It was Andrew’s turn with Xelan tonight. The young man groaned as he exited Hall High School and crossed the student parking lot to his car.

Every Thursday he trained with Xelan. And every Friday, Saturday, and sometimes even Sunday, his muscles ached from the workout. The DOMs sucked, and now that the Progeny were getting older and more independent, they were discussing training on Saturday nights at the training ground as well.

Fuck. That.

Although Andrew barely got around on the weekends, they still belonged to him. He protected his free time because if he didn’t, Rayne and Xelan planned all kinds of exercises for their unit to do.

Between that and Andrew’s responsibilities to The Brethren, he was tapped out.

With a sigh, Andrew plopped into the car and cranked up the radio. Insane Clown Posse made everything better. He sped on the drive to the park in his mom’s Volkswagen Jetta. It was nothing fancy. Just operable. Andrew was grateful he was one of the few students at Hall High with any wheels.

After he pulled into the gravel lot, Andrew reclined the seat and plugged a joint in his mouth. Lit it, took a puff, and slowed it on the exhale. No one could take this from him.

Andrew liked this quiet time right after school. His mom worked late into the evening, and she still believed he was working part time at the Callahan’s bookstore. It’d break her heart to know he dealt dope on the side.

When someone knocked on his car door, Andrew jumped four inches out of his seat. Xelan peered at him through the driver’s side window. With a groan, Andrew rolled it down. “Dude, what’s with the jump scare?”

Xelan grinned. “I was only checking your reflexes.”

Andrew stubbed out his joint and popped the door open. Frustration wound his body tight until his neck strained from it.

After a deep breath, he cranked his head to the left. Then to the right. The pops and cracks relieved some pressure.

Andrew absorbed the sight of the trees and the expanse of mown grass around him. With the cloud coverage, dusk came early tonight. He lamented his extra hour alone.

Xelan wasn’t his usual enthusiastic self. He lingered off at the edge of the parking lot, staring at the pool of light under the streetlamp.

“What’s up, man?” Andrew felt closer to Xelan than the other Progeny, seeing behind the scenes of how much politics was holding their guardian back. It made Andrew more sympathetic toward Xelan’s efforts.

With a heavy sigh, Xelan said, “Lucas came to see me, today.”

Aw shit. “Bad news?”

The Icarus nodded. “Unfortunately.”

What would it take for them to catch a break around here? It wasn’t Xelan’s fault, but damn. The other Icari so far had proved less than helpful. Andrew asked, “What reason could they possibly give for leaving us like sitting ducks?”

“That’s the thing about The Brethren, they don’t need to give a reason. Without their support, I can’t risk contacting Enki for nacres or weapons or…” Xelan went on for a bit, pacing and muttering about their meager limitations.

But more pressing concerns plagued Andrew. “What about Rayne? Will they do anything to protect her?”

Xelan shook his head. “I couldn’t risk mentioning her without exposing the truth about the Progeny training. If they wouldn’t provide you nacres or reinforcements, I doubt they’d offer her any sanctuary.”

There was that mounting frustration again. Andrew asked, “So that’s it?! Rayne lives with a target on her back while we learn mixed martial arts and try to match your otherworldly speed? Xelan, please tell me she knows?”

Xelan looked away and bit his thumbnail. “Rayne’s not ready to know. Have you noticed how badly she’s been handling things lately?”

Andrew ran a frustrated hand through his hair, saying, “I know she’s not sleeping because she’s passed out on my couch a few times. She’s dreaming of you.”

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

“What makes you think she was dreaming about me?” Xelan’s tone evened, and his posture stiffened. Either he was about to explode or he’d thought of something that didn’t sit right with him.

With a puzzled frown, Andrew said, “Because she cried out your name.”

Xelan closed his eyes.

Andrew wasn’t sure if the alien was counting to ten or getting an image out of his head. Andrew pressed, “Over and over. It took everything I had to wake her. Every single time. Then Rayne wouldn’t talk to me for like twenty minutes. The more it happened, the more she pulled away.”

“Rayne wasn’t calling out my name.”

The quiet words reached Andrew on the breeze. The sadness in them was unmistakable. Andrew spun. At the sight of Xelan’s silhouette with his head hung in shame, the younger man folded his arms, saying, “I’m listening.”

Xelan cleared his throat, a rare sound. His words came rough and heavy. “She was asking for my help.”

Andrew’s frown deepened. “Why?”

Xelan wandered from the edge of the parking lot onto the springy grass. Off in the distance, crickets sang. The lush backdrop offset the mood.

Curious, Andrew pushed, “Why was she calling to you for help? A lot.”

