The figure screamed, dropped Selene’s arm, and backed away, clutching her burned hand to her chest. “I will be back.” She seethed, her teeth bared between her black lips. “I will return for my own.” With a twist and flutter of black fabric, she disappeared.

Selene dropped to the floor in a heap.

Damien exhaled and closed his eyes, his hands shaking from the encounter. When he opened them, he was no longer in the dreamscape. Instead, he was in his bed, lying on his side and facing Selene. She lay beside him on her back, staring up at the canopy with wide eyes, her skin pale and clammy.

“Selene?”

At first she didn’t seem to hear him. Then she slowly turned her head and stared at him. Her eyes were dilated and darker than usual.

He sat up and placed a hand on her cheek. “Selene?”

“Damien?” she croaked.

“Yes.”

“I-I . . .”

“I know. You had a nightmare.”

She stared back up at the canopy. “The Dark Lady wants me. There is no escaping her.”

The Dark Lady. So that’s who the figure was. “She does not hold power over you.”

“That’s what you said, but . . .” Her eyes moved as if she were thinking. Then she slowly sat up. “You. You were there. But how?”

“You brought me there.” And not just him, but everyone around Northwind Castle—perhaps Nor Esen itself.

She brought a hand to her face. “How is that possible?” she murmured. “Such a thing has never been heard of within House Ravenwood. But the Dark Lady said . . . But how? Sten, Taegis, Karl, the servants and other guards . . .” She shook her head. “Were they really there?”

“Yes.”

Selene ran her hand down her face, dazed.

“Taegis spoke to me last night. There has been talk around the castle about a shared dream, one involving Northwind Castle, a cloaked figure”—he stared at her—“and you.”

“Why? How?”

“I don’t know.” He leaned in. “You’ve admitted yourself that you know very little about your gift. Is it possible that this is an aspect you never knew about?”

She gave a small, humorless laugh. “If my mother had known we could bring people into our dreams, I’m sure she would have trained me to use my gift in that way. After all, it would have made our missions much safer if we could bring our targets into our own dreamscapes.”

Hearing Selene speak so openly about what her family did with their gift reminded Damien of exactly how sinister House Ravenwood had become. And how different Selene was. Damien tugged on his chin and narrowed his eyes. “The Dark Lady mentioned the first dreamwalker. Do you know who that was? Maybe your mother doesn’t have this ability, but it sounds like an ancestor did?”

Selene studied her fingers. “That’s possible. But why wouldn’t Mother have said something?”

“Maybe she never knew. Selene, how strong do you think your gift is?”