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seeking Will.
    Are you safe? Please, please, come to me.
    Instead she found two more rough-looking, bearded men rushing out of the woods toward
     her.
    Fear became a cold determination which gave her the strength to cradle Laurel in one
     arm and pull the tiny dagger from her girdle.
    She felt the hoof beats of a galloping horse before she saw Will, brandishing his
     cutting sword, attack the men so very close to where she cradled Laurel in her arms.
     Once he appeared, all fear fled. As the primal knowledge of how to help Laurel had
     come to her, so did a deep certainty of Will’s power and desire to protect her.
    Ferocious in battle, he felled the first rider and engaged the second.
    She held her breath as they clashed swords again and again. Will’s great black horse
     reared and with one bold downward cut of his blade, Will vanquished the last thief.
    A moment later, blood splattered on his leather jerkin, his face red and bruised,
     Will knelt beside her. His eyes searched her face and his hands roamed over her body
     as they had when they danced. “Tell me, did they hurt you? Are you harmed?”
    “No,” she swallowed a sob. “Laurel fell and struck her head. I cannot awaken her.”
    “Can you ride?”
    She nodded, scrabbling to her feet as Will swept Laurel up in his arms. Mounting his
     horse, Laurel tight in front of him, he stared at Elizabeth, a question in his eyes.
     “Do I ask too much of you?”
    “No. I shall keep up with you, Will,” she promised.
    Giving her no quarter, Will raced back to Dunham Castle and she stayed by his side.
     The wind tore at her clothes and took away her breath. It hurt to draw air into her
     lungs, so full was she of terror for Laurel and a fearful acceptance of her newly
     discovered powers.
    What am I and how should I use such enormous power and understand its limits and its
     price?
    Reaching the guardhouse, Will waved to a young man with locks gleaming fiery red in
     the sunlight. “Tom, summon my grandfather!” he commanded.
    “He is in the castle!” Tom shouted back, turning to follow orders.
    Trailing Will through the long corridors, Elizabeth ran to keep up with his powerful
     strides as they entered Laurel’s chamber.
    Her maids gasped, their faces frightened.
    “Loosen your mistress’s clothing,” he commanded and placed Laurel gently on the bed.
    A wave of unfamiliar darkness swept over Elizabeth’s sight and she swayed, trying
     desperately to stay erect.
    Will caught her, his warm hand cupping her neck beneath her hair, fallen loose in
     their mad ride. “Forgive me. I pushed you too hard.”
    Once again so close to him, Elizabeth fell silent, only watching his eyes as he gently
     seated her on the chair beside the bed.
    What might my powers mean for the two of us?
    The door burst open and Charles Grey, carrying a black leather box, hurried into the
     room.
    Will turned away to speak softly to his grandfather. “Laurel fell from her horse and
     struck her head. She has not awakened.”
    Elizabeth watched Charles Grey carefully examine Laurel, so still and pale upon the
     bed. He paused, rubbing his fingertips slowly over and over the crescent scar on her
     forehead. “This is new.”
    Their eyes met, and she saw knowledge in his.
    Somehow he knows the magic I performed.
    The pounding feeling of being pulled down a path both welcome yet frightening weakened
     her as she held his wise gaze.
    “Stay here, Lady Elizabeth,” he said quietly. At last he looked away and up at his
     grandson. “Will, it must be you who summons the duke to tell him I shall restore Laurel
     to him. Then he will believe.”
    With a nod, Will hurried from the room.
    “Now, Lady Elizabeth, I will prepare an elixir. You must help me force Laurel to swallow
     it.” From his black box he pulled out three bottles of different-colored liquids.
     He mixed two into one until the fluid began to turn a light green and then bubbled
     to the top of the vial.
    Elizabeth rose, motioning