Derrick had decided to remain out of sight so he would not darken the occasion with the past. I was glad he was not there to react to what was about to happen.
Even though her eyes were downcast, Annalisa kept her spine pin-straight like a proper Ashmore student as she walked to the center of the room.
I sent a whisper of confidence into her mind, reminding her of what the three lionesses had discussed the night before. She clicked her nails together once before looking up.
“There was no such thing as an unmarried noble woman before today.” Her voice was dry, but she swallowed and gathered her strength. “But a new Lycaster gave us choices.”
Annalisa glanced at my parents. “I choose to join the House of Ravenwood, to honor my grandmother,” she cleared her throat and then her voice rang out, “Ilsa Ravenwood.”
The crowd murmured. Ilsa’s name was no longer verboten.
Elation splashed across my parents’ faces, and, just as I predicted, Endre unclasped his green cape.
Daigen was not the only one who could predict the choices of others with exact precision.
I suppressed a smile as Endre strode over to Annalisa and wrapped the cape around her shoulders. He gave her a soft smile and kissed her hand. “Welcome, Annalisa Ravenwood.”
“Go, Riyan,” I prodded through our bond.
“And on the same…theme.” Riyan’s voice faded. He forgot his lines. I had no idea why Brietta had insisted on giving Riyan a script.
Riyan reached into his pocket and pulled out the golden Bloodstone pin. “We cannot choose how we are born…or who we are born to,” he walked forward until he stood in front of Endre. Annalisa shot me a sly glance and backed up as she held the green cape around her shoulders.
Endre looked up at Riyan with a quizzical look. Riyan smiled back at him. “On the recommendation of Captain Mydina of the Bloodstone army, I pass the Baronage of Bloodstone to the fearless Endre Ravenwood.”
Erik’s face blanched as his younger brother slowly took the pin.
Endre flashed Riyan a smile. “You really think a bird can be a Baron?”
Riyan returned the smile. “Better than an immortal bastard like me.”
Endre winked and fastened the golden pin of the snarling bear to his chest. He unsheathed the dueling sword at his hip with a quick flourish and gave the crowd a gentleman’s bow. “An honor to serve the North.”
The crowd returned Endre’s bow with warm applause, even Annalisa clapped with fervor, but I could not help but notice Erik’s ice-cold glare.
Just as I predicted Endre’s acceptance of the Bloodstone baronage, I also knew our stuffy big brother would be furious about it.
Riyan and I both snuck out of the keep as the celebration feast began. Riyan left first, saying he was going to bury his father in a place so secret that not even the ravens would find him. When he disappeared, I headed for the door with the painted flowers.
Daigen held Astrid in his arms as the three of us stepped through the air to the snowy peak of Nordingaard. Slowly, I lowered her into the churning rainbow well with me.
In the darkness of the chasm, I summoned Astrid’s mind. She appeared through the dark water, but the body I held in my arms was no longer hers, having aged twenty-two years without her.
None of it seemed fair…or balanced.
My power formed a ribbon of white light that slithered through the darkness and pressed against the veil into the next world. The cold hand that I had seen once before answered me.
Just as the first sorceress had fought Death over an injustice, so did I.
Astrid’s life was stolen from her, I argued. Her life must be returned to her.
Appeased by my reasoning, the darkness in the chasm began to swirl around us. My healing light poured into Astrid’s body as her mind returned to it. I erased wrinkles, strengthened her muscles, and returned the freckles to her face.
When I rose from the grave of millions of tears, the golden-haired girl in my arms was seventeen again.
We sheltered in Daigen’s hovel for a few hours, taking turns to help Astrid navigate her body again. Despite me turning back the clock, her mind struggled to connect with flesh and bone. Wiggling her fingers was a triumph, taking steps would be near impossible.
But Astrid did not care if she never walked again, she just wanted to return to the fortress.
