“All sorts of things.”
“Such as?”
Alden snags a crouton, the loudcrunch—like the splitting of bone—in his mouth sending a jolt through me.
“You know,” he drawls, “last night’s . . . adventures are catching up with me. Think I’ll grab a nap. Wanna join?" He shoots me a wink, and I can’t quite place the look in his eye.
“I’d honestly prefer suffocating myself with my pillow.”
Alden yawns, then says, “Suit yourself.”
“My offer still stands to practice magic together,” Ravi says.
“That’s a great idea!” Alden claps. I frown. I don’t like them teaming up against me. “Do spells, read each other’s cards, or whatever you witches do in your spare time, then we can go out tonight. The three of us.”
Alden leaves the room.
I inhale a deep breath, hating that Alden spent time with Janus. If those meetings are going to keep happening, I need to uncover Janus’s plans sooner rather than later. Ravi may not want to teach me about dreamwalking, but I will convince him to.
“Sounds great,” I say to Ravi. He blinks as if he can’t believe I agree. “I’ll meet you in the gym in an hour.”
After Alden’s fingers violated my uneaten lunch, I no longer have an appetite. With a quiet, determined exit, I leave the room, my heart a drumbeat urging me toward action.
Sittingcross-legged in the palace gym, wearing my workout clothes with my hair pulled into a high ponytail, I glare at Ravi. He’s across from me, mirroring my posture, eyes blissfully shut.
“I can feel you staring at me,” Ravi comments, his eyes still closed. “Are you having trouble connecting to your root? If so, you may need to identify what’s blocking you.”
I glower, even though he can’t see me. This meditation session is agonizing. I need to learn how to use my magic to infiltrate dreams. But Ravi dodged the topic of dreamwalking altogether. First, he said he wanted to show me how to harness the shadows. I managed to impress him by creating shadow figures that resembled barking dogs and hissing snakes. Now, he’s trying to get me to ghost whisper by connecting to my body’ssubtle realmsand unlocking the sevenprimary energy centers. Ugh. I’m bored out of my mind. Besides, I can already talk to ghosts just fine.
I need to learn about dreamwalking so I can figure out my enemies’ plans, but I’m afraid to press him too hard. I don’t want him to guess what I’m up to. If he doesn’t bring it up soon, I’ll have to. We’re running out of daylight.
He takes a deep breath. “You took suppressants for a year. That had to have taken a toll on your psyche. Reflect on how youfeel now that you don’t take them anymore to create a clearer pathway between you and the beyond.”
I scoff. “I am not here to talk about the repercussions of suppressants.”
Ravi cracks a lid. “Why are you here?”
I frown. My interest in Ravi begins and ends with Alden. I see him seated on my throne every time I close my eyes. It’s a constant, infuriating reminder of his true allegiance.Hisallegiance tomyrival. He claims to be a distant cousin, but his true loyalties lie elsewhere. And this “training”? It’s my insurance. My way of making damn sure he doesn’t double-cross me.
“I am here to learn what you can teach me,” I say.
“Well, that requires getting to know you a bit. Why don’t you tell me about your mother?”
My father’s invisible presence hums nearby, radiating unease like my own.
“What about her?” My voice carries a sharpness I hadn’t intended.
“Where is she?” Ravi probes.
“At home.”
“She doesn’t live here with you.” His words don’t come out as a question.
I can’t help but laugh. She would never. Though it’s clear Ravi isn’t amused. His features remain neutral. “No, she doesn’t,” I admit.
He nods solemnly. “I see.”
“And what exactly do you see?” I snap.
