I frowned at him. “I’m no one’s bondmate.” Except maybe Pischiel’s one day.
He took a deep breath and nodded toward my wrist. “That mark says differently.”
“My birthmark?”
He held up his own arm, pulling back the sleeve of the strange white shirt he wore. “It’s not a birthmark, Danica. This is the symbol of our love. You burned this mark into my skin when you saved my life.”
My lips had gone numb. Grandfather had said these people would try to trick me, but I’d never expected anything like this. Replicating my birthmark, of all things. Few people knew of the mark on my wrist since grandfather had advised me to keep it hidden. Obviously, there were spies closer to us than we could have ever expected.
“Visit my dreams again, and I’ll have my grandfather’s witch cast you out.”
He gaped at me. And then he laughed. “Gloria? If you can overcome your instinctive desire to kill her, I’ll be impressed.”
How did he know about that? I’d told no one how much I hated the witch. “Stay away from me.”
“Never. You’remine, Danica.Remember.”
I turned and ran until the mist disappeared, and I woke, panting in my bed.
It was dark, the maids in their own quarters. I could pull a rope and have them bring me a nightcap, but I shook the thought off. I was the princess of the underworld. And I was going to visit my grandfather’s dungeon.
* * *
Samael
I roared as I leapt from the bed. Demon fire poured from me, and Bael threw open the door, his ward protecting him from the flames that licked up the walls.
“Samael!” he screamed. “Pull it back.”
I… couldn’t.
The flames licked the ceiling now. If I couldn’t gain control, my power would destroy this tower. And then it would move on to the city Danica called home.
“What happened?” Bael roared at me.
“He’s taken her memories. She…fearedme.”
Evie appeared in the doorway, automatically enveloped in Bael’s ward.
“Hewhat?”
The sight of Evie… helped. It hurt, pulling back the power that wanted to tear every world apart until my little witch was in my arms. But I wouldn’t harm Danica’s sister.
The power slowly trickled back into me. The walls were destroyed. So was most of the furniture, although it was likely I had subconsciously placed a ward around the bed, as it was untouched, Danica’s sleep shirt still on top of her pillow.
I turned away from the bed, and blocked out the wreckage of the rest of the room. Bael and Evie both parted as I stalked through the doorway and toward the bar.
“Tell us,” Evie demanded.
My hand shook as I poured a scotch. “Lucifer stole her memories. But it wasn’t a simple forgetting spell, because he’s replaced those memories with others. He must have worked with the black witch. It would have required unimaginable power—likely borrowed from the underworld itself. She… she was wearing a dress. She didn’t even know she was a witch. Didn’t recognize me. Threatened to work with Gloria to have me blocked from her dreams.”
“How? How did Lucifer do it?”
“He would have used Gloria, his power, and water from the Lethe.”
Evie’s face was ashen when I turned.
“The Lethe?” she asked.
