Chapter 7

The adrenaline crash hit Eileen the moment she stepped out of the Aura Entertainment building.

She rubbed her throbbing temples as the bodyguards escorted her back into the black Range Rover. The heavy doors slammed shut, sealing her in the quiet, climate-controlled cabin.

The convoy sped through the midnight streets of Los Angeles. Neon lights bled across the tinted windows. Eileen leaned her head against the leather headrest and closed her eyes.

This body was weak. The original owner's extreme dieting and lack of exercise meant that a few hours of high-stress confrontation had completely drained her physical reserves. Her stomach twisted with a dull ache, and her muscles felt like lead.

The cars glided silently through the gates of the Vinson estate.

Eileen thanked the guard who opened her door. She slipped her stilettos off, holding them in one hand, and walked barefoot across the thick carpets of the mansion.

She moved quietly down the dim hallway. As she passed Carlisle's study, she noticed a thin sliver of warm light spilling from under the heavy oak door. She didn't stop.

She reached her bedroom at the end of the hall. She stepped inside and immediately threw the deadbolt, locking the door with a solid click.

She dropped her expensive handbag onto the floor. She walked straight to the massive floor-to-ceiling windows and yanked the heavy blackout curtains shut.

The room plunged into absolute darkness. The silence was absolute.

Eileen walked to the center of the room and sat down cross-legged on the Persian rug. She rested her hands on her knees, palms facing up. She took a deep breath, forcing her heart rate to slow.

She closed her eyes and focused all her mental energy on a single point right between her eyebrows.

This was the secret she had carried from her original world. She needed to know if it had crossed over with her soul.

As her concentration deepened, a tiny spark of heat ignited behind her forehead. The heat rapidly expanded, turning into a powerful, magnetic pull that enveloped her entire body.

A violent sensation of weightlessness hit her. It felt like falling backward off a cliff in the dark.

The sensation lasted for half a second. Then, her body hit solid ground.

Eileen snapped her eyes open.

She was no longer in the dark, stuffy bedroom. She was standing under a sky that had no sun, yet radiated a soft, perfect, ambient light. The air was incredibly pure, thick with the smell of rich, wet soil and growing things.

She looked down. She was standing on a patch of jet-black soil, about the size of half a football field. The edges of the dirt were swallowed by a dense, impenetrable wall of gray fog.

In the exact center of the black soil sat a circular well made of ancient, moss-covered stones.

Water bubbled up from the center of the well, the water level slowly rising as a single drop formed at the lip of the stone every few seconds with a crisp, musical trickling sound.

Eileen let out a breathless laugh. She sprinted toward the well, her bare feet sinking slightly into the soft earth.

She dropped to her knees beside the stones. The water inside was crystal clear, emitting a very faint, pulsing blue glow.

She cupped her hands and plunged them into the freezing water. She brought her hands to her mouth and drank greedily.

The water was icy and sweet. The moment it hit her stomach, it exploded into a wave of intense, soothing heat.

The heat rushed through her veins like liquid fire. The dull ache in her stomach vanished instantly. The heavy fatigue in her muscles dissolved. The lingering toxins from the original owner's hangover and poor diet were flushed out of her system in seconds.

Eileen looked down at her hands. The pale, sickly skin was rapidly taking on a healthy, vibrant pink flush. Her fingernails looked stronger.

She stood up, her body buzzing with limitless energy.

She paced around the well, her mind racing. This pocket dimension was tied to her soul. The spring water was a biological miracle. It repaired cellular damage at an impossible rate.

If this water could fix her ruined body in seconds, what could it do to Carlisle's legs?

The doctors had declared his spinal nerve damage permanent. But they didn't have magic water.

Curing the most powerful media mogul in the country wasn't just about paying him back for his protection. It was about creating an unbreakable bond. If she gave him his legs back, he would give her the world.

She knelt back down and studied the flow of the water. The well only produced a slow trickle. It would take a full day to gather a small glass. She would have to dose him slowly, secretly.

Her plan was set.

Eileen closed her eyes and focused on the heat between her brows.

The weightlessness returned. When she opened her eyes, she was sitting on the Persian rug in her dark bedroom.

She felt incredible. She stood up and walked into the master bathroom. She flipped on the harsh vanity lights and looked in the mirror.

Her skin was glowing. Her eyes were bright and sharp.

She smiled at her reflection. "Watch your back, Hollywood."