Page 147 of Crown of Slumber

She was controlling him.

Rage filled me as I stormed toward the figure. “Release him!Now!”

To my surprise, the woman obliged, dropping her hand and gliding forward with a smile on her face. Only then did I realize I had seen her before. She had long, curly blond hair and wore a crimson gown with layers of fringe cascading down the skirt. Her cold blue eyes surveyed me with familiarity and distrust.

I had seen her once before, in memories—she belonged to the witch clan of Aurora Briarcliffe Gaelania. She was the witch opposed to the spell, the one who had been cast out for rebelling against the clan.

Rosalina.

The Dream Mage.

Terror froze me in my tracks, with several yards between us. In the center of the clearing, Mal had stopped his movements, crouching on all fours and placing his head on the ground, ears folded back, his wings trembling.

He was frightened. I had never seen him so frightened in all my life.

The thought sent a bolt of fury churning in my blood, and I bared my teeth at the witch. “Your quarrel is with me, Rosalina. Not the dragon. Leave him be.”

Rosalina’s cruel smile widened. “It was the only way to get your attention. And forcing him to do my bidding issuch fun.” Her gaze slid to Fenn, and her expression brightened. “Ah, you brought a friend! This must be the handsome Midnight Prince I’ve heard so much about.”

My blood chilled.Oh gods, no.She couldn’t have Fenn. Not him, and certainly not Mal. She was only here for me.

“Rosalina,” I said, my voice thundering. “What do you want from me?”

Rosalina looked at me once more, her expression turning smug. “I want your dragons.”

My eyes narrowed. “How do you expect to take them when you’re in the Dream Realm?”

She tilted her head at me, giving me a mocking smile. “I thought your memories had returned. Surely you aren’tthatdaft.”

I sifted through Aurora’s memories, searching for any information that might help. After a long moment, I sucked in a sharp breath. “Damn it all.”

Rosalina’s eyes glinted. “You understand now.”

My body began to tremble, and I curled my hands into fists. Beside me, Fenn whispered, “Aurelia, what is it?”

Without taking my eyes off Rosalina, I said, “There is only one Dragon Queen in the Realm of Valora. Once she dies, another is called to take her place so the line continues.”

“If the Dragon Queen dies, so do the dragons bonded to her,” Rosalina continued, her smile wide enough to show teeth. “The only way a dragon bond can be transferred is if the Dragon Queenis rendered unable to protect her dragons. Then, the duty is assigned to the next powerful witch in line. Which is me.”

“But you’re trapped here,” I argued. “You can’t leave the Dream Realm.”

“With the magic of the dragons behind me, I can.” Rosalina’s chin lifted in triumph. “Ordinarily, witches can’t come here. But it seemsyouare the exception. Your magic is strong enough to overpower whatever wards are surrounding me here. It will be all the power I need to travel between realms at will.”

Cold dread sank in my stomach like a block of ice. How much time did I have left before the transfer was made? How long had I been in the Dream Realm?

As if Sonara’s plotting hadn’t been bad enough… Now things were much, much worse. I had no doubt Rosalina had cursed other kingdoms into an enchanted sleep—like the Lunar Court. When the Winter assassin told us she had taken over the Lunar Court, I assumed she had taken their throne.

But she couldn’t. Not yet.

Because she was stuck here.

All that was about to change, thanks to me.

Fury coursed through me, swift and powerful. I tried to summon my power, to let it surge within me. I focused on my flight through the midnight sky atop my dragon, my arms spread wide as if I had wings of my own.

But nothing happened. I felt no strong presence within me. My eyes grew wide with horror as Rosalina gave me a knowing smirk.

“Sorry, Aurora,” she said. “Your magic doesn’t work in my domain.”

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