Alexandra turned toward Jaenelle’s voice—and stared at the creature who now stood a few feet away. Stared at the slender, naked human body; at the human legs that ended in delicate hooves; at the human hands that had unsheathed claws instead of fingernails; at the delicately pointed ears; at the gold mane that wasn’t quite hair and wasn’t quite fur; at the tiny spiral horn in the middle of its forehead; at the frozen sapphire eyes.

*What are you?* Alexandra whispered.

*I am dreams made flesh,* the other answered. *I am Witch.*

Jaenelle’s voice. Jaenelle’s strange eyes. But…

Alexandra backed away. No. No. *You’re what’s inside…*

She couldn’t say it. Revulsion choked her. This is what her daughter Leland had birthed? This?

*What did you do with my granddaughter?* Alexandra demanded.

*I did nothing to her.*

*You must have! What did you do? Devour the spirit in order to use the flesh?*

*If you mean the husk you call Jaenelle, that flesh was always mine. I was born within that skin.*

*Never! Never! You couldn’t have come from Leland.*

*Why?* Witch asked.

*Because you’re monstrous.*

A painful silence. Then Witch said coldly, *I am what I am.*

*And whatever that is, it didn’t come from my daughter. It didn’t come from me.*

*Your dreams—*

*NO! THERE IS NO PART OF ME IN YOU!*

Another long silence. Beyond the wall of rocks, it sounded like a fierce storm was gathering.

*Have you anything else to say?* Witch asked quietly.

*I will never have anything to say to you,* Alexandra replied.

*Very well.*

The rock walls vanished. The power in the abyss rushed in to fill the empty space—and tried to fill the vessel inside that space.

Alexandra felt that rushing flood of power start to crush her, then felt another source of dark power balance and control that flood, to keep her mind from shattering. Something inside her snapped and, for a fleeting second, she felt intense pain and agonizing grief.

And then she felt nothing at all.

Alexandra woke slowly. She was lying in a bed, covered up and comfortably warm, but it only took a moment for her to realize something was wrong. Her head had an odd stuffed-with-wool feeling, and her body ached as if she had a fever.

She opened her eyes, saw Saetan sitting in a chair near the bed, and said hoarsely, “I don’t want you.”

“I don’t want you either,” he replied dryly as he reached for a mug sitting on the bedside table. “Here. This will help clear your head.”

With a grunt, she propped herself up on one elbow—and saw her Opal Jewels, the pendant and ring, lying on the table. They were empty, completely drained of the reservoir of stored power.