Unleash the Inferno

Chapter One

Kinna

It seemed a fitting day for the birth of a war. The sun hid behind a relentless gray blanket, and the cold northern wind blew from the Channel of Lise across Kinna's gathering in the rear gardens at The Crossings. The gardens were gray and aged yellow, and the hedges and flower beds, well-tended in the spring, hid beneath their wintry shrouds. The walls around the gardens stretched far into the distance, dotted with dry vines and flaking lichen. Kinna could not see above their battlements from where she sat; she rubbed her fingers over her hare mantle as her gaze followed the guards she and Cedric had posted atop the walls. Behind her, the castle loomed like a turreted, stone Colossus, dwarfing her into insignificance.

How much longer could they hold out? Theirs was only a small contingent of hope, pulling together a fractured kingdom, the remains of those who had not followed their powerful enemy across the Channel of Lise. They needed allies and supplies, and the more, the better. Their foe, Sebastian Andrachen, Kinna's uncle, sat upon Lismaria's throne across the Channel, no doubt as angry as a mother bear stripped of her cubs. Kinna and her brother Cedric had dared to take West Ashwynd's capital, The Crossings, for their new post, and Sebastian would not easily let it go.

She fidgeted with the wooden armrests of her chair, eyeing the assembly that spread across the dry grass. The quiet murmur of the gathering undulated as creatures and Dimn spoke among themselves. They sat in a wide circle, gathered at Kinna's request. She was touched; they had offered her loyalty and little else, but even that much was a gift. They expected nothing of her but leadership, and she counted them all her friends. Still, dread twisted her stomach. So many things go could wrong. Their tiny kingdom and their efforts for justice could easily end in failure.

A hand squeezed her shoulder. Have no worries, m'lady, Lincoln whispered from his position behind her chair. We all believe in this.

Aye, Kinna whispered back. But is belief enough?

Lincoln didn't answer. At that moment, Cedric, co-heir to the Andrachen throne, stood, calling the meeting to order. His cheeks were scarlet from the cold, and his fists clenched his fur mantle tightly. He looked so serious, dark foreboding shot through Kinna. She knew her twin had been hesitant about his role as one of the Andrachen heirs, but would he give up what they all considered so important?

Clans of West Ashwynd, he began, his voice clear in the chill autumn air. Good friends, we meet today in an historic move to break the chains of oppression that have bound us for decades. We gather to shed light on Sebastian's tyranny, to overthrow his abysmal rule. Too long, we have allowed his cruel mandates to order our kingdom, and today we take back what should have belonged to us all along: our rights as people, as citizens, and most importantly, as creatures living alongside humans.

The Clan leaders pounded their fists on their chairs. Representatives from every Clan had traveled from the far reaches of West Ashwynd to be there, accompanied by various creatures. In Kinna's peripheral vision, Chennuh, her Mirage Dragon, rumbled his approval next to Cedric's Dragon, Ember. Ember dipped his flaming muzzle to the ground, his smoky irises carefully fixed on Cedric, his psuche partner, the one with whom he shared his thoughts. Kinna wondered if Ember shared Cedric's reluctance to assume his position of leadership. It was likely; psuche partners were usually close enough to share thoughts and emotions. She cast her mind to Chennuh's and found his feelings mirrored her own: reflective, and a little nervous.

Kinna's mother, Joanna—the Pixie who had adopted her as a four-year-old refugee fresh from Lismaria and from Sebastian's edict to dispose of the Andrachen twins—stood between two other Pixies from the Glades. Her worried gaze rested on Kinna's face, and Kinna offered a small smile. In the month since she had returned to West Ashwynd, she had hardly seen her parents. She missed the days when she and her mother could spill secrets for hours over washboards and clotheslines.

Leadership demanded everything.

Kinna sighed, shifting her gaze to two Trolls who moved restlessly on the outer edges of the circle beside the Goblins and Ogres. One of the Trolldimn, a youth named Jakkob, frowned beneath her speculative glance. He'd arrived at the Crossings the night before, raising his sword above his head at the city gates. I come for war against Sebastian, he'd shouted to Kinna and Helga, the Seer Fey Kinna had met last spring before Sebastian's Tournament. The pink-haired woman had come out with Kinna to welcome the new contingent. Jakkob had continued, I do not come out of loyalty to the Andrachens. When Kinna had motioned the cluster of travelers into the gate, he had spit on the drawbridge, his hostile gaze fastened on Kinna.

