In my dreams, I once again found myself in Inara's office, staring out of eyes that weren't mine.

"The circle almost took her." It wasn't a question that Inara spoke, but a statement. She looked tired, too tired. Her usually pristine appearance was a bit disheveled, and dark shadows were forming under her eyes.

This conversation was about me. And what happened tonight. How the dark deity — or his power — had tried to lure me into the woods.

"Yes," the body I inhabited replied solemnly, glancing away as if unable to meet her gaze. "It wanted her badly. It was almost impossible to get her to snap out of it."

Inara dropped her head into her hands. "I am losing control. Something needs to be done. She needs better protection—"

The reply from Inara's companion was swift and angry. "No."

"We have had this discussion too many times. I've grown beyond tired of it. Either step up and take the role you are meant to fulfill, or step out of the way. I cannot take your dabbling in between any longer. I am too tired of these childish games."

"There has to be another way to keep her safe."

Inara's voice trembled slightly, betraying the fear that mirrored the weight of her words. "I believe there isn't. I have made promises to her mother that I don't think I'll be able to fulfill. I worry that sending Selene here was the greatest mistake we could have made."

I woke with a start, my heart beating in my chest. For the first time, I was absolutely certain Inara was speaking about me. But how? How was I continuing to see these conversations? Whose eyes was I seeing through?

Only two people were present tonight when I nearly went into those woods, lured by god-only-knows what. Jason and Alek. And of the two of them, it seemed more likely that Jason would want to protect me. Alek hated me. He'd made that clear on more than one occasion.

But how would I see through Jason's eyes? Was this my magic coming out while I slept? More importantly, how did I stop this from happening? I was tired of these dreams that obviously weren't dreams. I was seeing actual conversations in my sleep, my consciousness implanted into someone else's.

Did he know I was there? Could he sense someone in his head? Or was he unaware this was even happening?

My head spun with all the questions racing around inside my skull. I knew I could ask Naomi about some of it, but I'd have to be careful. I didn't want her realizing I was leaping into someone's head while I slept. Especially when I was hearing conversations I knew I had no right being a part of, even if they were about me.

Loki let out a soft mew as I kicked off the blanket. "Sorry buddy," I told him, giving him a quick scratch behind one ear. I slid out of bed, my bare feet pressing against the icy chill of the hardwood floor, the coolness creeping up through my soles as I stood.

Since it was too early to head down to breakfast to see what answers I could get out of Naomi, I headed into the bathroom. I'd taken a shower last night after returning from my study session with Jason, but no matter how long I'd stood under the stream of hot water, I'd still felt freezing to the core.

I'd deleted the text from my phone, but the haunting words still raced through my mind. How would Jason feel if he knew what you'd been up to this summer?

And the images of Samantha and Oliver... I hadn't needed the photos sent. I would never forget those pictures Detective Brennan had shown me in that interrogation room. I shook my head, trying to push the memories away. They clung stubbornly, their edges sharp like shards of ice inside my mind.

Churning nausea started in my stomach, and I twisted to the shower, cranking the heat. The chill was heavy in the air, settling into my bones. I stepped into the shower, letting the hot water thaw through the ice coating my bones.

I still did not know what I would say to Jason when I saw him next. Especially if I'd been accidentally spying on his conversations with Inara.

The ease with which they talked about me unnerved me, and the thought of them whispering conspiratorially gnawed at my insides. How long had those conversations been about me? How many had I not dreamed of? And more importantly, why were they discussing me in the first place?

Inara once told me Whitethorn was my destiny, but she never explained more. What secrets was she hiding from me? What secrets was Jason hiding?

Not wanting to dwell on it any further, I turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, focusing on starting my day. But running through my morning routine was hollow and my head still spun with unanswered questions.

By the time I'd dressed, I had nearly worried my lip bloody. But I slung my bag over my shoulder, determined to get some answers out of Naomi at breakfast, even if I had to pry them out of her head. I was tired of being left in the dark about everything.

As I stepped outside, the early morning chill wrapped around me like an unwelcome embrace. The air had only been getting colder, though it still hadn't snowed. I wondered if it would soon.

The dining hall was buzzing with activity as usual when I entered, still shivering from my walk across the quad. Naomi sat at our usual table, looking at her phone and absentmindedly stabbing at her food.

I snagged something from the food line, not quite conscious of what I was grabbing. My stomach felt too queasy to eat, anyway. Naomi put her phone away and gave me a cheerful smile as I sat down.

"How did detention go last night? I missed you at dinner."

I tucked a stray lock of my hair behind my ear, fidgeting nervously in my seat. "It went okay. Alek and I ignored each other, which was better than I could have imagined it going. But something happened after..." I trailed off, unsure of where to start.

Naomi gave me a look of concern, her eyebrows forming a crease between them. She set down her fork, focusing entirely on me. "What happened? Was it Mari?"

