He hissed a foul curse. The only way to communicate with him, sans the ring...

She’d come to Terra, as he’d feared, bringing a thousand consequences with her. Or she’d strengthened exponentially. Either way, his fury murdered his shock. His hopes for a better tomorrow imploded one by one.

No. No! She’d spoiled centuries of his life. Enough was enough. She would not take Nola from him, too.

Using his bond with Nola, he crafted an internal block, just as his princess had so often done. Must have worked, because he ceased hearing Aveline’s voice.

What should they do about her? If the murderess had come to Earth...

Nola was right. He needed to perform the Blood Rite. A prospect he found as exciting and dreadful as his lo—like for her.

He would begin hunting Aveline. He would find her, and he would secretly spy on her. Somehow, he needed to test her power over him.

Since he had cut off her communication, he knew her hold over him had weakened considerably.

Enough to let me strike her down?

He could pick a time and place and summon her, testing the waters. When the time came, he could make his move. Nola wouldn’t have to be involved.

The thought calmed him. All would be well.

He put his nose in her hair and breathed her in, then drifted off, content...

NOLA AWOKE A short time later, her mind in turmoil.

She knew how desperately Bane wanted to be the one who killed the queen, but instinct told her only a royal could kill another royal. She and Aveline would fight.

She had to prepare for war. Bottom line: Bane’s fate rested in the hands of the winner.

Her dread amplified. What if she performed the Blood Rite on herself?

Nola considered what little she knew about the ceremony. 1) Must wear the blood of an enemy. 2) Must burn to ash. 3) Might rise again.

Enemy...enemy...who qualified, other than Aveline? Uh, try lupus and fibromyalgia.

Wait. Could she use her own blood without, you know, killing herself? Her heart began to pump with more force. Lupus and fibromyalgia had been her worst enemies for years. And burning to ash would be agonizing, but it wouldn’t be difficult to do. Rising again...yeah, that one came with serious snags. Would it occur automatically, or did something specific have to happen first?

Did it matter? Once she initiated the Blood Rite, no one could stop it. In fact, Bane would be forced to finish it. If she started it, then alerted him, he’d have to finish it or watch her die.

Already thinking like a cold, callous queen.

The sad thing? For the first time, she couldn’t distinguish Dark Nola from Original Nola. They were morphing into one person.