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All that really mattered was that she didn’t pull away. She let me hold her hand tightly, even as she glared at the priestess.

“Do it.”

The priestess whispered a few words—words in a language I didn’t understand. From the unshifting glower on Veyka’s face, I guessed that she didn’t either.

Then she tossed the crystal into the hearth. Instantly, it burst into flame. They flared pale pink, then deep scarlet. Then the scarlet turned darker, like old blood clotting and drying until it was black. The glittering black that Veyka had described.

When I looked back up, the seer was holding out the vial.

“One swallow,” she said as she pressed it into Veyka’s hand.

“Then wha—”

But Veyka had already tipped it back. She fell back instantly. The priestess caught the vial deftly, but I had to catch Veyka. She nearly toppled over, her muscles suddenly useless to hold her upright. She was gone—in a trance.

I laid her back as gently as I could, trying to arrange her body so she wouldn’t wake up in pain. But the alcove was small—Veyka and I were not. I moved so her head was in my lap. But as I stroked a hand over her cheek—no reaction.

Even in sleep, Veyka turned into my touch.

This is wrong. All wrong. My mate—

She started shaking. Her entire body, shaking terribly.

“What is happening to her?” I demanded, terrified to look away for even a second, but needing to search the priestess for answers.

Her voice was steady as ever, unbothered. “She is safe. Her body is here. Only her mind travels.”

I was going to slit her throat when this was over.

“Her mind is as important as her Ancestors-damned body. Make it stop!”

“I cannot. The Queen is the only one who can decide when her quest is complete.”

“Like hell. I will bring her back.” I reached for the half-empty vial. “Send me as well.”

She tilted her head to the side—an insect considering its options before it was squished. “It will not be your journey, Brutal Prince. You will not be able to intervene.”

I didn’t answer her. I didn’t care what the fuck she thought. I grabbed the vial from her hand, drained it, and disappeared into darkness.

78

VEYKA

I couldn’t move.

The feeling was so intense, I half expected that when I looked down I would find I did not have a body at all.

But there it was. My breasts. I couldn’t see past those, so I had to assume my stomach and my legs were below it. I was about the right distance from the ground to be standing. But I could not take a step forward, and I could not lift my hands to look at them.

That didn’t stop me from trying.

I grunted from the exertion. If I had a body, I should damn well be able to move it.

Nothing.

My muscles relaxed suddenly, still trembling slightly from the exertion. Except they hadn’t moved at all? None of it made sense.

Warmth suddenly flooded me.