Because I’d stayed in the Storm Vault for two days straight, it doesn’t need subduing that afternoon, so I remain hidden away in my bedroom after Baelen leaves—even eating in there before finally collapsing into a deep sleep that night.

But even in my dreams, I can’t get away from him. His voice invades my sleep in the dark of night and I toss and turn, trying to ignore the ache in my chest. Finally, the early morning glow from the skylight wakes me before I want to be awake. Jordan bustles around me, folding blankets and pushing clothing into my closet much too noisily.

She pauses when she sees I’m awake. “How are you feeling?”

“It’s not the bruises that hurt.”

Okay, so I said that out loud. Not what I intended but I’ll have to live with it. I locate my spare pillow wrapped in the sheets beside me and pull it into a hug. She keeps shooting glances at me and it makes me feel like I missed something… Now that I think of it, the foggy memories of Baelen’s voice in the night seem a little too real in the light of day…

I pluck at my sheets, not wanting to sound too concerned. “I had a dream that Commander Rath was here in the middle of the night. Was that a dream or…?”

“He was here.”

I sit bolt upright. “What?”

“He was completely intoxicated so we sent him away.”

Baelen was drunk? That was a first.

“Don’t worry, we sent someone to fetch your brother to take him away. We weren’t sure if Commander Rath would make it home safely otherwise.”

“I’m… stunned. What did he say?”

She perches on the end of my bed. She hasn’t put her boots on, which means she wasn’t really trying to wake me up. Every time she flexes her toes, they enter a shaft of light shining from the ceiling. Even her feet move with purpose.

“He ah… said a lot of things. Mostly about killing Rhydian Valor and everyone associated with him. But he also kept repeating something about a lavender cloak and a blue ribbon? He kept saying that the wind stole the ribbon—that it took everything. Does that mean anything to you?”

I slide back under the covers, pulling them up around my neck. My heartbeat increases as I remember his younger fingers looping through the blue ribbon I used to wear in my hair, sliding through my braid, loosening it, letting it fall over my shoulders…

“The ribbon was the only nice thing I owned,” I say. “It was pale, like the color of blue ice. Which is ironic, considering what I became.”

Jordan slides from the base of the bed to the floor in front of me, crossing her legs and picking at the hem of her pants leg. “When Sebastian handed you his heartstone, I dealt with it by focusing on you and my duty to protect you. I pushed everything else out of my mind. You need to do the same thing now. Your life depends on these protocols and they’re getting more dangerous. You need to empty your mind and focus.”

She rises, always graceful, and brushes herself off. “It’s a new day.”

“I’m lucky to have you.” I loosen my hold on the pillow, letting it go, sliding my feet to the floor and planting them firmly on it. The Elven Command has stopped following the traditional sequence of protocols, but at some point they have to have a compatibility test. Sebastian Splendor will be eliminated then and my friend’s heart can mend.

“It’s a new day,” I murmur. “Let’s start it with a walk. It’s time to make some changes.”

Baelen wouldn’t approve but I wear a simple, loose dress when I leave my quarters. I can’t bear anything pressing against my skin, not even the strap that would help me carry a wooden staff. To compensate, my ladies are armed to the teeth: full body armor, swords, daggers, bows and arrows. They even wear matching headpieces and smear red dust across their eyes to make themselves look fierce. Jordan, in particular, is ferocious. She’s the tallest of them, carrying red-feathered arrows and weapons with blood-red handles.

My destination is the armory. To avoid the majority of elves, we take the less busy path along the river. It doesn’t take more than a glance from my warriors for passersby to get out of the way.

Halfway along the river, an object sails over my ladies’ heads. With lightning reflexes, Jordan snatches it out of the air, crushing it. Oddly, she doesn’t look worried. We don’t stop and I trust my warriors to be on the alert, but Jordan falls back and opens her fist to show me what she caught.

Lavender petals from a gladiolus flower float to the grass.

I crane my neck to see the elf who threw it. “What does this mean?”

“The gladiolus flower symbolizes honor and strength,” Jordan says. “I’m sure she meant for me to catch it, not crush it.”

