Selene switched back to her raven form, flew past the sword, then transformed into her human form between Amara and Damien’s soulsphere.

Both women were panting now as they stared at each other. Then Amara’s eye shifted beyond Selene to the glowing orb behind her. Selene could see the light reflected in Amara’s eyes.

“Is that what made you defect?” Amara motioned toward Damien’s soul with her sword.

An aching hunger emerged inside Selene. She wanted to look back at the revolving orb, but she held herself in place. “It’s one reason out of many.”

“It’s . . . beautiful. I’ve never seen a soul like it.”

“I know. And it’s not only him. I’ve seen so much beauty, so much light since I left.”

Amara shook her head as if clearing her thoughts and raised her sword. “It’s a pity I must end him. Something you were unable to do.”

Selene raised her swords again. “And I will not let you.”

“I’m curious, what happens to a soul if it is pierced within the dreamscape?”

Selene paused. Mother never said. The only thing Mother had said about soulspheres was to never touch them. That it would awaken the sleeper. Would severing the soulsphere kill the sleeper?

Amara charged.

No time to ponder. She needed to get Amara away from here, away from Damien’s soulsphere. Damien said she could pull people into her own dreamscape. Could she do that with Amara?

It was worth trying.

Selene concentrated on Amara. She focused until all she saw was Amara running and nothing else. The beach faded away.

Amara halted, her eyes wide. “What in the—”

Her sister’s words were lost in the sudden rush of wind. It took all of Selene’s strength and concentration to stay focused on both her sister and their surroundings. Whatever method she had used to bring people into her dreamscape before, it was nothing like pulling her sister from one dream to another.

Moments later, they both fell across a stone floor. The area was dimly lit and surrounded by stone. Above them clouds covered the sky. Selene blinked as she brought her mind to bear, then stood to her feet, her swords still clenched within her hands. She had no idea why, but her subconscious had brought both of them to the highest tower of Rook Castle.

Amara stumbled to her feet as well, and the dazed look from earlier vanished, replaced by a hard look with which Selene was all too familiar. “What did you do to me? Change the dreamscape?”

“No. I took you away from Damien’s mind. You are in my dreamscape now.”

“Th-that’s not possible. No dreamer can do that.” But from the way Amara’s voice quavered, Selene could tell her sister was starting to realize the truth.

“It is. Use your power to feel this dream. You will find you are no longer in Damien’s mind.”

Selene watched her sister’s eyes grow distant, then come back into focus. Amara’s lips grew tight, and she let her breath out through her nostrils. “So you really are as powerful as Mother always said you were.”