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“The pain I endured was like a thousand needles sticking into my brain. It wanted to see what I was made of. That vicious Eye even bullshitted me with ‘no pain, no gain,’ and blamed my suffering on my resistance,” Ashburn paused, as if the memory was still raw. His beautiful face became emotionless, but his tone was acid. “What sane person wouldn’t fight against an ancient entity taking over his soul?”

Lucienne blinked.

“And the needle-stabbing torment isn’t nearly the worst,” he continued. “Trillions of images and voices—strangers’ memories—invaded my head like parasites.”

“The Eye of Time uploaded its knowledge of humanity.”

“What’s it to do with me? Why should I care about humanity?” Ashburn said crossly. “I’ve been trying to erase them or get them out of my head but to no avail. Now the trillion of noises have translated into codes and become part of my brain cells.”

“We Sirens believed we were the chosen ones to glean the Eye of Time’s powers. I’d take the pain to have the knowledge. I’d use the ancient knowledge to fulfill my duty and seek a higher path.” And she could find a way to be with Vladimir. “But it went to you instead, and you despise it.” Lucienne tasted bile on her tongue.The Eye of Time picked the wrong person.But then Ashburn’s birth myth chimed in her head. The worst truth was that maybe he was the one destined to inherit the Eye of Time.

“So why did it choose you, Ashburn?”

The storm swirled back into Ashburn’s eyes, clashing cloud on cloud. “I don’t know.” He lowered his gaze, his long, thick eyelashes veiling his expression.

“I don’t believe that,” Lucienne said.

“It mistook me for someone else,” said Ashburn. “It implanted a hidden agenda. I must find the bomb and take it out! That’s all I know and all I want.”

It felt like a blast of icy air hitting Lucienne in the face. Ashburn’s statement was opposite from the partial prophecy on the first scroll.

“What is between you and prince Vladimir?” he asked softly.

The tiny hair on Lucienne’s arms bristled. Her eyes darkened and narrowed to slits.

“I’ve blocked the satellite,” he said. “I’ve also disabled the audio sensors your men placed in the range.”

“Do you realize you’ve just asked me a very personal question?”

“I count it as my second question nevertheless,” Ashburn said with a shrug, “and I expect it to be answered to my satisfaction, as I’ve done for you.”

He has Vladimir’s memories, but he doesn’t have mine,Lucienne thought. Her mind flew back to how she and Vladimir had their first fight three years ago in Desert Cymbidium, her family’s training school. She played dirty and defeated him. The notorious playboy fell for her afterwards. Of course, she rejected him, as she refused all the other boys. She treated Vladimir the worst, though, taunting his feelings and tormenting him as far as she could go. But then, Vladimir acquired the information on an ancient scroll that her family had been pursuing for centuries. They made peace in the glider on the way to Tibet, and when he dove into that cliff to go after her, her heart belonged to him.

Until her kiss burned him. The picture of Vladimir collapsing to the ground and thrashing in excruciating pain flashed behind her eyelids. His hot tears and agony had become part of her recurring nightmares ever since, and she bore them alone.

Lucienne wanted to slap Ashburn for making her relive the aching past. She hated him even more for storing Vladimir’s memory of pain, her kiss, and their most intimate moments. “Prince Vladimir has my loyalty as I have his,” she said coldly.

“You met him when you were fifteen.”

“You’ve seen his memories. Why do you ask me about him? You’ve just wasted one of your questions on something trivial.”

“It’s not trivial to me; neither is it to you. I know how he feels about you from his memories, but I don’t know how you feel about him.”

“Why is it important to you how I feel?”

“It’s just important,” Ashburn said softly. “It’ll help me solve a puzzle.”

Lucienne held his gaze, trying to read through his mask.

“Are you a mind reader, Lucienne?”

Lucienne noticed that he dropped the title of Queen. “You won’t have my answer since you didn’t answer me truthfully when I asked you why the Eye of Time chose you.” But Lucienne knew it was an empty gesture. Ashburn Fury already knew. He had Jed’s memories, including his last moment with her.

As she stared at him in spite, a gust of wind carrying raindrops passed through her mind. Lucienne immediately knew he was probing her again. She had been practicing her shielding since she had parried with Jed. She was ready.Come and see,she sneered. His mind was dangerous chaos. Her mental landscape would be an endless void for him, like the plane where he had been imprisoned. He forced her to revisit her painful moments with Vladimir, now she would return him to his former prison, if only for a few seconds.

Ashburn withdrew from Lucienne’s mind.

“Like the show?” She flashed a feral smile.