Chapter 26

When I opened my eyes, I was lying on a soft patch of grass in the middle of a clearing, twin moons shimmering above me. Shit. I remembered this place. Rushing to sit up, I looked around quickly, expecting to see the hellhounds or even the bone queen. The dense forest surrounding the clearing was eerily quiet, same as the last time I'd dream-walked. I breathed a sigh of relief.

I wondered if the elf-like creature who saved me the last time was out there watching me. I had so many questions about this place, and I had a feeling he could answer them. Behind me, that impending tree with the massive mirror stood tall like a sentinel. My heart began to gallop, remembering what I'd seen through the mirror the last time I was here.

I must have been brought here for a reason.

Reaching for my chest, I hoped to find the pendant my mother had given me, but it was gone. I pushed to my feet and searched my clothes for my dagger. Seemed I'd been stripped of my weapon as well. My clothes were mine at least, though I was barefoot. Wiggling my toes, I let the cool feel of the grass and earth ground me. This was a dream. I could control it. I could will myself to wake up if I needed to.

Ahead, a pulsing, icy blue light shimmered over the mirror's surface, beckoning me.

A part of me trembled at the idea of looking through the mirror, and another part couldn't silence the curiosity. As I neared the tree, I felt a cool breeze brush through my hair. Maybe I imagined it. Maybe it had been someone's breath. I didn't look behind me to confirm.

Pressing my fingertips to the mirror, I gasped as the frost covering the surface disappeared, revealing the inside of a grand ballroom on the other side. It looked like the interior of a gothic cathedral with massive stained-glass windows encircling the entire room, except the pictures painted on them depicted scenes from this alienworld—battles, beasts I'd never seen. The room was mesmerizing. Large chandeliers hung from the vaulted ceilings; the lights illuminated as if by magic.

Women and men stood around in one large circle, as if clearing the dance floor for a special dance. Dressed in extravagant gowns of deep reds, greens, and indigos, the women looked like something out of a fairytale. The men were dressed equally as elegant in clothes made of fine silks and threads. A young man dressed in a gold and green elaborate suit fit for a king walked into the middle of the circle. A short, golden crown sat over his thick auburn hair—a lustrous mane that fell to his shoulders.

His large, amber-colored eyes twinkled like gems as music filled the air and he scanned the crowd as if looking for someone in particular. Several unaccompanied women blushed as he approached them, but their shoulders slouched every time he passed them by.

Yeah, he was looking for someone in particular.

He pushed through the crowd and walked to a far corner of the room where a woman dressed modestly, but wearing a thick, velvety burgundy cloak, stood. She'd been trying to blend into the background, but there was no hiding from him. With one hand behind his back, he extended the other and bowed slightly, inviting her to join him on the dance floor.

Everyone's gaze was zeroed in on the woman he'd selected. Hand shaking, she seemed to question whether she should accept his proposition.

"Please, Rayne, honor me with this dance." His voice was like honey, rich and sweet.

Hood obscuring most of her features except her mouth, she accepted, a small smile curling the corners of her ruby-colored lips. He guided her toward the dance floor, and everyone parted to let them pass. Some looked shocked, others were stunned.

Once in the middle of the dance floor, something like a waltz began to play and the young prince lowered the hood from the woman's head, revealing a face that looked like…

Suddenly, a strange sensation filled my body and I felt like I was being pulled through the mirror. I tried to fight it, but before I could brace myself on the frame, I stood in front of the prince, looking up at those glimmering eyes. He placed a hand on the small of my back and delicately took my other as he glided me—her, us—across the marble dance floor.

What the hell is happening…

"What are you doing, Keryth?"

"We are dancing."

"You know that's not what I mean. Everyone is staring at us."

"Let them."

"But so is your mother. And she looks less than thrilled."

"You imply that I care what she thinks."

"She's the Queen, Keryth." At those words, I quickly shifted my gaze toward the back of the room where the Queen stood on a dais, watching with fury in her eyes. I instantly recognized the red flames of her hair. Queen Amarenthia.

"To me, she's just my mother. I will handle her."

