Alise stared at her for a long, astonished moment. “I can’t help you. I swear I’m telling the truth. Papa shut and locked that door. No one else will be able to do what Nic did.”
“Maybe there’s another way,” Iliana urged her, fighting the panic. “Maybe… Maybe if we go to Meresin, we can talk to Nic. Maybe she knows of other ways!”
For a long, fraught moment, Alise simply gazed at her. “How would you get there?” she finally asked.
Unable to believe her possible fortune, Iliana told her. “The racing sleighs are still out for the party after the feast. There’s one with an air elemental that likes me.”
Alise looked dubious. “Even if it likes you, it won’t go against its instructions to stay in Convocation Center, not unless…” She trailed off in dawning understanding.
“Not unless an Elal wizard gives it new instructions for me,” Iliana finished for her.
“But that’s… That’s…” Alise gave up, sputtering.
“It’s not against the rules,” Iliana said.
“Because no wizard would help a familiar escape!” Alise burst out.
“No wizard?” Iliana asked beseechingly. “Not even one who wanted to be part of an epic romance?”
Alise stood up, paced to the other side of the room and back. “I can’t believe you’re asking me this.”
“I’m desperate,” Iliana replied simply. “Both of us are. But if you would do this one thing, we’ll never tell. Han has been doing weapons training, so he can protect us, and he has plenty of coin saved up. We’ll be long gone by sunrise and no one will know how we went. I promise to help Nic for you,” she vowed recklessly. “I’ll find a way to send you word.”
“No.” Alise shook her head, crushing Iliana’s hopes. “No,” she repeated, planting fists on hips. “You won’t, because I’m going with you.”
~ 11 ~
Han waited inthe silent night by the skating pond. The garlands with their elemental lights bobbed over the empty dance floor. Everyone was inside at the feast, drinking and making merry. He gazed up at the remote stars in the black sky above, wishing his magic could read an omen in them.
A whisper of sound had him drawing his sword. Then he relaxed as Iliana’s familiar presence brushed across his senses, sweet as strawberries in summer.
Then he sensed the wizard with her and held onto his sword.
“It’s all right,” Iliana said. “Alise is coming with us.”
“Where are we going?” he asked cautiously, taking the hand Iliana held out and pulling her to his side.
“Meresin,” Alise replied from the shadowed interior of her black cloak. “We’re going to rescue my sister, and then we’ll all run away across the sea.”
He didn’t quite credit it. “Why would you do this, Alise? You stand to inherit House Elal.”
She let out a long breath. “I don’t want it. Not like this.”
“But—”
“Han,” she interrupted with some impatience, “I just want to see my sister. I’ll figure out everything else after that, all right?”
He sheathed his sword. “Who am I to argue with a wizard?”
Iliana giggled and Alise narrowed her eyes at him. “Just get in the sleigh, will you? I have an elemental to retrain.”
Han handed Iliana into the sleigh, tucking the fur blanket over her lap and snuggling her close against his side. She turned her face up to his, so he kissed her. Her lips were cold and sweet, her magic warmly coiling around them. “Happy Founder’s Day,” she whispered against his mouth.
“Happy Freedom Day,” he corrected.
“Prosperity through… love,” she answered.
“My favorite new holiday.” He kissed her again as the sleigh sprang into motion and Alise settled into her side of the seat. They sped off into the night until the festive elemental lights faded into nothing and only the stars lit their way. This time he glimpsed the omen in them, of hope, and of true love.
