He hadn’t believed her.

Relief and joy brought tears to my eyes.

I tried to reach him.

The invisible restraint held.

His cruelty showed without disguise as his hand tightened around Flora’s neck.

“You think you can use me?”

Wind tore through the dream.

The sky darkened.

I understood.

This was his world.

His mind was strong enough to rule it.

He had built a place where I was alive.

With my mother.

Married to him.

A child of our own.

I was still Stella Whitmore, the young CEO.

And he was my husband.

I smiled through the ache.

“You complete idiot.”

Flora was still a spirit.

She became red smoke, escaped his hand, and appeared behind him.

She laughed.

“I chose well. Find Gabriel West, and I can bring her back. You lose nothing.”

She held out her hand.

Still my face.

An alluring smile that didn’t belong to me.

“Threatening me with Stella?”

He gave a cold laugh.

Lightning struck her.

I stared.

Violent.

Direct.

Entirely Lucian.

A moment later, Flora dragged me out of his dream with her.

She looked thoroughly battered.

“That man is a devil. A second longer, and I’d have been trapped in his dream until he died. Buried with him.”

She glared at me.

“A man that impossible, and he’s dying over you.”

I lowered my head and touched my nose.

What could I say?

She caught my hand suddenly.

Half threat.

Half plea.

“I can’t count on him. You have to do it. Bring Gabriel West to me in seven days.”

“One name. Seven days. How am I supposed to find him?”

Nora had no money or influence. People thought she had the mind of a child.

Finding one man from a name alone was impossible.

“I don’t know. I can’t stay away from the tree for long. Stella, please—”

She vanished.

“Miss Bennett?”

I was back in Lucian’s room.

Miles tapped my shoulder impatiently.

“You’ve been holding his face for ages. Is this actually going to work?”

I looked down.

Both hands cupped Lucian’s face.

Flora must have controlled my body and used the contact to enter his dream.

His eyes remained closed.

Miles took a deep breath.

“Waking him through dreams. I must have lost my mind to believe it. The Healing Sage’s final student. Apparently, that means nothing.”

I had no defense.

As I began withdrawing my hands, the monitor changed.

His heartbeat grew stronger than it had been.

Dr. Hartwell’s face lit up.

“He’s responding to external stimulation. His will to live is returning.”

Had Flora’s intrusion reached him somehow?

I looked at the steadying rhythm with joy.

Then I heard it.

Low.

Cold.

“Take your hands off me.”

My body went rigid.

I looked down slowly.

Those familiar gray-blue eyes met mine.

He stared with a frown, cold and thoroughly displeased.

He was awake.

I forgot everything.

My name.

My new face.

I threw myself against him and held on.

“You’re awake. You didn’t die. Thank God.”

I cried so hard I could barely speak.

If I let go, perhaps he would vanish.

Perhaps this would become another dream.

But I was holding him.

Truly holding him.

Two lifetimes was so long.

My tears wet his face.

He stiffened and tried to push me away.

I held too tightly.

“Let go. Do you want to die?”

“Just a little longer. Please.”

He drew a hard, controlled breath.

“Miles.”

A minute later, two men carried me outside and deposited me beyond the doors.

Dorian leaned against his car with folded arms.

The smile on his face begged to be hit.

“Still breathing. Impressive. I expected a corpse when they threw you out.”