Sebastian pulls himself together, looking between me and Jordan. He has to choose his words carefully. He has to get it right. Just asking me to release Jordan from my Storm Command won’t be enough to make sure they can be together.
He says, “You will… marry me to Jordan of the House of Splendor.”
Relief floods me. I can’t stop the smile breaking across my face. He got it right. “Yes, I will. And since married females can’t be part of my guard, she will leave my service. Name your day and she will be your wife.”
“Tomorrow.”
I laugh. “Okay.”
He’s practically thrumming he’s so happy. He can’t take his eyes off her. His silver-green eyes glow for the first time since the Heartstone Ceremony and it strikes me how dull they’ve been through all of this, like part of him was missing.Shewas missing.
“Go to her,” I whisper. “Never let anyone tear you apart.”
High in the viewing levels, I catch sight of a flurry of silks. Sebastian’s mother rises to her feet. She starts singing through her tears and I know it’s not just because I made her son happy. She knows I just saved his life. “Spin gold, shelter silver.”
The females in the arena follow her lead and to my surprise the males join in, their voices rising in song.
“Our Princess! Full of mercy! Full of strength!”
Sebastian veers toward me before he passes by. “Princess, I can never repay you enough, but I can give you the gift of knowledge. I heard the old ones talking. The final fight is about your worst fear. Know your fears and overcome them.”
Then he’s gone, striding to Jordan, lifting her up into his arms and my friend is laughing and crying as they disappear from the arena. My heart expands to see them so happy, but dread soon overcomes me.
My worst fear? It already happened. My worst fear was a lightning strike. The one I wasn’t expecting. I try to shake it off, but anxiety remains like a fog around me.
The Elven Command has no chance of regaining control so they declare proceedings closed without announcing the next trial. The crowd is still singing as Elise urges me back to the protection of the Storm Command and to my quarters. “The Command will send notice of the next trial this evening. In the meantime, it looks like you have a wedding to prepare for.”
And a Storm to subdue.The Storm has gone very easy on me for the last few days. I’m grateful because my body has taken a beating. I’m still bruised and it will take a few more days for the yellow marks to disappear.
On the way to the Vault, my Storm Command gifts me with smiles and nods at every opportunity. For the first time, Jordan isn’t among them and I miss her. I’m happier than I’ve been in a really long time, but I’m also sad to be losing one of my best friends. Once Jordan is married, I won’t be able to see her again. Elise walks quietly beside me. She’s the only one who doesn’t smile.
When we enter the safety of the ante-room, and nobody else can see or hear us, she says, “I know how much that cost you.”
I pause at the door to the Vault. The Storm is building beyond it, stronger today but not nearly the worst I’ve seen.
I say, “I couldn’t be selfish.”
“To veto Commander Rath and save his life wouldn’t have been selfish.”
I have no words. I run my hand across my eyes, angry at myself for the way my hands suddenly shake. “I offered him my hand.”
Her forehead puckers. “Your hand? Like… your hand in marriage?”
“No.” I turn my palm up. “I wanted him to take my hand.”
“Ah.”
“The Elven Command believes that the first male I touch will inherit the power of the storm—to be able to control it like I can.” I remember Baelen skirting around me in my small bathing room, bumping into everything in his effort to avoid me. “He wouldn’t touch me because he knew it would eliminate him. But now I wish I’d tried harder. I should have tried harder.”
She has no words to console me. There’s nothing to be said. I don’t regret my choice to veto Sebastian, but it meant I gave up my one guaranteed power to save Baelen’s life. I open the door to the Vault and step through it, hoping that it will rage against me, because right now I need something to fight, something that I know how to win.
