Persephone, save me. This cannot be happening right now.

Cane wants me to...I can't even—I don't even know if I can put it into words. How could he even think for a fucking second that I'd want to do this? That I'd ever even entertain the notion?

Me. Kill Elias.

Destroy the other half of my soul.

No matter how mad I am at him, no matter if I think he should've found me by now, or if I'm convinced he's given up on finding me, I could never ever take his life. What the fuck is Cane thinking? I told him once I could never kill him. What makes him think I could kill the man I was in love with...may still be in love with?

I couldn't eat another bite after Cane told me his ludicrous plan, but I had to pretend everything was okay and that I wasn't 100% horrified by what he'd just proposed. I was nervous enough when he said he wanted to give me the world. I had no idea he was that serious about me. That he'd want me here with him forever.

It turns out he doesn't. He's using me to get to Elias. That's what it's been all along. Does he think I'm stupid or something? That I don't see that? For fuck's sake, I—

"Cordelia?"

I snap out of my thoughts and give him my attention, pretending I had been engrossed in picking at the chocolate cake he'd served me for dessert. The only reason I'm not scared it's poisoned is because I understand now how much he needs me to do his dirty work.

"Yeah?"

"Are you all right?"

I force a smile and hope I'm a good enough actress to pull this off, at least for now. "Yeah, why?"

He brushes my hair out of my face and tucks it behind my ear, and it's all I can do to not recoil from his touch. "I just put a lot on you, and you're taking it all in stride. You're strong, coelhinha, but it would also be human of you to be upset. I mean, just hours ago you were crying over a squirrel."

Fuck, he's right. Pivot, Cordelia. Pivot. "Trust me, I'm freaking out on the inside, but I'm trying to hold it together."

He grips the back of my neck and kisses my forehead. "We don't have to plan this all tonight. You have just dug deep into your powers today. I don't plan on you making a move until you're ready. We will keep honing your powers."

I wonder just how long I can hold him off. I haven't met anyone in my dreams for days now, and I have to get word to Elias somehow. It's not like I can call or even write him a letter. The best way to reach him is in our sleep.

I nod and push away my plate. "Okay. Thank you for dinner, Cane. It was delicious. I'm—" Shit, I can't tell him I'm tired. I just woke up from that long as hell nap. He'll know something is off. "Do you want to watch a movie or something?"

He tilts his head and narrows his eyes. I can feel him seeing straight through me. Acting normal when he has asked me to do something so atrocious to someone I care for feels impossible, but I have to find a way to convince him that I'm on board with his plan, and he is my forever.

My forever.

My stomach drops. Cane and I may share a bond that mirrors the one I have with his brother...all except my true feelings. It doesn't matter that fate tied me to both of them.

What I share with Elias is stronger than that. It can withstand half-truths and the secrets he kept. The only thing that's keeping me from wanting him back with everything in me is his thievery. He stole my choice to seal our primal bond. That was supposed to be mine to give freely, and I will never have that chance again. I don't know if I can ever forgive him for that.

I shake the overwhelming sadness threatening to pull me under and flash Cane a playful smile. "Would it really be a perfect night in if we didn't watch a rom-com?" Stepping closer to him, I brush my fingertips through the hair on the back of his head.

He takes my hand and brings my knuckles to his lips. "Is that what the lady wants?"

I tamp down the quivering nerves in my belly and nod, hopefully not too enthusiastically. "Yeah, that sounds good."

"All right then, that's what we'll do. In bed or down here?" he asks, cleaning the dishes off the table.

"I—down here, then if we get tired we can watch your choice upstairs?"

"Compromise. I like that."

We sit side by side on the couch. I have to force myself to snuggle into Cane's side. The only reason I'm holding it together is for Elias. If I make one bad move, I put him and myself in jeopardy. Cane's ambitions run deep, so deep that he would have me do what his brother attempted to do to him. And now, I have to admit that I have questions.

What was the real reason Elias tried to kill Cane? There has to be something else I'm missing. Something Cane didn't tell me. Something only Elias would be honest with me about.

All I know (or at least, I think I know) is only one brother can take the vampire throne and the other must die. I don't see him taking kindly to me if I stand in the way of that.

And standing in the way of that is exactly what I plan on doing. I've never been so impatient about going to sleep. My eyes drift to the clock on the fireplace mantel several times, only to find mere minutes have passed. Every second that passes brings me one step closer to being forced to do the unthinkable.

Finally, the end credits are rolling, and I yawn, stretching my arms over my head. My shirt rides up over my rib cage, and Cane's eyes roam over my body. Where I would've once found that sexy, I now find it icky. I drop my arms and tug it back down. "I'm tired," I announce, getting to my feet and clicking off the television. "Ready to go to bed?"

Cane stands and places his hand on my lower back, guiding me toward the stairs. "Always, if you're involved."

"You're insatiable."

"Only when it comes to you, coelhinha."

I fake a smile in response and fight to tame my turning stomach.

We get ready for bed, and I do my best not to flinch away from Cane's touches. Ever since I gave the okay for him to touch me, he has taken every liberty to do so. We climb into bed and I curl into his side when he lifts his arm to invite me in. After a soft kiss, he falls asleep, and I remain staring out the window.

No matter what I try, my brain won't calm down. I can't stop thinking about how this is the last place I want to be. Hours ago, I trusted the man beside me; now he terrifies me. It feels like I never knew him at all. Strange, that one tiny glimpse into one's true self and everything is upended.

But no matter where my thoughts take me, one thing lingers in the back of my mind...Elias. I'm desperate to reach him. He needs to put his guard up, especially from me.

I clench my eyes shut and try to do what I did earlier today. With all the practice I've done, I am capable of reaching him in daydreams. Except, it seems my powers don't want to work the way they did when I killed the squirrel. It's like they've retreated deep inside me, hiding so I don't harm anything else. Self-preservation has failed me several times in my life, including the night I walked into a manor with dozens of paranormal beings. Now that I need it to take a back seat, I'm left defenseless.

Time is slipping through my fingers in a constant flow. As soon as the last grain leaves my grip, I will have no choice but to follow through with what Cane wants. And it's not just Elias's life on the line. He has the means to harm the things I love most. My parents. My friends. And the man I love. I will have to sacrifice one to save the other.

I've heard over and over that Dreamwalkers are the most powerful of the supernaturals. I could kill with one dream, awake or asleep. I can sway the thoughts of others. I can communicate with not just miles between me and someone else but realms. Yet I've never felt so weak in my entire life.

The good news is that if I can't call upon my powers, I can't hurt anyone. The bad news is that I'm trapped with Cane, and he won't let me go until I kill his brother.