“You think he is the puppet, but in fact, you are.” I laughed, bending at my waist.
“You’re lying.” She shrieked again. “You are trying to turn me against him.”
I wiped my tears as I stood back up. “Why would I do that? You keep acting like I want to break you up, but I have no reason to do that.” I leveled a stare at her. “I am not forgiving. And my wolf yearns for her mate. The moment he left me to burn was the moment any affection I had left me.”
Now she laughed. “You think I’ll believe you? He’s the King!”
“Oh Verity. You act like that changes anything.” I looked at my nails. “He is a king. But I am a queen.” It was the first time I was admitting it, but she wouldn’t think anything of it. She would think I was just boasting. “Power is everything. And you yourself felt my power yesterday.”
She glared at me. “So you have some power. Rowan is still stronger than you.” I wanted to laugh, but I kept my mouth shut. “You still have to bow down to him.” She smirked. “To me, when I become your queen.”
Toya laughed. “You think so much of yourself. The hollow queen. No one will take you seriously.”
“Shut up.” Verity whirled on her. “Youwillbow to me.”
Toya held up her hands in surrender. “I will bow down to my rightful queen, and no one else.” She turned to me. “I’m tired, and we have other things to do tonight. What do we have to do to get her out of my mind?”
Verity laughed. “There isn’t anything you can do to get me out of here.”
I snapped my hand out, catching her by her throat again. “You always seem to underestimate others, Verity.”
“And overestimate yourself.” Toya added.
She choked for a moment, clawing at my hand. “There isn’t anything you can do.”
“You see, that is where you are wrong. I can assume this is like spirit walking. Your soul leaving your body makes it vulnerable to others.”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“Your body…just an empty shell, ready to be taken over by any wandering soul out there. Looking for a nice new life to try again.”
“I’m not spirit walking.” She tried to deny it.
“I said like spirit walking. A portion of your soul is here, digging away at Toya and my friends. But another is in your body.” I smiled. “However, a partially exposed body is still exposed, and a whole soul would win against a partial one.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” She shook her head.
“But she does.” Toya came close. “She almost lost her life to a Mara.”
I could see the terrifying truth on Verity’s face. “A Mara…”
Toya nodded “A bitter soul who decided to spirit walk without an anchor…You do have an anchor, right Verity?” Toya flipped her braid behind her shoulder. I looked at her for a second before turning back, an idea forming in my mind.
Verity shook her head. “A Mara can only enter an empty shell.” She was trying to push the truth away.
I nodded solemnly. “You are right.” She smiled. “But isn’t a shell empty if a part of your soul, and your attention, are here? Couldn’t the rest of you just be pulled out?” I plucked a piece of her hair. “Like this hair, and then you will be left to wander.”
She shook her head. “No.” But she didn’t sound confident.
I lifted my shoulder. “You might be right. But it doesn’t matter.”
“Why doesn’t it matter?”
“Because what I really want to know is what happens to this part of your soul if Toya forces you out.”
She grinned. “She can’t. I’ll be here for as long as it takes, eating away at your bond.”
“But just think about it. What would happen?” I pushed.