Ignore it, Kinna, Helga had murmured. I know Jakkob. He will not betray us. He is a hero among the Troll Havens, known for his swordsmanship. The Troll he was training was killed in the battle at ClarenVale, and Jakkob lives to fight against Sebastian. Or so he told me.

Beneath the youth's baleful glare in the garden gathering, Kinna wondered if Helga had spoken truly. The Seer Fey never acted without reason, however, so she pushed the thought aside. She focused her sympathy on the creatures behind Jakkob, feeling their discomfort—here among the creatures and humans against whom they traditionally fought, the ones who normally despised them—but they had assured her they were behind the uprising—even Jakkob. It was what Kinna wanted to do—unite the people and creatures of West Ashwynd. Here, at least, was a start.

The Clan ambassadors numbered nearly a hundred, and each represented many more in the various Clans across the country. Since Sebastian's war against Nicholas Erlane of Lismaria had ended, many creatures had returned to West Ashwynd, seeking escape from Sebastian's armies. Many others had been forced to remain in Lismaria to maintain Sebastian's might.

"Now there is a weak point, Cedric had pointed out only that morning in the Council room of The Crossings. Sebastian holds little loyalty among those troops he took from West Ashwynd, particularly now that Commander Lanier has defected to our side. As long as he can pay the Lismarian soldiers from Nicholas Erlane's coffers, he'll hold their loyalty, but if we can intercept those payments, he'll lose it."

Sabotage the postal carts that carry the army payroll? Helga had asked as she'd studied the plans Lanier had drawn up. Aye, the idea has merit.

Helga sat now on the wooden chair to Kinna's left, her pink hair plaited and slung over one shoulder, her worried gaze surveying the Clan representatives.

Kinna stirred uneasily. In the short time she'd known Helga, the Seer Fey had gained her implicit trust and respect. Soon after Kinna had arrived on West Ashwynd's soil after the battle at ClarenVale, Helga had appeared in the darkness of the woods where they had gathered, her face grave. Cedric had immediately asked what was wrong, but the Seer Fey had said nothing. In the four weeks following, her spirits had not improved. If anything, she had grown even quieter and more troubled.

Kinna turned her attention back to her brother. When Cedric sat down, Helga thumped on her wooden armrest, but no trace of a smile appeared on her face.

The meeting dispersed, people and creatures crowding into smaller groups, discussion running in quiet undercurrents: Sebastian dethroned, Sebastian dead, Sebastian's reign ended. Throughout The Crossings's back gardens, the words rang sharp and clear: The Andrachen twins to rule.

Kinna shivered. The task overwhelmed her. She'd done a great thing—she'd brought together people and creatures and united them under one banner, but the hardest part was yet to come.

She missed Ayden; how she missed him. He had been the one to push her forward, to encourage her to go where she was most afraid.

But Ayden was dead, torn from the walls of ClarenVale before they could escape Sebastian's long reach.

She shut her eyes against the pain, but all she could see was the white, foaming circles of lake water where Ayden and his Mirage, Luasa, had not come up, the dead Poison-Quill on the lake shore, and the broken castle wall that had crumbled beneath the force of their fall.

My darling, I wish I could stop the pain. Joanna's soft voice murmured in Kinna's ear. I am thankful that you are safe, but I know you miss him.

Miss him? It seemed such a shallow term. She ached for him. Nearly four weeks had passed since that fateful day, but it still felt as though it had happened only yesterday.

Kinna faced Joanna, blinking to relieve her stinging eyes. Mother, does love ever die?

No, Joanna answered immediately, firmly. It may change after a while, perhaps even sweeten with memory, but that seed of love he planted in your heart will always remain. Even should you find someone else to love—

Never.

—that portion of your heart will always belong to him. Joanna's gaze drifted over Kinna's shoulder. Kinna glanced behind her at her father's long, dark hair where he stood, speaking gravely with several other Pixiedimn.

Did you wonder if Father would die in Sebastian's prisons before we freed him last month?

Every day, Joanna murmured. It was my love for him that kept me going when my world was falling apart. She smiled, tilting Kinna's chin upward, planting a kiss on her forehead. Your love for Ayden will do the same, Kinna. I know it. I believe it. I have to.

As she walked away, her image blurred behind Kinna's tears. Kinna stood and entered the dark chambers of the The Crossings to be alone. Finding a niche behind a pillar in the throne room, she sank to the ground and pulled her knees up, burying her face on them, allowing herself to sob. The tears eased the pain in her heart, emptying her of the bitterness and agony she had borne alone for the last month.

