I couldn’t believe I was going to see Raif again. I paced my bedroom, thinking of all the things that needed to be said between us. I was a bundle of nerves at the thought of being able to be with him again. Stephan explained that he hadn’t been convinced I’d want to say goodbye, that I’d want to watch Raif die. Raif was my mate, the other half of my soul. If I couldn’t figure out a way to free him from his destiny, I at least wanted to hold him as he left this world.

“Take the time to sleep,” Stephan admonished. “You need to heal, and the best way to do that is through sleep.”

“How could I possibly sleep?” I snapped at him. My stomach was in knots at the thought of what was about to happen. I couldn’t admit to Stephan that a part of me was still hoping beyond hope that there would be some way to stop this. My heart broke at the thought of seeing Raif again just to let him slip away.

“Here, drink this. It has a potion that will allow you to drift off.” At my skeptical look, he continued. “I vow to wake you with plenty of time to see your mate. Sleep, Tasha. Please.”

It was the please. Pleases always did me in. I took the tea, pacing and worrying as I absentmindedly sipped it. There had to be a way to prevent this. I wasn’t ready to lose Raif and possibly lose myself in the process. There had to be a loophole. If only I had more time. I’d be able to research and find a way out of this mess. If I only…if I could just…

The thoughts were blurring together in my mind. I couldn’t follow the thread of a single one. My body was heavy and disoriented. I looked at the empty cup in my hands. Dang, that worked fast!

The cup rolled out of my numb fingers and onto the floor as my body fell against the side of the mattress. My head flopped back against the middle of the bed. As soon as my head hit the soft comforter, I was out, still trying to figure out if I was grateful or angry that I’d let Stephan drug me.

Hours later, I finally met the elusive Marcy. She was a petite girl with a heart shaped face, huge blue eyes, and a shapely body. Everything about her was tiny, except her eyes. They were filled with laughter as she woke me up.

“It’s about time you started coming around. If you sleep any longer, you’ll miss the whole ceremony. We can’t have that now, can we?” She smiled her thin lips as she bounced over to the bathroom. I heard the shower start and groaned.

Whatever Stephan had put in my tea left one hell of a hangover. I sat up on the edge of my bed with my head in my hands.

Sighing with resignation, I ran my fingers through my hair to remove the lingering feeling of fatigue from my psyche. I stopped abruptly, the length of my hair finally registering in my sleep-addled brain. It was back! I gathered the soft strands in my fists, smiling at the slight pull against my scalp. This was one myth I could get on board with.

I remembered a movie from when I was a teen, where a child vampire cut her hair only to scream as it immediately grew back. Mine wasn’t as instantaneous, but it was interesting that it grew so fast. I wondered, for a moment, if it would always do that. Checking the rest of me, I was surprised to see that my skin was no longer splotchy either. I still had a faint pinkish hue, but for the most part, I was me again. I had a dopey grin on my face, both hands fisted in my hair as Marcy walked back into the bedroom. She laughed with me, not understanding why I was laughing, but glad to share cheer with someone.

I ran past her to look in the bathroom mirror. I stripped off my clothes and stood in front of the mirror. Even the cut on my hip was disappearing. Outside, I was whole, normal, and complete. I could sense the internal damage but knew time would be the only healer for those wounds. Stephan wouldn’t have a magic sleeping potion to fix that. With the sight of my hair and almost healed body, I had hope.

I smiled at my reflection, pleased that Raif’s last image of me wouldn’t be that of a half-healed woman, but the woman he remembered. My smile fell as my thoughts brought me back to what was going to happen in a few short hours. That thought sobered me as I bathed.

Marcy brought a handful of sweet-smelling scrubs for me, along with some ridiculous oils and creams. I picked one that reminded me of my time in Atlantis. It was a sweet, tangy scent with just a hint of mint. It was crisp, clean, and made me feel sexy.

She was there when I stepped out of the shower, towel in hand. Within minutes, the petite woman had me dried, my hair styled, and was working on my nails. I halfheartedly protested the attention, but Marcy waved her hands to dismiss me and was done before I knew it. I was still trying to figure out how this small woman managed to dominate the room when she started applying makeup on me.

“Wait, Marcy. Not that I don’t appreciate what you’re doing, but I don’t usually wear makeup.” I smiled at her as I leaned away from a brush. She smiled back.

“You don’t really need it anyway. Let’s get you dressed.” Her eyes glittered in excitement. She brought out every protective and caring instinct I had in my bones. Bouncing out of the bathroom, she hummed with energy and excitement. “Stephan should be ready to start soon. You’re so lucky to do this with him!”

A minute later, I strolled back into the bedroom. Marcy had already picked out a beautiful dress and matching shoes. It was strapless with a sweetheart neckline and flowed to the floor. The top was a deep teal that faded into the deep black of the nighttime ocean waters as it reached the floor.