I shook my head. "No. After detention ended, I stepped outside. Jason was waiting for me. He and Alek started picking at each other like they normally do. But then, I heard that voice calling to me from the woods again. Like it was begging me to enter. I nearly did."

Naomi's eyes looked like they were about to bulge out of her head. "Seriously? You almost went into the woods?"

"I know I was off the sidewalk and heading there. But I kinda blacked out for a bit. When I came to, I was on the ground and Alek was shaking me."

"Alek?"

I nodded. "Yeah. At first, he seemed upset, but then he seemed angry at me for what had happened. Then he stalked away with Mari."

Naomi glanced over my shoulder at something, her eyebrows raised. "I don't think Mari appreciated Alek helping you out."

I turned and followed her gaze, finding Alek sitting at a table with his friends, but no vicious blonde at his side. Instead, she was a few tables over with her own friends, glaring ice blue daggers at the back of Alek's skull. Not wanting her to catch me staring, I quickly shifted my gaze back to Naomi.

"I thought they were fighting when they walked away after, but I wasn't sure. I'm honestly not even sure why Alek helped me. It's not like he cares if something happens to me or not."

"Well, whatever his reason, I'm glad he intervened. Those woods give me the creeps." Naomi made a show of shuddering with her whole body, as if for emphasis. I briefly wondered if Naomi would bother telling me the same story Jason had, but I doubted she would. I suspected Naomi had quite a few secrets of her own to hide.

I stabbed at my breakfast, disinterested for a second, before asking her another question that had been gnawing at me. "What's a Bonded?"

Naomi seemed a bit startled for a second. "What?"

"A Bonded. I've heard the term mentioned a few times, but I have no idea what it means. Mari said it once, and Jason said it about Mari and Alek last night."

"It's sort of complicated, but it's a sort of variation of marriage. A Bonded couple goes through a ceremony to Bind them together, heart, soul, mind. It's a connection that goes far deeper than a usual marriage. Anyone can form Bonds, but a true Bond, your soulmate, is ideal. One cannot break a true Bond, but untrue Bonds can be. As long as both parties accept the true Bond, it's forever."

I chewed on the information for a second, letting it process. "So Mari and Alek are engaged? Or destined to be Bonded?"

"Yeah, they are. Mari's father is a member of the Royal Council and he set up a political alliance between Mari and Alek a few years ago. Alek's father was pretty high on the Royal Council. Best friends with the King and his most trusted advisor. He died in the Battle of Summit trying to protect the royal family. But his family is still in high regard with the Council and the current Regent."

"A political marriage?"

Naomi shrugged her shoulders. "It happens a lot in the well-to-do families. Magic is power. And some families have more magic than others, or at the very least, more desirable forms of magics. Usually those on the Council or closest to the Royal families have more powerful magic. Since Alek's father was so close to the King, it's believed his magic was powerful. But no one's really ever confirmed or denied that."

"And he just doesn't get a choice? He has to marry Mari?"

Naomi wrinkled her nose. "As much as I don't like Alek, I feel sorry for him. But then again, he could choose to ignore her until their Bonding day, but he stays by her side most of the time and defends most of her actions. So I don't feel that terrible."

"How does a true Bond differ from other Bonds? Like the political matches?"

"True Bonds aren't as common. They're not typically uncommon either, but most people don't take the time to find their true Bond. But the connections are deeper with a true Bonding. The mental and emotional connections especially. It's said that even before you Bond, you can feel emotions and can even speak or walk in each other's minds."

I went completely still at her words. "Speak and walk in minds?"

She nodded. "Bonding a pair forms a connection of minds. They can speak to each other in their minds and share memories and emotions. You can also learn to block it out, though most choose not to. This magic can still happen before the Bonding occurs, as long as the Bond is a true pairing."

My head swam with the possibilities. I had been inside someone's head in my dreams for months now. Someone speaking to Inara. Was it possible this person was my Bond? Was that the reason I could see through their eyes? Sense their emotions?

"Could that happen unconsciously? Between Unbonded people?"

Naomi nodded. "Yeah, true Bonds can do that even before they've Bonded. Most of the time, they probably won't mean to. It can be intentional, though. And that connection only becomes stronger after the Bonding Ceremony. But it's not typical to experience that beforehand. No one is really sure of why it happens with some and not with others."

I felt like my head was spinning. All this information was too much. Too much to comprehend and deal with. Jason could be my soulmate. The thought almost made me nauseous, though I wasn't sure why. Shouldn't it be calming to me? Learning he's my soulmate meant he was truly into me. Right?

"Selene, are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I don't think I'm feeling very well," I admitted. "I think I need to go back to my dorm. Or maybe the nurse's office."

Naomi looked concerned. "Do you want me to take you?"

I shook my head. "No, I'll be fine. I'll text you later, okay?"

Without waiting for her answer, I got out of my chair and headed out of the crowded dining hall, my stomach churning like a stormy sea.