Ayden was dead, and no amount of taibe would return him to her. But no matter how much she needed to mourn him, she had to focus on the people of West Ashwynd and their protection more.

After Sebastian's victory in Lismaria and Kinna and Cedric's subsequent escape to West Ashwynd, the Andrachen twins had stormed The Crossings. Aided by Lanier's presence and the squadron's loyalty to Sebastian's ex-Commander, they had soon freed the prisoners from Sebastian's cells and begun to rid the country of his ruthless regime.

The threat across the Channel in Lismaria had not lessened, however. Dark menace prowled the horizon as Sebastian's navy chartered the Channel of Lise, making its way into the Camaran and North Seas. The few bateaus that remained to West Ashwynd presented a feeble defense against Sebastian's superior naval might. Kinna had no doubt Sebastian would attack; he would not easily surrender his country to them. Sebastian had begrudged Nicholas Erlane the kingdom of Lismaria for twenty years; why would he be forgiving of the plot for his West Ashwynd throne?

The question remained: when would the attack come?

The Council room was once again crowded, but this time only with those closest to Kinna: Cedric, her father Tristan—now Lanier's second-in-command—Lincoln, Lanier, Helga. Ashleen had come, too, at Kinna's request, but Cedric's friend had submitted reluctantly. I will do you little good, Kinna, she'd said. My place is outdoors, with nature and the creatures, not stuffed into a Council room planning strategies.

You know as much as any of us about ClarenVale, Ashleen, Kinna had pointed out. You lived there most of your life. Will you at least come and hear our thoughts?

Ashleen had at last agreed, but Kinna wondered what had happened in the intervening month between her brother and the maid. There had previously been an undeniable attraction between the two; Kinna had assumed it would only be a matter of time before they announced their betrothal.

Instead, for weeks, they had avoided one another's presence.

Kinna moved to the Council room door to close it. The castle corridors were dark and quiet; the evening chill had driven many of the Clan representatives into city inns below the castle, while others remained in the castle itself.

Kinna sought her own seat, turning her mind to the earlier events of the day. The message from the Clans today was unanimous and positive, she began. Was it not so?

It went well, Cedric nodded as he sank into his own seat. The Clans are behind you, backing you with their full support.

"Backing us, Cedric."

He grimaced. I misspoke. That was what I meant.

Aye, I felt it went as well as could be hoped. The unease that had gripped Kinna's stomach still twinged. She blew out an exasperated breath. I cannot help but feel that we are in trouble. We have a skeleton of a navy, not nearly enough troops, and our armories are virtually empty. The blacksmiths have forged swords and shields within the last four weeks, but is it enough?

The silence around the table spoke volumes. Sebastian's enormous army across the Channel of Lise taunted them with its strength. Kinna cleared her throat. We need access to more armories. The Dragondimn and Griffondimn Clans have the majority of the forges in West Ashwynd. What if we were to send a contingent—

You're thinking defensively, Kinna, Helga murmured, and the room quieted even more. The veneration the Seer Fey afforded ran deep among those present.

Kinna frowned. Is that a bad thing?

Certainly not. However, Sebastian has control of a country embroiled in upheaval because no one is sure where their loyalty lies. Now is the time to take advantage of that, to work against Sebastian from the inside, to throw as many weeds into his garden as possible.

Only Helga would have compared Sebastian's ruling techniques to gardening.

What do you suggest, Helga? Lanier's deep voice came from the corner. His craggy features beneath his dark beard showed strain. This couldn't be easy for him—a man who had dedicated his life to his King, but whose sister had been killed by that King's edict, blunting his bulldoggish loyalty. When Lanier had sworn his service to her and to Cedric, Cedric had naturally questioned his allegiance, and he had spilled the entire story. Others had corroborated the tale, and Kinna and Cedric had welcomed him, Kinna with a deep measure of relief. A seasoned Commander among their straggling ranks was no small thing.

A direct assault into Lismaria would be as Kinna fears—a rout, and this uprising would be over before it had fairly started. No, beginning from the inside and working outward is the only way to proceed.

Ashleen leaned her elbows on the table, her eyebrows drawn. But we have no one planted in Sebastian's inner circle.