"There's no handling this. It's the first dance of this ball. A ball she threw in your honor and as a welcome to the three princesses who are being presented to you."

Guiding us through the dance, we swirled in perfect harmony. "I know why she threw this ball. She wants me to pick a bride, but I've already made my choice."

"Keryth, you are outwardly insulting their fathers, the kings of?—"

"Have I told you how stunning you look tonight?" He spun us around and leaned into my ear, his breath sending a shiver down my spine. "Impossibly breathtaking. Every woman in this room dulls in your presence."

"Why are you doing this?" she asked again, her breath hitched.

"Because I'm tired of being told who I can be with, who I should marry. I want you, Rayne. Only you."

Rayne pulled away from his arms, and I swore the entire room went silent. "This is a fantasy," she said. "You and I, we're from different worlds." She gestured to everyone still standing in the circle. "You're a prince, Keryth. I'm a mage. They'd never accept our union. Coming here tonight was a mistake." She pulled the hood over her head and walked away from him, disappearing into the crowd, leaving him in the middle of the dance floor.

He called out to her, but she ran through the ballroom and out the large double doors. In that instant, my spirit returned to me, but just as quickly, I was sucked through another black hole. My world spun out of control, arms flaying until with one gasp, my eyes burst open.

Vision blurry,I squinted, shutting and opening my eyes until I could focus. In that same breath, my body was overtaken by the rush of lava erupting from my heart and running through my blood like rivers of fire.

Holy fuck. My flesh was aflame, and a gurgling scream escaped my lungs as I thrashed on the flat surface where I lay.

Restraints held me down.

"Relax, Avery, you are only going to make things worse," a female voice uttered.

"But it hurts! Please help…it burns!"

"It will go away soon. Hold still, it will sting less."

I bit hard on my jaw, trying to muffle my screams, but it was useless. This was worse than being burned at the stake. I prayed for death. Prayed for the nothingness. "Let this end, please. Kill me."

My heart slammed against my ribs."What's wrong with me?" I stammered as I fought the trembles seizing my body.

"You were sedated and are experiencing a side effect."

Slowly, the sea of fire swimming through my veins receded. The trembles stopped and my breathing slowed. I opened my eyes again and realized my restraints were not made of metal but of flesh and bone.

The women holding me down withdrew their hands when they noted my confusion. "We had to hold you down."

That voice… I knew that voice. Groggy, I sat up, eyes roaming the female's face, more memories sprouting in my head. That blond hair, those green eyes…

A million butterflies swarmed in my stomach. "You're the biker chick…" I said, gaze darting toward every corner of my strange surroundings, an ominous prickle skittering over my skin. Holy mother of God. This was the vampire who'd help ambush me when I tried to escape from Kane.

But where was I?

I slid my legs off the monstrous-sized canopied bed and stood, continuing to scan the room. Sandy-colored rugs blanketed the dark, wood floors. Hunter-green-colored heavy curtains clung to tall windows, gold-embossed wallpaper covered the walls, and an enormous, crystal-and-wrought-iron chandelier hung from the ceiling. An antique armoire stood in the corner, along with an equally beautiful wood vanity.

Stars. If I didn't know the woman standing in front of me was a vampire and that I'd been kidnapped, I'd swear I'd been swept away to a gothic castle far, far away.

But this did not feel like a fairytale. These monsters had taken me captive, and I needed to know why.

"When I wasn't able to wake you, I administered a shot of adrenaline," she went on, as if telling someone they'd been drugged was a normal topic of conversation. "It was supposed to give you a little jolt, but it had a much harsher effect on your body."

I scowled, heat rising up my neck. "A jolt? You chemically electrocuted me. Whatever the heck you gave me almost killed me." My knees wobbled as I tried to take a step. "Who are you and where the devil's hell am I?"

The blond vampire squared her shoulders, and she took a defensive stance, her lithe but muscular body promising she could inflict some serious damage if I didn't watch my tone. "My name is Ice. This is Anya," she said, gesturing to the white-haired woman standing beside her.

Anya's honey-colored eyes assessed me. "And you are in Stonehaven."

"Excuse me?"

"Scotland."