tightly as I tried to fight Luce’s invasive strength and force him out of my head. But I could feel the increased energy behind his assault. I shook my head at the torture that was debilitating my mind. It felt like my brain was expanding and pushing against the hard walls of my cranium. I gritted my teeth and tried to push him back, but it was no use; my power was nothing compared to his.
I gasped as the pain suddenly stopped and my eyes blinked open of their own accord. With two deep breaths, I felt my eyes land on my sister who was gaping at me.
“He got in,” I said in a flat voice.
FOUR
“He got in?” Jolie repeated, the alarm in her voice growing louder. “What does that even mean?”
“It means I couldn’t keep Luce out of my head!” I replied, and then realizing how frustrated I must have sounded, I further explained. “His power was too strong and he forced his way inside my thoughts. I just wasn’t strong enough to keep him out.” I shook my head as I tried to figure out what our next course of action should be. Meanwhile worry, fear and anger pulsated through me and I felt like I was going to be sick.
“I get that part,” Jolie said. “But what does not being able to keep Luce out of your head equate to … exactly?”
I faced my sister’s worried countenance and had to mentally command myself to calm down. Panic was starting to set in and I knew that wouldn’t do me, or anyone else, any good. “It means that none of us are safe here any longer.” I stopped pacing and pivoted on my toes to face Sinjin, hoping he might have something helpful to contribute.
“What then, pet?”
“I think the answer is pretty clear,” I responded, even though my voice was wavering. “If none of us are safe here, we need to leave.” I didn’t say anything for another few seconds, just settled my gaze on my sister, as I attempted to determine if she were even capable of traveling. As soon as that thought crossed my overwhelmed head, I had to remind myself that anywhere I went, I would be followed by Luce. And that meant I couldn’t go with them—not if I would just be endangering Jolie and her baby. Well, Sinjin too, for that matter.
I looked at Sinjin again and had to wonder how he managed to remain so stoically calm all the time. Nothing ever seemed to get under his skin. Maybe that’s what living for centuries on end did to you … “Sinjin, you have to take Jolie and the baby someplace safe,” I decided.
He nodded briefly. “And you?”
“You can’t take me with you,” I answered in no uncertain terms. “I must stay here and face Luce on my own.”
“I will not leave you to that fate,” he countered and shook his head. His usually plump lips were pressed into a tight line that warned me not to argue with him. I couldn’t help feeling a little surprised. As a rule, I didn’t think Sinjin was very fond of me.
“He’s right,” Jolie added. “We’re in this together, remember?”
I immediately shook my head and threw my hands on my hips, spearing them both with an impatient expression. “Have both of you lost your minds?” I railed loudly. I alternated my glare between the two of them, before eventually letting it remain on the elegant vampire. “The queen is your foremost responsibility, Sinjin. You’ve said so often enough.”
Sinjin nodded, but his facial expression said he wanted to argue with me. “In case you temporarily forgot, Lady Macbeth, you also are a vessel of royal blood. You are the princess.”
“So what?” I yelled back. Although I didn’t intend for my voice to sound so abrasive, I was long past the point of levelheadedness. Time was of the utmost essence, and we were squandering it by standing here, arguing.
“My commitment includes the protection of any and all blood relatives to the queen, as well as the queen, herself, of course,” Sinjin finished. He crossed his arms over his expansive chest and looked at me with what appeared to be
I gasped as the pain suddenly stopped and my eyes blinked open of their own accord. With two deep breaths, I felt my eyes land on my sister who was gaping at me.
“He got in,” I said in a flat voice.
FOUR
“He got in?” Jolie repeated, the alarm in her voice growing louder. “What does that even mean?”
“It means I couldn’t keep Luce out of my head!” I replied, and then realizing how frustrated I must have sounded, I further explained. “His power was too strong and he forced his way inside my thoughts. I just wasn’t strong enough to keep him out.” I shook my head as I tried to figure out what our next course of action should be. Meanwhile worry, fear and anger pulsated through me and I felt like I was going to be sick.
“I get that part,” Jolie said. “But what does not being able to keep Luce out of your head equate to … exactly?”
I faced my sister’s worried countenance and had to mentally command myself to calm down. Panic was starting to set in and I knew that wouldn’t do me, or anyone else, any good. “It means that none of us are safe here any longer.” I stopped pacing and pivoted on my toes to face Sinjin, hoping he might have something helpful to contribute.
“What then, pet?”
“I think the answer is pretty clear,” I responded, even though my voice was wavering. “If none of us are safe here, we need to leave.” I didn’t say anything for another few seconds, just settled my gaze on my sister, as I attempted to determine if she were even capable of traveling. As soon as that thought crossed my overwhelmed head, I had to remind myself that anywhere I went, I would be followed by Luce. And that meant I couldn’t go with them—not if I would just be endangering Jolie and her baby. Well, Sinjin too, for that matter.
I looked at Sinjin again and had to wonder how he managed to remain so stoically calm all the time. Nothing ever seemed to get under his skin. Maybe that’s what living for centuries on end did to you … “Sinjin, you have to take Jolie and the baby someplace safe,” I decided.
He nodded briefly. “And you?”
“You can’t take me with you,” I answered in no uncertain terms. “I must stay here and face Luce on my own.”
“I will not leave you to that fate,” he countered and shook his head. His usually plump lips were pressed into a tight line that warned me not to argue with him. I couldn’t help feeling a little surprised. As a rule, I didn’t think Sinjin was very fond of me.
“He’s right,” Jolie added. “We’re in this together, remember?”
I immediately shook my head and threw my hands on my hips, spearing them both with an impatient expression. “Have both of you lost your minds?” I railed loudly. I alternated my glare between the two of them, before eventually letting it remain on the elegant vampire. “The queen is your foremost responsibility, Sinjin. You’ve said so often enough.”
Sinjin nodded, but his facial expression said he wanted to argue with me. “In case you temporarily forgot, Lady Macbeth, you also are a vessel of royal blood. You are the princess.”
“So what?” I yelled back. Although I didn’t intend for my voice to sound so abrasive, I was long past the point of levelheadedness. Time was of the utmost essence, and we were squandering it by standing here, arguing.
“My commitment includes the protection of any and all blood relatives to the queen, as well as the queen, herself, of course,” Sinjin finished. He crossed his arms over his expansive chest and looked at me with what appeared to be
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