Helga glanced speculatively at the maid. Aye, but we can be in more places than only Sebastian's palace. Look here, if you please. Helga motioned to the Lismarian map that had remained spread on the Council table since that morning. Various colored markers scattered across it, moved here and there by Lanier and Cedric and Kinna as they had talked and planned and discussed, all to no avail.

Helga tapped the symbol marking ClarenVale. I believe the uprising can overcome Sebastian if we take three basic steps.

Lanier raised an eyebrow. Go on.

First, we must regain the Amulet, and, she paused, her hand trembling on the map, we must destroy it.

Gasps echoed across the room. Kinna's hands tightened on her armrests as she stared at the Seer Fey. But—why? The Amulet sealed the original Bond of Blood and Fire. It was given to Aarkan the Firebringer in a ceremony between Man, Dragon, and Seer Fey as a sign of the peace between creatures. Why must we destroy it?

Helga's gaze rested softly on Kinna before moving to Cedric. Aye, 'tis true. I once believed the Bond and the Amulet to be good gifts, too. That has changed. I— For the first time since Kinna had known the Seer Fey, Helga's voice faltered and broke. Tears rimmed her lashes; she quickly dashed them away.

Helga? Kinna asked, stunned. Are you all right?

Perfectly. She sniffed before pulling a large pink handkerchief from the folds of her apron and blowing her nose into it. Thank you, Kinna. I—I have not told you this yet; I have been struggling to understand how this news will affect our uprising against Sebastian. But I can no longer keep silent. She paused, wiping her nose with the handkerchief, and continued with a sigh. I received word mere hours after the battle at ClarenVale of something hitherto unknown to me, and it troubles me greatly. The Dryads passed a letter to me from my Seer Fey sister, one of the trusted few who have stood with me against Paik, the Grand-Master of the Seer Fey. Her message was short and cryptic, but she did convey one thing: evidence that the Andrachen kings had corrupted their ties with Seer Fey and with Dragons, starting a thread of degradation and evil that outlasted every reign, eventually eroding the Amulet itself.

The room had gone utterly silent. Until now, the Amulet had been the ultimate prize for The Rebellion.

Helga went on. This—evil—has cascading effects. We cannot use the Amulet in our quest to upset the throne; it is now corrupt, and its effects are vile. Its... polarity... has shifted.

But— Kinna couldn't help interrupting, Ay—Ayden was not evil, though the Touches of the Amulet lived in him before he—before his—death.

Helga stuffed her handkerchief back into her apron. We don't know that, Kinna. Ayden was a good man, one of the very best. A hero of our time, but only the Stars know how long he could have maintained his goodness had he been left to live.

Tears blurred Kinna's vision. He wouldn't have turned evil; he couldn't.

He could, Helga said flatly, though it may have taken time.

No one said anything. Lincoln tilted his chair on its back legs. The scuff of wood on stone was loud in the silence.

Where is the Amulet? Cedric asked at last.

Helga straightened. "The Amulet lies behind the safeguards I placed around it; a magical maze wrought with taibe. Cedric, it is yours by rights. The taibe gateway begins in the Silver Rush River that winds through the Marron Mountains, due west of ClarenVale. When you go there, you will find my Seer Fey sister, the gatekeeper, who lives nearby and will allow you to begin the taibe maze. To regain the Amulet, you must pass through the safeguards and take it. Only you can."

Cedric blinked, surprised. Why is it mine?

"It belongs only to the Andrachens. When I had hidden it behind safeguards previously, though I had made it very difficult to retrieve without great pain, I found that I could still retrieve it, she emphasized. It was not safe enough. After the battle at ClarenVale, I hid it again, calling on all my taibe to create safeguards only capable of intrusion by an Andrachen heir. It cost me dearly to regain it the first time, and it will cost you dearly to regain now. The taibe that holds it will not leave you untouched, Andrachen heir or no, Cedric."

But—why must I seek it? Cedric asked. "Is it not safer to stay in your taibe maze until such a time as we can destroy it?"

Helga's eyes again sparked with tears. I fear not, Cedric. Sebastian knows that I have hidden and protected it, though he does not yet know where. His efforts to find it increase his probability of recovering it, and the letter warns me that I must remove the Amulet—sooner than I had hoped. You must take it, Cedric, before Sebastian can find it and face the safeguards himself. You are Andrachen; you can take it, but Sebastian has the Andrachen blood, too.

Cedric digested this. I may not take Ember with me to seek it?