Xelan winced. “Two years ago, Rayne began having bad dreams. I won’t betray her confidence and go into any detail. All I can say is they’re recurring and they’re about the invasion.”

Andrew respected Xelan for not sharing more, but it added to his frustration. Their leader was secretly struggling with a turbulent case of insomnia. They deserved to know not only as her unit, but as friends who loved Rayne… “I won’t tell anyone. Is there anything we can do to help her?”

Xelan plopped on the grass, staring up at the emerging stars. “We can’t. I mean, not directly. She has to fight this on her own.”

Andrew insisted, “Look, I know you want to protect Rayne, but I think you should tell her about the target on her bloodstream.”

“I will. As soon as I think she’s ready.”

A few hours later, Andrew kissed his mom good night and headed for bed. The bad news from The Brethren side of things made the day seem even longer. As he laid staring at the ceiling, one arm thrown over his head, Andrew resolved not to give up. He’d try again.

Tomorrow.

Sleep took Andrew to a room filled with lilies and roses, perfuming the space with their heady scent. Humidity thickened the air, and steam wafted from the source: a hot tub was sunken in the room’s center. Petals danced on the churning surface, an invitation to the waltz.

Where were Andrew’s boxers? He always slept in boxers, and now he was totally naked.

“I wanted you to appreciate the oils on your skin.”

Shielding himself with both hands, Andrew spun to face a woman with entirely too much ambition in her sky-blue eyes to find her trustworthy.

As if she’d heard his thoughts, the woman pouted. It was a pretty pout, with a fuller bottom lip, emphasizing her cherubic cheeks. Her voice purred as she said, “Come now, Andrius. I’d hoped we could be friends.” She glided out of the steam, giving flesh to her silhouette.

Bare flesh.

Comfortable in her silken nudity, she smiled as she walked past Andrew to descend in the water. Her breasts lifted more as she wrapped her blond curls on top of her head and pinned them with an old-fashioned comb. After which, she submerged, concealing her perfect body under the bubbles.

“Join me?”

This was not a dream.

The woman’s smile became more knowing. “It is, and it isn’t. You are still safe at home in bed, and nothing here will affect you. So is there really any harm in joining me?” Her reasoning was sound.

Andrew, still covering himself, stepped down into the water and luxuriated in its soothing heat. He let out an involuntary sigh, feeling his muscles relax.

“There. It’s not so bad.” The woman braced her arms on the far side and let her head fall back.

Andrew did the same before he asked, “What do I call you, woman of my dreams?”

This seemed to please her as she said, “Colita.”

Was she an Icarus? A member of The Brethren come to test Andrew in his sleep?

Silky laughter bubbled out of Colita. “Oh. No. I want to be candid with you, young Andrius. I am Nox’s third-in-command.”

What the fuck?!

Andrew hopped out of the hot tub, his feet pattering as he stumbled back on the tiles. He gawked at Colita, no longer concerned for his nudity but for his life.

Colita’s smile took on a condescending tilt. “If I wanted to kill you, do you think I would waste my time preparing this hot tub for your dreams? I’m here to proposition you.”

“What makes you think I’ll listen to anything you have to say?! You’re planning to invade us and hurt people I care about.” Andrew felt brave for getting the words out, but he trembled all the same.

The pretty smile went away, and Colita stared at Andrew as if she could see through him. After a long moment of pure anxiety and dread, she said, “I want Nox dead, and I want to rule Cinder.”

Andrew frowned. “Lady, what makes you think I can help you with that?”

Colita stood, water sluicing off her graceful shoulders and perfect, if not, small breasts. She looked less pretty without a smile as she said, “I can provide the Progeny with intelligence to thwart the invasion from the onset. Once you kill Nox and his second-in-command, I’ll take the Icari back to Cinder and rule as its first Queen.”

Bullshit.

The steam thickened into an unnatural cloud until Andrew couldn’t see anything, including Colita. Her voice came as a harsh whisper in his ear, “Think on it, boy. Save your family and friends. Or don’t.”

Andrew startled awake in his bed, immediately reaching for his phone.

Xelan answered on the first ring. “What’s wrong?”

“Some woman named Colita invaded my dreams, Xelan. What do I do?”

After a pause, the Icarus said, “Tell me everything.”

Andrew did, and Xelan sounded certain. “I think she means it, but proceed with caution.”

“Proceed with what, dude? I just want to sleep.”

Xelan sighed. “I’m sorry, Andrew. But when Colita comes to you in your dreams, try to get information out of her.”

The call ended.

School during the day. Training on Thursday nights. Training on Saturday nights. And now, espionage in his sleep. When would Andrew catch a break?

“Fuck.”