“Less than an hour ago, I awoke with the same memory,” she went on. “The princess is a memory manipulator, an ability once wielded by Jayne, the worst queen in our history.” Fear laced her tone. “I doubt you remember her. Jayne used her memories to change the past and the future.”

Do not smile. Don’t you dare. “Jayne,” he said, pretending to search his mind for information about her.

Aveline’s mother had killed Jayne while she was sleeping and stolen the throne. Then Aveline had murdered her own mother to do the same.

“Are you trying to say a hybrid princess is Jayne’s reincarnation?” He would have laughed if he hadn’t been busy shuddering. Rumors had forever abounded, of course, stating the strongest queens found a way to be reborn and reclaim their thrones, but Bane had never encountered one.

Was Nola a reincarnation? She had two things in common with Jayne. At least! The sickening before intimacy, and the ability.

“Either that, or the princess and former queen share a relative,” Aveline said, “though I believed we had sussed out and killed everyone in Jayne’s bloodline.”

No way Nola had lived a past life. He would have sensed it. She would have remembered it. No doubt Aveline’s second supposition was true. One of the breeders had come from Jayne’s lineage.

“Right now, the girl’s ability is weak,” Aveline persisted. “All she can do is spirit walk. If she isn’t stopped, she’ll learn how to kill anyone she desires, at any time, and we won’t know until it’s too late.”

How had Jayne—The answer arose from deep in his memories. Before traveling back, she’d had to make a blood sacrifice.

He sucked in a breath. The implications of this...

If Nola made a human sacrifice, she could travel back in solid form, rather than splitting spirit from body, leaving the two intangible. To save someone, another had to perish. Blood for blood, life for life. But she wasn’t a cold-blooded murderess, and he could not—would not—ask her to be.

Therefore, she would not be going back to save Meredith.

Decision made. A tsunami of relief flooded him, guilt nipping at its heels.

They would forge ahead, as originally planned.

Bane had much to think about and much to do. Namely, keep Micah away from Nola.

Ready to end the call and whisk her to safety, he told Aveline, “I’m in danger.” Truth. He was always in danger. “I must go.”

As she sputtered a protest, he pressed his thumb against the ring. The light died.