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Her hands hugging her legs, Lucienne sat on the rooftop of the Ghost House, watching the sun slowly drop toward the distant ring of mountains. The roof was made of the same material as the pillar entrance to the Rabbit Hole. Its ice-like sheen gave the illusion that one might fall through it.

The town stretched under her feet. Its gardens had regained some of their previous colors, powered by Ashburn’s TimeDust, but the faded greens and oranges indicated that Nirvana would never fully return to its former glory. Everything had changed.

Her mind drifted to the voice that came to her through her Siren’s mark twice—once, when she almost killed Ashburn and again when she was nearly killed by Seraphen.

Whatever the force represented, it wanted to preserve both her and Ashburn.

Ashburn’s words resonated in her head. “It’s how the TimeDust was designed—to put us together, so we’ll bring the end to the world. ”

She doubted it. What was the significance of her and Ashburn being together? She was meant to introduce Eterne to Earth. But what if opening the portal unleashed the ultimate evil, and she led humankind to a slaughterhouse instead of quantum evolution ?

A movement behind her shattered her train of thought. She knew who it was without turning to look. The pulse of energy in the air told her.

Ashburn had come to say goodbye.

Lucienne had finally chosen to let him go.

If she could have done that in the beginning, her warriors would still be alive, and Orlando wouldn’t be buried under six feet of Sphinxes’ soil.

Jed said sacrifice was necessary. The Siren had to do whatever it took to get things done and needed to make impossibly tough decisions. But to what end?

“It’s not all your fault.” Ashburn said beside her. “No matter what you did, you would cross paths with Seraphen. You’re the Siren, and his assignment is to protect me by erasing you.”

“After the sunset,” Lucienne said, “my men and I will leave for good.”

“I know,” Ashburn said, looking sidelong at her, and Lucienne felt his body heat. It called her to respond, but she remained still. “I’m going with you,” he added.

Lucienne held her breath for several seconds and exhaled. “Okay,” she said.

“Aren’t you going to ask why?” he asked. “Aren’t you the least bit curious?”

Despite everything, a smile floated to Lucienne’s lips. “I guess you finally decided it isn’t such a bad idea to see the outside world.”

“I have the entire world, from antiquity till now, in my head, and Spike can take me anywhere I want to go,” Ashburn said.

“I choose to go with you because I can’t bear not to see you.

I tried to stay away from you before, but it didn’t end well.

Even though the subprogram still warns me, all I can think of is you.

I’m going to try to let my feelings run their course, so my desire won’t drive me mad.

I hope it’ll wear off if I don’t fight it so hard. ”

“I tried to kill you, Ash. ”

“You stopped at the last moment. You couldn’t do it,” he said. “And when I had to watch Seraphen try to kill you and I could do nothing about it, I felt—” He looked away, as if he was experiencing the agony again.

Lucienne angled her body toward Ashburn and put her hand in his. The shock of desire immediately rose in her. Lucienne jerked her hand away. She couldn’t withstand another temptation. She’d learned she wasn’t half as strong as she thought. “Ash—”

“If you die, the whole world won’t matter anymore,” Ashburn continued.

“I know it’s horrible and selfish to think like that.

How can one girl outweigh every life on this planet?

But I just can’t help it. I’ll fight the TimeDust by your side.

Besides,” he paused, a wistful look on his face, “my parents are better off without me.”

A wave of feeling came to Lucienne like a rainstorm striking a glass pane. It was hard to say it, but she must. “You know I won’t get involved with you romantically, right?”

“Because of Vladimir Blazek?”

“I won’t betray him again.”

“He left.”

That reminder instantly brought a knife to her heart. It wasn’t just her pain she carried, but his, too. For a moment, she couldn’t breathe, then she inhaled. “He’ll come back to me.”

“What if he doesn’t?”

“I’ll go to him,” Lucienne said, frowning at Ashburn’s cruelty.

“But you can’t be with him.”

“I know I can kiss only you, but it’s just the program, as you said,” Lucienne continued, despite the hurt surfacing in Ashburn’s eyes. “I’ll find a way to be with Vlad. He gave up everything for me. I’ll not cast him aside like he means nothing.”

“Did you know he’s already picked up what he left at Sphinxes?”

“Tell me where he is. You have his memory.”

“I can’t help you with that, Lucienne.”

“Can’t or won’t? ”

“Won’t.”

Lucienne glared at Ashburn. He looked away.

Even her frustration couldn’t make her pull away.

The attraction continued to grow with a life of its own.

Lucienne wondered if their kiss had spiced up the drive.

She could tell Ashburn felt its calling, too, for he clenched his fists and moved a few inches away from her, as if that was the best he could do.

Lucienne also moved a couple of inches away from Ashburn because that was the best she could do.

“Fine! I’ll find out myself,” she said.

“Good luck, then.” Ashburn lay down on the half-transparent rooftop, his hands behind his head. A stray silver hair dangled over the corner of his eye.

Lucienne ignored him, but not for long. She turned to look at him, drinking in his beauty as he smiled and gazed back at her through his long lashes.

His eyes shifted from ice blue to a pale shade of gray, like the first light in the sky.

“I won’t help you with him, but I’ll help you break the curse on you.

I won’t ask for anything in return, until you have the freedom to choose.

” Then he turned back to watch the sunset.

Lucienne joined him, watching the setting sun, remembering the words of the I-Ching master on the night of her coronation.

“Nine years after the Siren has set things in motion, she’ll face two boys tied to her irrevocably.

One will offer life disguised as death; the other will lead to death with great love. ”

“What does that mean? Are they going to hurt her? Which boys? You got names?” Kian McQuillen had asked urgently.

Dr. Hsi’s smile grew unfathomable. “The ending is hidden even from the I-Ching, which is most interesting. What she chooses will decide the courses of many and how the world turns . . .”

Lucienne’s Eidolon vibrated in her pocket.

Without checking, she knew it was from her crew.

Black Lightning Seven was waiting for her to go home.

But she would stay here, on Ghost House’s rooftop, a little longer, and watch the red, hot sun dive toward the cold, silvery mountain with the last lover’s kiss.

THE STORY CONTINUES . . .

THE PRINCE ( DARK CHEMISTRY, #2)

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