?Are you aware you?re fragmenting?? Emma asked archly, waving vaguely toward my head.

I felt that cold, muted sensation against and through my shields, and it actually dimmed the headache which had been lurking at the base of my skull all night. I shrugged. ?Am I??

?You have let yourself become a mess, Alysia.? Wreathed by a barely visible pink nimbus, Emma frowned and closed her eyes. I could clumsily sense her scanning my mind again.

?Llehlnia?s personality and memories seem to have been almost completely assimilated into your own, probably due to the similar bloodline and the passing of time. The other, as you suspected, is wreaking havoc in your psyche. I rebuilt your shields again, but they won?t last.

?Apparently, despite your Infernal heritage, you are just not suited to hosting more than one complete soul for any period of time. I?m inclined to attribute it to your empathy. Don?t you know some sorcery to draw them out and store them?? Emma concluded coolly.

I pushed to my feet and walked to the window, looking out at the small courtyard which set the house away from the quiet street. A watchman walked slowly down the lane. He carried some sort of firearm and a small magelight which shone a dim red halo on his toes. Rhydin has little or no civic authority, and I wondered who paid him to perform his duties.

?I do,? Emma snapped. ?He discourages former students from visiting. You are wandering again.?

?Soul cages, by nature, can?t work on the caster,? I explained as I turned around. I was feeling sarcastic, so I added, ?Don?t happen to know any other demons around with a predilection for sorcery instead of brute force, do you??

The tapping was repeated. Quiet words were exchanged at the entry, and a young woman was shown in. She was clad in a black embroidered silk robe with wide sleeves and a neatly tied sash, and her hair was incandescent red, bound into a tail at her back. The frown smoothed from Emma's features as the visitor was recognized.

"Good evening, Baroness. Lady Skye, I received a message that you wished to speak with me?" The girl bowed formally to each of them, keeping her eyes downcast.

"I did," I nodded, a bit irritated at the interruption. "Bide, Yvette. What I have to say involves you, so you may remain."

I half-smiled at Emma, showing the points of my fangs. It's a peculiar smile with overtones that only one familiar with vampires might understand. Of course, the White Queen was quite versed in such expressions, so she was smirking as I spoke. "Lucien thought I might be helped by a trip, getting away from everything for a while, so we're going to Horseshoe Island. I've been there once or twice before, and have asked Ruby to . . . oversee Dark Lake Manor in my absence.

Yvette Ruby, the red-haired silk-robed girl, nodded. Her eyes remained fixed on the floor. I could sense that she was surprised and felt honored.

"The wards there are easy to maintain, and I probably would have imposed upon you for this," I continued. "But Lucien suggested that I ask you to come with us."

The memory of that surprising conversation flickered through my thoughts:

"Did you wish for Emma to join us?" Lucien asked, setting his glass down and slipping his hands into his pockets.

"Surely you're joking," I remarked.

"Actually, I am quite serious."

I bitterly shook my head, not quite vehemently, speaking quietly. "Are you that afraid that I'm going to lose my mind, that you think she should be present to pick up the pieces?"

"No...not at all. I'm not worried that is going to happen at all," Lucien answered without a hint of doubt. He leaned his back against the bar, turning to face the rest of the Inn. His attention remained on the Priestess. "I was just thinking this is time for family and she's family. Even if we don't always see eye to eye," he added with a wink.


I turned back toward Emma and wrested my thoughts back under control, aware that she was sifting through that memory. "Since my exile, you are all the family I have now. I would appreciate you being there. And you might enjoy yourself."