Marcy zipped around me, and before I knew it, I was draped in the beautiful dress. She smiled, adjusting my pendant to sit at my cleavage. It fit perfectly.

“It’s beautiful,” I whispered. I swayed side to side, watching as the skirt billowed in waves around my ankles. I felt like a princess. “Thank you.”

“This was all Stephan. He knew you’d want to look nice tonight, but I don’t think he expected this. You look absolutely stunning. We should get going.” Her excitement was infectious. I couldn’t help but smile back at her. I understood now why John liked being with her so much.

She led me down the stairs, continuing on to the underbelly of the club and into a place I’d yet to explore. At the end of the staircase was a large, heavy door. She motioned me toward it.

“This is as far as I go. Good luck tonight.” She smiled again, running back up the stairs behind me. I listened as she bounded up the stairs and into the club beyond. My nerves returned as the hidden door to the club closed behind her. I wasn’t sure what to expect tonight and wasn’t sure I could just stand by and watch as Raif was killed.

Squaring my shoulders, I opened the door and walked into the room from my dream. The door slid to a quiet close as I took in my surroundings. A thousand candles were lit, with incense burning on the altar in the center. Standing with his back to me, Stephan lit more incense.

He was surrounded by candles. The entire room seemed to flicker. I stood in the entryway, unsure of myself. I could feel a hum of power building and knew Stephan had already started. I cleared my throat.

He paused and glanced over his bare shoulder. Whatever he was about to say died on his lips. His magnesium eyes heated, echoing with the feelings I hid in my heart. I hoped my own feelings were hidden better than his.

I wasn’t sure how someone could love two completely different men so deeply, but as I stood there, looking at Stephan, knowing I was about to see Raif, I felt twin pangs of love and betrayal. Raif held my soul, my very essence, but I could no longer deny that Stephan held my heart. I didn’t know when it had happened exactly, but I knew in the very fibers of my being that it was true. I loved them both, deeply, passionately, and without reservation.

“Thank you for the dress. It’s beautiful.” I smiled shyly at him. “Where do you want me?” He blushed, eyes darkening at my question. It took me a moment to understand his expression and grasp the undertones of what I’d asked. I returned his blush. “I-I mean…what I meant was…” I stuttered over the words until he rescued me.

“Step carefully over the candles and stand here with me.” He watched as I lifted my skirts to my knees, revealing my bare feet as I gently stepped over the candles. I stood next to him at the altar, the incense swirling around us with thick, cloying smoke. It instantly relaxed my tense muscles, and I inhaled more of the tangy scent.

“You are so beautiful,” Stephan whispered. I tensed slightly at his words, memories of another voice stating that very same thing flashed in my head. He looked startled at my reaction.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, knowing he wasn’t Tommy. Tommy was dead, and I was safe. I could smell Stephan’s distinct scent under the smell of incense and knew he’d never cause me pain like that. My face flushed with shame, and I ducked my head so he wouldn’t see the pain that must be evident on my face. I still couldn’t talk about my time at Nicholas’s house. “Thank you. Do I need to do anything?”

He took a step closer to me so our bodies were a breath apart. Gently, he cupped my face in his hands, leaving goose bumps on my flesh. He lifted my chin with his hands so I could see the truth in his eyes.

“You are perfection.” He whispered the words, and I trembled. He blinked, ending the spell and returning to the task at hand. “I need your left hand. This spell requires the blood of the one who will pass into the portal. It takes your essence and blends it with Atreyu’s, connecting this room with the one in Atlantis. You may feel some odd sensations, a pulling against your aura, but stay by my side until I tell you otherwise.”

I gave him a trembling hand. I couldn’t tell if it was fear or desire causing my body to shiver. I was going to see my mate. Stephan held my hand and sliced the meaty part of my palm, just under my thumb. Blood welled and dripped steadily into a cup he held underneath. It didn’t take long for the cup to fill, and the wound closed within moments, leaving a small smear of blood on my palm. He brought it to his lips, licking it gently with his tongue.

Taking the cup, he poured a thin circle around us, in front of the burning circle of candles. He spoke words I didn’t understand under his breath as he walked the circle. When he reached the beginning of the circle of blood, it closed with an audible pop. I could feel the power vibrating within the confines of the circle. My body hummed with energy.

Stephan drew a line with chalk on the floor, coating it immediately with my blood. He continued his chant, the power building as he spoke. From the line of chalk, a dark swirling doorway grew. I watched in fascination as it pulled itself out of the floor, the dark mist beckoning me closer. I’d taken a small step closer to the portal before realizing I’d even moved.

Blinking, I shook my head to clear it from the portal’s call. I had to wait for Stephan. His back was to me, sweat pouring off his body in little rivers. He was shaking with the effort it took to call forth the portal between the two lands.

“It’s time.” His voice was husky and heavily accented. His eyes swirled with power as he gestured toward the portal. I walked in before my nerves could convince me otherwise.