“Who?”

In response to my question, my ladies separate long enough for me to glimpse the young female running to keep up beside us. She has bare feet, wears a patched dress, clearly from a minor House. She can’t be more than eleven years old. As soon as she sees me, she cries, “Have courage, Princess. We’re with you.”

Then she veers off, racing swiftly away.

I open my palm for Jordan to drop the flower into it. It’s an incredible gift from a stranger, let alone a young female who could hardly afford it. I tuck it away in my pocket.

I jolt as another female voice cries from nearby. “Have courage, Princess!”

“We’re with you, Princess!”

“Have strength!”

“You honor us!”

“Jordan,” I whisper. “What’s going on?”

“I wish I could show you, but it’s best if we keep you protected.” She grins. “But I think it’s fair to say that you have support.”

The cries of encouragement continue all along the river, only fading once we reach the more populated trading district. We make a straight line for the armory and my ladies clear a path without any issues.

Jordan swings the doors open. “This is the Storm Command,” she announces. “Clear the building!”

The male and female workers file out around us. The head Armorer pauses to speak with Jordan for a moment, before departing without causing a problem. A flash of silver coin tells me why that went so smoothly.

“They’re used to us coming and going, but we don’t often ask them to leave,” Jordan explains, since I’ve never been here before. Something I intend to change today.

The protective circle opens to reveal walls of weapons of every kind. I head straight for the daggers, looking them over. When I point to one, Jordan gets it down and tests it for weight and balance. She shakes her head until the fourth one. It’s smaller than the others, but that’s a good thing because it can be concealed more easily.

“Now, what we need is…” She chooses from three different types of strapping that one of my Storm Command has produced and hands the chosen one to me. I shimmy up my dress and attach the soft belt around my thigh, pulling it tight and firm. A flat leather pouch is firmly attached at the side.

Another one of my Storm Command hands Jordan a pair of leather gloves. Not taking any chances, Jordan places both the gloves and the dagger on a nearby wooden table. I pull on the gloves and reach for the weapon.

If this works…

I brace for the storm’s power as I pick up the dagger.

Nothing happens and I grin. The leather provides a protective barrier between me and the metal. I slide the dagger into the pouch at my thigh. It won’t light up until I touch it with my bare hands.

Now I can carry weapons. Arrogant males like Rhydian Valor won’t get the better of me again. I spin to face my smiling Storm Command. “How many of these can I carry at once?”

When we get back to my quarters, Elise paces in the hallway. As soon as she sees me, she pounces. “The compatibility test has been announced.”

The happiness I felt at being able to protect myself dissolves. I brace for what she’s about to tell me. I’m ready for anything.

“They’re sticking with the traditional test.”

I blink at her. “Really? No tricks, no traps?”

“It looks like it.”

Jordan is cautious beside me. “That’s a good thing, isn’t it? It’s the same test we did.”

I can’t help but worry. “It should be, but it seems too straight forward.”

Elise urges me down the corridor. “The Elven Command has had a lot of backlash about the last trial. I think they’re trying to regain control. Keeping with the traditional test is the smart thing to do.”

I head to my bedroom, pull on the gloves, and unclasp the belt around my thigh. We ended up finding one with multiple pockets for my right leg, along with one for my opposite knee and one for my waist. I can’t have too many daggers. I lay them out on the table one after the other while Elise gapes.

“Princess…?”

I grit my teeth. “I won’t be defenseless again. And from now on, I carry gloves so I can punch the lights out of any male who means to harm me.”

She gasps beside me and to my surprise, tears suddenly slide down her cheeks. “I’m sorry I didn’t think of that before.”

I spin to her. “Elise, no, this isn’t your fault. We didn’t know what the Elven Command was planning. Or how far they’d go. Now we’ll be prepared.”

She gulps and nods. She pulls herself upright, smoothing down her dress. “The test is tomorrow. Before you go in, I will check the room myself. I won’t allow any tricks.”

“Thank you, Elise. I know you’ll make sure it’s safe.”

I study my new weapons. I won’t be going unprepared.