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I trembled. Thighs pressing, breath catching.

“Let’s go,” I whispered, pushing him toward the bed, pressing his back against the mattress.

I straddled over him, standing on my knees, just high enough that our sexes almost met. I dropped to my forearms, cradling his head between my hands, and caressed the sweet spot where his horns met skull.

He twitched, writhing under me, bucking his hips. His bulk brushed my crux, and even through our underwear, his contact destroyed my remaining restraint.

I pressed myself against him, writhing my clit against his hard member. He moaned beneath me, squeezing a breast—he brushed the Brand.

I was driven byneed need need—

“Bind him,”a voice compelled me. “Take control of the ship.”

The Brand. An intruder rising in my consciousness.

“Ayla, are you okay?” Zayne sounded far away. “Your Brand… it’s getting bigger. Fast.”

“You belong with the Shades. Darkness is inevitable.”

The Brand hadn’t been silent. It had been dormant, waiting for the right opportunity. Now it stole the power of my desire, transforming it into something darker.

Zayne squirmed under me, trying to get away. My body moved without my permission—I pinned him, grabbing his wrists and clenching my thighs against his sides. I held him down with preternatural strength.

“Bind him,” the Brand commanded.

“Ayla…” Zayne whispered.

My core clenched, my body still hot withneed…a need that the Brand twisted to destructive ends. Zayne’s voice changed, rising with the darker tenor of the Underworld. He spoke a command, “Ayla, it’s the Brand. Ignore it. Overcome it.”

When he spoke that way, it was easier to understand. His necromantic command countered the voice of the Brand. I managed to hesitate, stilling my body for a moment. It was long enough for Zayne to free himself.

“You gave yourself to lust—why can’t you give yourself to me?”the Brand whispered. “You don’t deserve your body. GIVE IT TO ME.”

My soul slipped. Once expansive, I felt trapped, growing small. The Brand was no longer contained by my skin—it surrounded me. Pressure consumed me; the Brand smothered me.

A memory flashed. Carson. We kissed in the carriage on the way to his death, his hands running through my hair. The Brand gave its commentary. “You’re too impulsive. Let me take control.”

The words made me feel even smaller. I ran, retreating deeper into my mind. My eyes remained open. I could still see, even if I couldn’t control my body.

Zayne reached for the satchel of ashflower. I chased after him. The Brand covered my skin, elbows to knees.

Zayne needed more time. I fought. What had happened with Carson wasn’t my fault. What I wanted with Zayne wasn’t a problem.

I had a right to my body—to protect it, enjoy it.

For a moment, I found leverage. For a second, my body froze.

The door opened, and Ninti pushed her way into the room.

Something tickled at my chest. Ashflower. “Shade’s Brand, leave and let Ayla be,”Zayne said from far away.

I reached for the ashflower like a lifeline, begging it to suck the Brand from me. Ninti’s fire flickered at my feet. My body remained rigid, uncertain of who had control.

Zayne gave his command again. Like a prayer for my soul.

The Brand showed me more images. Carson’s surprise as the dagger slid into his heart. His body in a grave, sprinkled with dirt.

“You left with him. It’s your fault,” the Brand whispered.“You can never escape what you’ve done.”