“No, he’s not.” I looked behind me. It was my girlfriend. Her hair looked transparent, as if it was only halfway there, but was fading into its normal appearance. “He’s mine.”

The woman looked amused. “Why not? You offered your last two beaus up to me, after all.”

“I…thought I had to,” the girl said, looking down. “I thought it was part of the agreement.”

The woman smiled. “That’s not the sort of sacrifice I most value. You should know that; you’re supposed to be my High Priestess, after all.”

The girl bowed her head. “I’m sorry.”

The woman’s smile broadened. “As penance, you will offer me the sort of sacrifice I do most value.” She waved a hand at a wall, and the curtain parted to reveal a sumptuously-furnished bedchamber, with a wide seashell-shaped bed and many cushions.

The girl blushed. “But—we haven’t gotten to that stage in our relationship yet.”

The woman continued to smile. “Perhaps if you both would like to be at that stage, you should look on this as the perfect opportunity.”