk, his head in his hands. "Master?"

***

Shade’s head hurt like hell, still. Soren had not only left him in physical pain but with a pain in his heart and soul. Shade had never been afraid of battle, he was born a warrior, but even without the images placed in his head, he knew a battle with the Borgia would mean a massive loss of life on both sides. He sat with his head in his hands, the pain pounding behind his eyes, as the sounds of the battle echoed in his head, over and over. The worst part was knowing Soren could come at him again, enter his dreams and wreak havoc. He looked up slowly to see Luca at his door. "Si, is something wrong?" He sat back in the leather chair, leaning his head against the chair. He felt like he was a million years old.

Luca entered the room, dimly lit by a single lamp, and took a seat in a chair near his desk. "Nothing is wrong, master. I was checking on you. I can see the dream still haunts you. But you, better than most, know that’s the whole purpose of the dream-walker's gift. How can I help you?"

Shaking his head, he winced slightly as the motion caused more pain. "My loyal Luca, always observant. I feel..." The words stopped mid-sentence. He knew he should talk to Luca, and unburden himself, but he felt embarrassed to a fault. He was the warrior’s warrior, master, and king, a dream-walker himself. But he hadn’t been able to fight Soren in the dream-walk. Borgia must be laughing his ass off knowing how easy it had been. "I don’t think I want to talk about it." He stood and walked to the open doors of the patio and stepped outside, hoping the night air would clear his head as he lit up a smoke.

Luca followed him outside, pulling his cigarettes from his pocket and lighting up. He stood quietly, watching the smoke drift away with the soft breeze before he spoke again. "You must talk about it. I’ve felt the power of a dream-walker before. I know how vulnerable it leaves you, how filled with doubt. I’m a warrior too. I’m trained to stand in the face of death and show no fear. So, I know what you are feeling. Soren caught you off-guard. You haven’t had your dreams invaded in centuries, and you rarely use your gift for evil. You walk through Kate's dreams, and the dreams of your children and grandchildren, and you fill them with love and hope. You’ve created a paradise for those you love, and you forgot the many ways that the evil in our world can slip in. You must talk, and you’ll have to prepare. If he visited you once, you know he’ll visit again."

Shade listened and knew every word Luca uttered was true. "Words from a seasoned warrior. You are right, I have forgotten what it feels like to have someone make me feel vulnerable and weak. I don’t like this, Luca. Fuck, I am the damn Medici. How dare that bastard walk in and just roll me over like I am nothing. He left no doubt there will be a battle between our covens, and it will be the biggest battle we have ever encountered. There will be many losses, I have no doubt. I know we can prepare, but he has advantages as well. He is bigger in numbers. They have inside information, they have Vanni and Tomas. Lorenzo is going to face his first real fight to defend his home and familia, and our coven. Is he ready to face that evil? Have I trained him well enough? I keep asking myself those questions, over and over."

Luca let him talk without interrupting. He saw Aegis and Night Stalker moving closer to the house, curious about their appearance on the patio. He watched them both sit quietly in the grass, waiting and watching. "Lorenzo will rise to the occasion, just as you did. He has as many reasons to fight as you did, maybe even more, because there is more to defend now. He doesn’t speak of it, but he understands the weight of the burden he carries and his responsibility to the coven. His SIC is mated to your daughter. They will stand together, as you and Marco stood together. Every battle involves sacrifice. Every warrior knows it, and every warrior stands ready for whatever his or her fate dictates. We have faced worse and won. The Medici always wins. When Soren comes again, and he will come, call out to me, call to Marcello, and Raven. Call to Theo, Matteo, and Skelk. You have the power, master. You’ve forgotten how to use it. Pull us into your dream, and together, we will fight the Borgia. It’s how we will defeat him in your dreams, and it’s how we will defeat him on the battlefield."

Shade looked at this warrior he loved as much as he loved his own children. He’d known him since birth, his padre giving his life for Medici. Luca had dedicated his life to him, protecting his mate, and his children. His words held wisdom. "I will never call Marcello. He protects Nattie, and she can dream-walk as well, and there is not an ounce of evil in her. She is vulnerable. She may need him."

He looked out at Night Stalker and Aegis. They were drawn close to the house by his anxiety. They didn’t understand what was ahead, but they felt his concern and doubt. "This will be my first fight without Marco. I have never fought side by side with my son, so many firsts. Borgia wants Medici land, he wants it all, Luca. Soren made that very clear. The Borgia flag was staked in the ground of the Medici ruins. Make me a promise, right now." He turned to face Luca. Their eyes locked. He placed his hand on Luca’s shoulder and was close enough to feel Luca's breath on his face. "No matter what happens, don’t let bel come out to battle. Keep her safe in case anything happens to me. She is a strong queen, and Lorenzo will need her to help rebuild."

Luca stared back at him. "Of course, master, but don't be so quick to assume this is your fate. That isn’t the Medici I know. You’ve already let Soren plant a seed of doubt in your head. He’s already convinced you that you can't win. I would say that Soren wouldn’t be working so hard if he didn’t fear the Medici. Turn the tables. It’s what you always do. And don’t underestimate the power of the fire-thrower. Your son and grandson's gifts are rare ones, and not many would dare to confront it. You have three females with the gift of animalism. We saw that power in the Battle of Bel Rosso. The Borgia don’t have these gifts."

Shade smiled and punched him softly in the shoulder. "Spoken like a Medici warrior. Grazie, for everything, Luca. I know I don’t say that often enough. I will not make the first move, if that is what the Borgia wants. He will have to do more than walk inside my head. I know Lorenzo and Alfie will fight with their hearts, just as I will. But this dream-walk showed me that the battle is inevitable, and that is something I was hoping to avoid. My sons have been sending me battle plans, one after another, for every contingency. Marco taught them that." Shade raised his face to the moon. It had been over a hundred years, and still, his heart ached for his best friend and brother. Fiamma had been gone even longer. He thought about all the warriors he’d lost through the years, the warriors who’d sacrificed their lives, so he was still standing, and to keep the Medici coven strong. There was no doubt in his mind that the Medici would still be here when this was over. The only question was what would be the price of that victory? "Per sempre, Medici."

Luca draped his arm over his master's shoulder. This was the master he knew, the one who never backed away from a challenge.