You may take whomever you like, Helga answered. The safeguards will war against you and you alone. If you were not there to enter them, Ember or anyone else would not even be able to find them. When you discover the safeguards, Ember can enter with you as you face them. The Amulet will always find its way back to the heirs unless it is destroyed. It must be you to whom it comes, not Sebastian.

But Kinna—

Is not a son of the line. Until this generation, Cedric, the Amulet has always passed from father to son. And the Stars have always gifted the Andrachens at least one male heir.

Cedric frowned. Kinna is more than capable—

I'm not saying she isn't. It is simply the way it happened, Cedric. But now, she smiled at Kinna, now the world can know what a truly great leader an Andrachen woman will be.

Kinna did not feel like smiling. What happens after Cedric gains the Amulet?

It must be destroyed.

How?

Helga sighed. "It is not easy to destroy a gift of the Stars. One who wields all four Touches of the Amulet must give his blood to destroy it with the aid of Dragon and Seer Fey—a mirroring echo of what happened during the Bond of Blood and Fire. The Seer Fey must use the knife that brought the blood at the original Bond—it is kept in the center of the Seer Fey Council chambers in the Marron Mountains, under the Grand-Master Paik's own supervision. It is protected by taibe, and all Councils are held around it."

Cedric shook his head, disbelief etching his expression. And how under the Stars are we to bring together all these things into one ceremony? The Amulet? The Seer Fey knife?

Helga smiled. You have said it, Cedric. The Stars. They will guide us. She paused, and a heavy silence fell over the group. After another moment, she straightened. After such a ceremony, Cedric and Kinna will lead the people to victory over Sebastian.

Cedric's lips pressed together. Abruptly, he pushed from his chair and paced behind it, his hands clenched into fists. At last, he stopped, gripping the back of his chair. I have no interest in the throne, Helga. His words pelted like hail over the small gathering. Everyone flinched. Kinna is the one who will lead our people.

Kinna had suspected her twin's feelings lay in that direction, but she hadn't thought he would utter them in the presence of their Council. Loaded silence followed his statement.

Kinna opened her mouth to protest, but Helga interrupted her.

You and your sister will rule by blood-right, Cedric, and I'm afraid there is no turning from that.

Cedric's knuckles turned the color of putty on the chair back. So I cannot renounce my name and my inheritance?

Nay, Helga said. You cannot. You were born an Andrachen, Cedric, in the fires of Dragons. You cannot be anyone other than who you are. She leaned forward, her gaze steady. You will take the crown when this is over, Cedric. In the meantime, you must take the Amulet but resist its compulsions, from which I cannot shield you. Until it is destroyed, it will try to control you.

Cedric slumped again into his chair, a stubborn frown darkening his face. Kinna did not doubt that she would hear further protests, perhaps later.

What is the second step, Helga? Lanier asked, bringing the discussion back to her earlier point.

"Sebastian is dependent on Nicholas Erlane's coffers until he settles into a new rhythm with his kingdom. He has yet to set up his taxation system, and his nobility is still dithering from the changeover as some have fled and others have pledged loyalty. We must take advantage now before he regroups. Cedric, after you gain the Amulet, whether or not we can immediately destroy it, we must focus on another task as well. You must devote your attention—and I think Ashleen will make a good assistant for you, as you both navigate the hazards of nature with ease—to finding the postal wagons as they traverse throughout the Lismarian wilderness carrying the army's payroll."

Tristan spoke from his place on the other side of Helga. Such work would be better suited for Lanier's infantry, Helga, would it not? Why send our hopeful King to do such work?

Helga's eyes sparked as she looked back at Cedric, and a half-smile covered her face. Because, Tristan, even the King must understand what his laborers face. She leaned forward, touching Cedric's hand. I foresee much grief for you, Cedric. You will struggle with your place, your position at the head of a nation. I send you, because your forebears never tainted their hands with the dirt of the common people. You will turn your family name on its head, Cedric Andrachen, because you will come to the throne from the bottom up. Imprisoned, chained, forced into Sebastian's service, sent to rob postal carts of the army's payroll—all these are foundation stones for the man—the King—you will become. A good King. An understanding one.

Cedric nodded slowly, and then glanced across the table at Ashleen, who still refused to look up. His face tightened. I can take Lincoln. He's as well-equipped—

Lincoln will accompany you only for the first part of your journey, but then I have another use for him. You and Ashleen will make it your responsibility to capture the sceptremarks financing Sebastian's armies after the carts leave ClarenVale. We will fill our own empty coffers and strike at the heart of whatever loyalty the soldiers may carry for Sebastian in one blow.

