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I was useless to Damen. And now it was going to be harder to help with anything.

It wasn’t fair. I wanted to strangle Kiania with my own two hands. I would make it a painful death. And after she was dead, I wanted Damen to punish her for eternity.

Perhaps he’d toss her in a bottomless pit. I only hoped she couldn’t fly.

“That’s rather unkind,” a familiar melodious voice echoed through my mind. “Especially given our history together.”

My eyes dried instantly, before Julian could even react, and my breath stopped.

It was her! The woman in my dreams. She was that horrible shikigami!

No one told me shikigami had human forms, but somehow it made sense.

And she could talk to me in my head. Just lovely.

“Bianca?” Julian’s brows were furrowed in worry. “What’s wrong?”

“In a second.” I would tell him about her. But first I had to figure out, morally, if it counted to curse someone in your mind. Would it make me foul-mouthed and rude?

But she kind of deserved it.

I wondered if she could readallmy thoughts.

She really should know that bright red lipstick didn’t look good on her. Plus, she desperately needed a haircut. Also, I bet her shikigami form was something stupid, like a badger.

“Bianca?” Julian’s frown deepened, and Titus moved slightly. But both were interrupted when Miles walked back into the room, Julian’s bag and a glass of water in his hands.

Julian’s attention was redirected. I’d dutifully swallowed the pill, and he wasted no time in changing the bandages on my neck and shoulder.

There was no pain as Julian’s deft hands prodding at my injuries. But that was probably more the morphine and less about his skill. A warm haze spread over me.

This was nice. This feeling was nicer when I wasn’t stuck in an institution. It made sense though, I was safe here.

I giggled. That was strange. Why would I feel safe while being possessed by a demon? All this time, I’d been worried about Damen.

I wondered what Kiania thought aboutthat?

“What the hell?” Titus sounded alarmed. “How much did you give her?”

“It’s a small dose.” Julian didn’t seem concerned, and he continued to move expertly over my injuries. “It’s less than what she got at the hospital. She’s less anxious than before, and she’s weak. It might affect her more. I’ll do a lower dosage next time.”

“I suppose that’s fine…” Miles sounded doubtful. “She’s not high, is she?”

Julian opened his mouth, but I interrupted, narrowing my eyes at the witch. “Nooo…” His lack of faith in me grated on my nerves, yet was amusing. I was so confused. “I’m not high! I’m just trying to figure out what to say to the lady in my head.”

Miles’s mouth thinned, and Julian froze. Titus didn’t even have a chance to respond before Damen stepped forward, blocking my view of Finn.

A glimpse of his authority leaked from his expression. “Excuse me? What lady—”

“She’s in my head.” I pointed at my head, trying to explain. This was serious. “She talks to me sometimes. But not so much anymore. She came back though.”

Damen’s eyes flared with fury, and he glanced at Finn.

Finn, on the other hand, was watching me in shock—his pale features even more pronounced now.

“You didn’t mention that she could talk to Bianca,” Damen said accusingly.

“I asked her!” Finn’s eyes tore from me. “She said she couldn’t! And Bianca never mentioned it to me before!”