Her gaze slid over my shoulder. “I am here on official Guild business.”

I turned to see who she was looking at and froze solid on the spot. Or so it felt for a moment while my body had an intense memory of being squashed by one of the most powerful men in the Otherworld. “Dr. Kostich. Good morning. It’s a pleasure to see you,” I lied, my palms suddenly going sweaty.

“Aisling Grey,” he said, inclining his head. Just the act of him saying my name sent little zings of electrical shocks through me.

“Er…I take it you both met my uncle, Damian Carson?”

“Yes, we had that pleasure.” Nora’s smile was polite, but I sensed a less happy emotion was giving her grief. She glanced at the archimage again, but he stood silent, apparently engrossed in admiring the collection of jade and gold dragon statues that lined the marble mantelpiece. “We are here at the request of Caribbean Battiste. I have been asked to represent the Guild, while Dr. Kostich is acting on behalf of the L’au-delà committee. We are here to discuss resolving the situation concerning your proscription.”

“Why don’t we sit down and talk about it.” I waved Nora to a chair, one eye on Dr. Kostich. My uncle stood with his back to the window, his hands clasped behind him, his eyes watchful. Rene nodded toward the door, clearly asking if I’d like him to give us some privacy. I shook my head. He sat next to Nora, giving me a gentle smile that did much to bolster my spirits. Jim meandered over to the archimage, clearly intent on conducting a gender check, but stopped when I hissed a warning under my breath. “As you both know, I’m very anxious to have the proscription lifted so I can return to my Guardian duties. And training, naturally.”

“You do not believe you are beyond the training given to apprentices?” Dr. Kostich asked, lifting one of the dragons to examine it. His voice was mild, but the aura of power surrounding him didn’t escape me in the least. I remembered all too well how easily he’d stopped my heart while we were in Budapest—I wasn’t about to underestimate him now.

“I believe that I have had more practical experience than most apprentice Guardians, but as I’m sure Nora can attest, I am far from learned in the art of controlling my abilities. Or even understanding the full extent of them, although I’m getting more of a handle on them.”

He set down the dragon and turned slowly to face the room. “Abilities which include the dark power?”

Jim sat next to me and leaned on my leg, a warning look in its eyes. It didn’t have to bother, however. I was fully aware of the fine line I walked regarding everyone in the committee. I chose my words carefully. “I have not used dark power since I was proscribed. It has been with me daily, tempting me to use it, but I have resisted despite all its attempts, and I will continue resisting it until the day comes when it can no longer speak to me.”

Do you seriously believe you can ever be free of me? That time will not come, Aisling Grey.

“It is not easy for me to ask people for help, especially when those people are strangers to me. But I have asked the Guild for help in lifting the proscription because with each passing day, it becomes more and more difficult to resist the lure of the dark power,” I said bluntly.

Nora gasped.

Told you so.

I kept my eyes on Dr. Kostich, knowing it was important that he understand the situation. “I don’t want to use it. I have fought against it each day. And god knows, I hate to admit there’s something that I can’t handle on my own, but I know, deep down I know that if I don’t have help in ending the situation, the time will come when I can’t resist it any longer.”

It is inevitable. Give in to your fate. Be what you were meant to be. Do not prostrate yourself before lesser beings in an attempt to deny what you are.

The room was so silent, I could hear the faint noise of London traffic through the triple-glazed windows. Dr. Kostich watched me silently, his gaze crawling over me in a manner that left me feeling itchy and restless.

“I wonder if you appreciate the full extent of the powers you are so willing to dismiss,” he said finally, surprising me into a little jerk.

“The dark power, you mean?” I asked. Was he saying what I thought he was saying?

“Yes. Most people who were granted the ability to use it would not be so eager to lose it. In fact, I cannot think of a single instance where such a thing has happened, which leads me to believe that you do not fully understand exactly what it is you have been offered.”

I looked at the others in the room, unable to believe what I was hearing, but didn’t find enlightenment on my friends’ faces. Nora looked as surprised as I felt. Rene was wearing his inscrutable look, and Uncle Damian just looked down right suspicious.

“I’m…are you implying I should use the dark power despite what it is?”

“I am not saying anything of the kind,” he answered evenly. “I simply asked if you understand exactly that of which you seek to rid yourself.”

A snappy retort was ready on my lips, but I closed my mouth on it as I thought about what he was asking.

How I love it when you turn your full attention to the possibilities. He is right, you know. In the end, no one has ever refused me.

For a second, I let the dark power fill me. The door in my mind swung open, and all the possibilities lay before me in a glorious array. Dr. Kostich was surrounded by a corona of power, but as the warm, thick insidious darkness filled me, I wondered if I could take him on.

There is nothing we can’t do together.

I stood slowly and faced Dr. Kostich, smiling to myself as I thought of giving him a taste of his own medicine. I could stop his heart, stop his lungs from breathing, freeze him where he stood and allow his body to start to die, just as he had done to me. It would be so easy, so very easy. All I had to do was will it…

Your wish is my command.

I released the images dancing so seductively in my mind, firmly closing the door on the possibilities, and sat back down with a defiant look at the man standing before me. “Did I pass the test?”

Nooooooo!

“Yes,” he said, suddenly brusque. “Battiste believes your intentions are honorable. Despite your history, I am inclined to acquiesce to his judgment. Therefore, I will allow you to remain within the protection of the L’au-delà.”

“I didn’t realize that I was going to be booted out of—”