Cedric blinked in surprise. You wish me to become a bandit?

A handsome one, at that, Helga laughed for the first time in weeks, throwing everyone off-kilter. Cedric's cheeks turned scarlet.

What then? asked Lincoln from his place beside Kinna. He cocked an eyebrow. Perhaps you'd like me to sing my way into ClarenVale and sink the entire castle beneath my lovely Pixie charm?

Dear Linc, Helga smiled at him. Nay, after you leave Cedric and Ashleen, I wish you to go on to ClarenVale and find your daughter, Marigold, and bring her to safety here.

Moisture formed in Lincoln's eyes, and he blinked rapidly. But I— He cleared his throat. Thank you, Helga. But what of Kinna? I have been her guardian heretofore.

Kinna is of age, and though I hope you will still serve and protect her, a guardian is no longer required. Kinna, instead, will—

A knock sounded at the door, interrupting Helga's words. Kinna stood as the door opened, and a servant entered, bowing to her and again to Cedric. Your Graces, I apologize for the intrusion.

What do you need? Kinna asked.

A Pixie has arrived at the castle. She requests an audience; she claims an early acquaintance with you. She was most insistent that she see you immediately.

Oh? Kinna glanced down the table at her father.

Tristan's eyebrows rose. An early acquaintance? From the Pixie Clan?

Aye, sir. She gave the name Hazel.

Hazel! Kinna felt as though she'd taken a blow to her stomach. She had trained with the Pixie in her days in the Glades, but Hazel had been stubbornly resistant to work with her. Kinna hadn't blamed her. She'd fought her own conscience on Dimn training methods even then. When Hazel had been arrested and taken to The Crossings for treason, Kinna had blamed herself.

Kinna took a deep breath. Show her in, please.

Yes, Your Grace.

The servant bowed and disappeared into the shadowy corridor, and Kinna's gaze sought her father's. I'd heard she'd escaped from the guards before she could be chained in Sebastian's dungeons, but I cannot imagine what would bring her to me now. She hated me.

She hated Sebastian, too, daughter, Tristan said. Perhaps she has discovered she has more in common with you than she knew at the time.

When Hazel appeared and the guard shut the door behind her, it took Kinna a moment to pull together her courage and look the Pixie in the face. But she had worried in vain. Hazel's purple eyes did not burn with anger or hatred, and Kinna hardly recognized the pink-haired Pixie lass. Hazel sketched a bow to Kinna and another to Cedric, and then stood with her arms loosely at her sides, her booted feet spread wide, as comfortable among them in her buckskin breeches and leather vest as Commander Lanier would be in his armor and shield.

Your Graces. Her throaty voice carried to the four corners of the Council Chamber.

Hazel. It's—good to see you again. Kinna flushed, embarrassed. It wasn't good; awkward would be a better word, but her peace-keeping personality surged over her recollections of the past. Hazel incited a shame Kinna had hidden deep within herself. She had agreed with Hazel that Sebastian's Dimn system of training creatures wasn't right, or fair. But she'd bowed to the pressure of her society and forced Hazel to submit to the indignity of a training routine, silently pushing her into the status of the lesser, the non-equal.

Lincoln had shown her it was wrong, later. By his quick actions, wit, thought, and feelings, in his quiet agony due to his separation from his daughter. Every day, Lincoln proved how equal he, a Pixie, was to her, a human. Chennuh, also, once she'd formed a psuche connection with the Dragon, had shown her his incredible intelligence, equal to her own. Never should such creatures have been shunted aside, trodden below humans. Though by their very natures, they lived differently, they should never have been considered inferior. It pained her even now to consider it.

Kinna pasted on a smile. Welcome.

Thank you. Hazel nodded, further stunning Kinna with her pleasant manner. She met Kinna's gaze, including Cedric in it. I come to offer whatever services I can to your cause.

Why? The question nearly burst from Kinna's lips, but she snatched it back in time. Go on.

After I escaped from Sebastian's guards, I hid for a time in the hills north of the Pixie Glades. I found that I was not alone.

Kinna's eyebrows raised. What do you mean?

Whole communities of creatures oppressed beneath Sebastian's rule had taken refuge in the valleys and canyons of that area. When I came, they took me in. They have since revered me, looking to me as a leader.

Kinna smothered a smile. You always did have the qualities of a leader.

