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I frowned again. “I did get caught by one of them when I used psychometry to track her down via her spell stone, but she isn’t the one calling me out.”

“If she is closely connected to the vampire whoiscalling, then it’s possible they could have shared the information.”

“Would a master and her fledgling be considered close enough?”

“I would think so.”

“Damn.” I blew out a frustrated breath. “What if it’s a latent skill? How would I go about initiating an astral journey?”

She hesitated. “According to Rodrik, one must travel with intent. So, visualize where you are and what you want to achieve on the plane, then relax your body and gain a meditative state. Once your energy has been centered, imagine a rope hangingfrom the ceiling and use it to pull yourself out of your body. If successful, you will be able to see your body beneath you.”

“And to get back?”

“Imagine your body, feel the weight of each breath, and express the wish to return.”

Seemed easy enough and was no doubt the exact opposite. “If I can’t stop the summoning, what do you suggest I do?”

“Control the direction of the astral meeting.”

“How? She’s a blood mage and far stronger magically than me.”

“You have wild magic in your very DNA. There isnoonestronger magically than you.”

“Yes, but using the wild magic in real life is very different to using it on the astral plane—especially when I’m not the one in control of the whole thing.”

And yet, Ihadused it, if only very briefly, in that first dream to move myself against her orders. If I could do that, I could do far more.

“Astral walking is not so much about power but will,” Mom was saying. “You might never have been the strongest magically, Elizabeth, but you were always the strongest of our children both physically and mentally.”

“I had to be, didn’t I?” I couldn’t help the trace of bitterness that crept into my voice, and I hoped she didn’t catch it. She might have been somewhat absent when it came to parenting me—at least, that’s what it had seemed to the younger me envious of the attention Cat and Julius had been getting—but she had never been uncaring.

“Perhaps,” she was saying, “but that does not alter the fact that you and Belle, two somewhat naive sixteen-year-olds, managed to outsmart and outrun all the forces that your father and Clayton could bring to bear for over twelve years. If theyounger you could achieve that, the older you can certainly beat a couple of vampiric mages.”

Again, those silly tears touched my eyes. Being pregnant was really playing havoc with my emotional equilibrium. “I like the confidence with which you say that.”

“Given you outwitted a wraith who’d been plotting his revenge for over a decade—a creature who killed your brother and destroyed your father—I have every reason to be confident.”

I wish I shared that confidence but then, lack of said confidence in my own skills was definitely one of my stronger traits. “So, how do you suggest I take full control of these astral meetings? Our tête-à-têtes to date have been nothing more than her warning me to not get involved and me throwing sass back at her. She’s not going to answer any questions she doesn’t want to, and I can’t force her?—”

“Actually, you probably could.”

I blinked. “How, when I’m not the one initiating the meetings?”

“Initiation doesn’t mean control. Rodrik always initiated our meetings, but I more often than not led proceedings afterward. You simply have to bring the force of your will to bear, and if it is stronger than the initiator’s, you will gain control.”

“Meaning I could force her to answer my questions?”

“Possibly, though if I were you, rather than verbally ask, I would use your psi talents. It is a far subtler approach.”

“Subtle is not a word many would associate with me,” I said dryly.

She laughed again, and again memories stirred. Perhaps one day, my memories would be dominated by the good times more than the bad. “Then do unsubtle.”

It was certainly something I’d try if Marie did drag me back onto the astral plane—though with Roger now dead, there wasno real reason for her to do so. Unless of course she was using the meetings to somehow keep tabs on me…

I frowned and asked, “Could she use these astral meetings to gain information about me? Without actually questioning me, I mean?”

Mom hesitated. “Is she psi capable?”