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“How could you—”

“—know, despite you never telling a soul?”

Lucienne stared at her grandfather with the worst suspicion, then her eyes went wild. “Grandfather, you are, youare—”

“A mind reader with the power of persuasion. Just like you.”

“How could I not sense that?”

“I’ve shielded my mind,” Jed said, “though it’s getting difficult when you’re around. The mark and power have been transferred to you.”

“I’ve never invaded the minds of those I care about,” said Lucienne. “And I don’t dig into others’ heads either, unless it’s a security matter.”

Jed ignored Lucienne’s defense. “It’s time to learn the shielding.” His piercing dark eyes locked into Lucienne’s, trying to hold her immobile.

Lucienne felt his power pulsing in the air, then the hiss of icy fog sinking into the back of her head. A pair of eyes emerged through the fog. Lucienne immediately recognized a mind invasion and fiercely pushed back, but Jed twisted deeper into her mind, right to the intimate moment when Vladimir kissed her.

Her pain, her desires, and her shame were raw before Jed, and the old man wanted more of them. She could feel his cold hands tightening, forcing her to cough up darker secrets.

Her head bent backward, Lucienne let out a furious howl. Power exploded within her and burst out. Red hot, merciless, and mighty. This power was her birthright, her Siren’s ride!

And Jed was a bully and a liar! He only wanted her to concentrate on family obligations. Finding the Eye of Time might take decades. By that time, Vladimir would be long gone—basking in another girl’s arms—and she’d be all alone, cold, and heartless.

She would never accept that. Not as long as she breathed. Vladimir was hers!

Lucienne sharpened her claws. Jed tasted her pain and shame and fear, but now it was her turn to taste his and repay him.Let’s see how he likes it when I draw blood from him.

Jed gasped as Lucienne slammed into his mind.

Heartbeat. It was the old Siren’s heartbeat. It didn’t throb as powerfully as she assumed. And the formidable Jed Lam was sweating. Did he fear her? He was resisting her invasion.

She expected that. Jed would never go down without fight, but his panic was surprising. Still, Lucienne wasn’t moved. She marched on, fueled by pain and fury and her determination to know the truth.

Jed’s face distorted.

“I’m the Siren with ancient technology inside me. You can’t fight me anymore. No one can.” Standing before Jed’s stone walls,Lucienne raised her iron fists and pounded on the wall, again and again, until she smashed the barricade.

Lucienne stepped through the break and over the debris. She tramped inside the main frame of Jed’s complex mind, as a conqueror, searching for dark secrets, sorting out lies, and—

The first thing she saw made her draw a shaky breath. Jed had known of her plan to go to Tibet all along. He had spread the word that he found the relic site for one of the missing scrolls. By bringing his team to the ancient Egyptian temple, he misdirected Lucienne’s enemies, causing them to cease-fire and give his granddaughter the opening she needed to escape.

He was always true to her, to the very end.

Her rage, which felt so righteous seconds ago, ebbed from her, leaving a deep void. Suddenly a burning candle ahead caught her attention. It was coming to an end; its flame would extinguish soon. Blackness was swallowing her. No, it was swallowing Jed. A sickening realization hit her. “No, Jed, no!”

Shutting her eyes in remorse, Lucienne freed Jed’s mind. “I’m so sorry, Grandfather.” She gazed down at Jed in his bed in grief. “I hurt you. I lost control.”

“The force is in you, Lucienne.” Jed looked very tired. His skin was gray now. “You’re the strongest among us, except for the first Siren. But you’re more ruthless than any other, and most dangerous—you need to learn to rein yourself in.”

“I’m learning.” Tears of sorrow dropped from her eyes. “I didn’t know my mind could burn your energy like that.”

“Practice shielding. Cover your bases first. I’m only a frail, old man, but one day, you will face a formidable enemy.”

Tears streamed down Lucienne’s face. “The Tibet trip . . . I was spared, but you—”

“That wasn’t meant for you to see.” Jed sighed. “But there’s something you didn’t see. The part of the prophecy about you,” hesuddenly coughed violently, “about you—it was a double-edged blade—to avoid the catastrophe—you must—”

“Shush, easy, Grandpa,” Lucienne said. She needed to preserve her grandfather’s last flicker. “Tell me all about it when you feel better. Right now, you need rest.”