In the vision, or whatever it was, she sat next to little Nola’s car seat. The baby wiggled her arms and legs. There was no sign of Bane, not even a hint of his scent. A much-needed reprieve. She would use the time she spent in the past to gain control of her emotions in the present.

Had she actually time-traveled, though? What if she could only see the past, not change it?

Aveline killed with a touch, and Nola had the ability to...remember. How special.

She reached out, her fingers ghosting through the child. How could she become solid?

Again, the man appeared in the road. Nola braced. The car flipped, and finally settled upside down. He walked over and crouched, just as before, and had his conversation with the unseen woman. When he pulled her panic-stricken mother from the car, Nola didn’t panic. Not this time. She crawled from the wreckage, slipping through the mutilated door like a phantom—just in time to watch as the warrior sheathed his daggers, picked up a metal pipe and rammed it through her mother’s throat.

Just like that, her mother went quiet, her body lax.

Wheezing with horror, Nola pressed a hand her mouth. Her knees trembled, threatening to buckle.

Heartbeat.

Heartbeat.

Heartbeat.

Tears sprang again, momentarily blurring her vision. Her chest—raw. Her stomach—twisted. The cruelty of this man’s deeds...the savagery... He’d had no compassion, no mercy or care. He’d ended a life as violently as possible.

And he wasn’t done.

He grabbed her mother by the hair and tossed her back into the car.

Nola’s tears spilled over, stinging her cheeks. Can’t let him get away with this.

He lifted his hand, revealing a plethora of rings. A triangle of light glowed from one, the image of a flaxen-haired beauty in the center.

“It is done, my queen,” he said, his tone bored.

Nola’s muscles turned to stone. Queen?

The woman smirked, beyond superior. “You shall be handsomely rewarded, Micah. That, I promise you.”

Micah. Finally, Nola had a name. He will pay.

With a low, intimate tone, he said, “Will you invite me back to your bed, sweet Aveline?”

Nola sucked in a breath. Aveline. This flaxen-haired beauty was Aveline, Bane’s queen and Meredith’s murderer. The one responsible for Nola’s heritage and subsequent pain. The one who’d sent Bane into her life.

Rage hit her, and hit hard, her dark side utterly taking over. I will slaughter the queen and her soldier. And every member of their families!

“We will discuss it upon your return.”

“Very well,” he said. “Is she the one?”

“Yes,” Aveline hissed, clearly giddy. “Remove her heart and her head, then kill the child.”

“There is no child,” he said.

With a snarl, Nola edged closer. Closer. Careful. Do not draw their attention.

Too late. Aveline looked her way. The queen’s jaw dropped. She sees me?