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his
will, his jaw clamped tight, muscles bucking against the stone
floor.
    Anvil had stepped in to save us that day, but
I vowed it would happen no more. I made a show of my own. But Asher
was always one step ahead of me. What happened to Sapphire wasn’t
punishment for my defiance, it was a device to keep me. And it had
worked. When I saw her lifeless body, getting out was no longer an
option. I had to stay and overcome him, I could not have done
otherwise.
    My mother had known that. She had seen, even
from her prison, that it was reaching a boiling point. She had
thought to save me. And she had burned for it.
    I sighed and rose from the tub. A trail of
water ran from my feet, tracing the seams of the stone floor. I
pushed it with magic, testing the new powers once more. It moved as
if a gentle wind blew. I was pleased, but not quite confident
enough to dry myself, so I used a towel, just in case.
    Since returning to the castle, I’d moved into
one of the suites. From the washroom, there was a wardrobe closet
through the first door, and a bedchamber beyond the second. As I
walked through, I picked up the small bag of items Ruby had left me
and glanced inside. She was incorrigible. I sat it aside and sifted
through the various costumes hung along the back wall. I pushed
aside a dark cloak and faltered when the long white gown came into
view. My mother’s wedding dress. I ran a hand over the beading,
exploring the fabric, the detail.
    But, no, this wasn’t the dress. It had burned
when she had burned. This gown had been created by Junnie. It was a
symbol. A warning to council.
    Because of my mother, that white dress had
become legend among the light elves. It had given the stories that
indefinable something, had even made them appealing enough for the
fairies to repeat. Not that I’d ever heard them. Bound as I was,
the villagers would never have dared reveal anything of my past.
But I had heard since I’d been back. And I understood.
    Junnie had left me that dress when Council
had decided to try me. They intended to imprison me, and Junnie had
sent them a grave reminder.
    And the crystal necklace. It had no real
power, but it had frightened the council leaders unreasonably. I
guessed that was a kind of power of its own. Just a token, that was
all it took.
    An idea for the banquet was finally forming.
I nodded as I slid into a pair of black leather pants, adjusted my
top to cover the wound on my arm, and laced up my boots. I would
not wear the armor over my injured shoulder, so I opted for wrist
cuffs and seated a light cape into the shoulder clasps fashioned
after hawks. I would be a warrior this evening, and I would look
the part.
    I began to step into the next chamber, but
stopped. I hadn’t wanted most of what Ruby had left for me, but
there was one thing that might prove useful.
    I slid a small canister from
the bag, lining my eyes with gloss black, nearly the exact shade as
my hair and lashes. It highlighted the green perfectly. One of a kind , I thought.
And then smirked, as Ruby sported her own set as well. Let them
think of that.
    I strapped on my sword and headed for the
study to meet the others.
    Grey, Anvil, and Steed were waiting for me,
each decked out in their castle finery. Steed and Grey had yet to
get used to the formal gatherings, but they definitely looked the
part. Leather and silver adorned their upper bodies, weapons at hip
and back. They were strong, and though Grey appeared lean next to
Anvil’s mass, the group somehow managed to give off a unified feel.
Steed wiggled his eyebrows at my appearance. I ignored him.
    “ What news?”
    “ The witnesses have
confirmed the identity of the intruder,” Grey reported. “Due to the
banquet, we have been unable to gather more information regarding
his route to the castle, but once here, he’d not been linked to
anyone.”
    “ Has anyone of note refused
the invitation?”
    “ No,” Anvil answered. “All
are anxious to bear witness to the new power