Hazel did not answer at first, and the silence stretched into uncomfortable territory. Kinna waited, uneasy.

At last, Hazel gave another small bow. I do not offer my services or those of our outcast crew freely, Your Grace.

Kinna had suspected there might be a price to pay for the Pixie's help, but she had very little bargaining power. Go on.

We are made up of many and powerful creatures. We still make our home in West Ashwynd, but some have direct relations to family in Lismaria, and a select few are even connected within the castle at ClarenVale.

Kinna and Cedric locked gazes. That would—

Aye, Cedric nodded. That would be most valuable to our cause. How do you intend to help us? he asked Hazel.

The Pixie crossed her arms over her vest. I will be ambassador between you and my people, a party to your planning, and a messenger. My creatures will trust no one but me. I can set up the connections within Sebastian's castle for a spy network, and I can offer those of my Clan here in West Ashwynd to be used in battle.

Cedric was silent, searching Kinna's gaze for a long moment. He arched his eyebrows in question. Kinna fought a quick and heated internal war. They were dramatically short on numbers. Hazel's Clan would certainly not make up the difference between The Rebellion and Sebastian's far mightier armies. However, Hazel and her Clan could be used to foment and recruit aid in West Ashwynd, even in Lismaria with their varied connections. If they accepted, it would be a steep learning curve for Hazel—but then, what wasn't? Kinna currently helped lead a country's rebellion when a year ago, she had been running off to Dragon Hollow to visit the Dragons in secret.

She glanced at her father and warmed under his concerned gaze. He and Joanna knew what trouble Hazel had given Kinna. The Pixie did seem to have put it behind her. Tristan held Kinna's look, giving her the tiniest nod, and it was settled. She nodded to Cedric.

Well, then, Cedric said. We agree.

Kinna turned back to Hazel. Aye, she said hesitantly. We agree. For your help and the help of your people, you may join us.

Hazel bowed. To take down Sebastian, she said. So be it. I wish to rid this land and the world of his stench, and I will do all that I can to help. With that, she walked to the table and sank into an empty chair.

Kinna was startled, but before she could say anything, Cedric spoke. Hazel, we are preparing to close our meeting. Would you wait in the corridor? We will be with you presently.

Hazel stared at him, raising one perfect, pink eyebrow. Nay, Your Grace. You did just agree to side with me and my Clan, to allow me to be an ambassador between you and my people, to let me be a party to your meetings, to allow me to set up my spies in Sebastian's own castle. How can I do that if I do not understand what your wishes are?

Troubled, Kinna considered Hazel's motives. Kinna, too, wished to rid the world of Sebastian's despotic rule, but not because the powerful rush of vengeance flooded her. She hoped, perhaps naively, to create a better world for the creatures trapped beneath Sebastian's control. It was the point of this whole effort. Hazel wished to kill Sebastian out of revenge. Kinna hoped, through Sebastian's death, to right many wrongs for her uncle's subjects. She wondered how long she and Hazel could work together with their motivations at such variance.

Kinna glanced at her father, one of the prominent leaders in the Pixie Glades. Father? she asked. She trusted his wisdom more than Hazel's persuasion.

After a moment, he nodded. Aye, let her stay, Kinna. She may offer us some valuable insight. Helga, is that amenable to you?

The Seer Fey nodded slowly, her eyes piercing the Pixie. Aye. She said nothing else, and Kinna wasn't reassured by her brevity.

Kinna glanced around. Let us continue, then. Helga, what was the third thing you were preparing to say?

Helga straightened and cleared her throat. I wish you to go to Ongalia, to recruit some help from King Bennjan. I am sending Jakkob, the Trolldimn, with you, she hesitated, as well as Hazel, I think. Helga's gaze turned to the pink-haired Pixie, and her expression changed to one of speculation.

Hazel inclined her head once. As you wish, she murmured.

Kinna's eyebrows rose. Ongalia! Why there? And why Jakkob?

Jakkob, Helga explained, is a renowned swordsman, and will serve as excellent protection for you in place of— She cut off abruptly. Ayden's unspoken name reverberated in Kinna's ears. She blanched. Helga's mouth softened as she went on. "A noble close to the ear of King Bennjan of Ongalia, Lord Adrian Fellowes, holds some sympathy with our cause. He had tried to orchestrate an attack on Lismaria years ago when Liam's father, Bryan Andrachen, was King; however he was arrested and deported, a kinder punishment, I may say,