The next morning, the arena is as gorgeously laid out as it was on the day of the Heartstone Ceremony. The Elven Command has worked hard to erase every sign of the battle that occurred here four days ago. Their spellcasters have turned the space into a lush garden. I’m not sure who is responsible—or whether the Command understands the meaning—but gladiolus flowers adorn ever pillar, cascading across the walls, and drape from the second level.

Just like the Heartstone Ceremony, the Elven Command takes up most of the dais and the remaining five champions wait at the base of it. To my surprise, that morning the advisor from the House of Bounty approached Elise to pass on a message to me: that Pedr Bounty’s grandson apologized for his presence, but the spells forced him to be there. He offered an undertaking: that he would not raise his eyes beyond the floor and would leave as soon as the spells released him. I accepted.

Elwyn Elder moves to the center of the dais to hush the crowd. “I now ask the Storm Princess to step forward.”

I press my hands to my sides. I’ve opted for simplicity today: a gray suit like the ones I wore jogging, but my weapons belts are on display and accessible if I need them. I step from my entrance room onto the stage.

Sound assaults me as soon as I appear. I flinch. I whirl to the crowd, on my guard, as the uproar continues. And then I realize… they’re cheering. Calling my name. Our Princess! Our Princess! Petals rain down on me from the second level. I turn in a circle, stunned and beyond words. How and when did this happen?

The cheering goes on for so long that I have to raise my arms for quiet. Finally, the crowd settles down and I stand to the side, waiting for Elwyn Elder to continue.

He doesn’t look at me but his countenance is icy. He doesn’t like being upstaged. “The results of the compatibility test will now be announced.”

At the base of the dais, the champions wait in their black robes. True to his word, Gwynn Bounty doesn’t look up. Harmon Faith has fixed his focus on the wall behind me. In fact, all of them have found some point in the room to fixate on. Even Baelen stands perfectly still, not looking at me.

What’s happened since yesterday? Why aren’t any of them looking at me? A shiver suddenly runs to my toes.

Elwyn Elder smiles. “Three males were found to be compatible.”

Three? The room suddenly spins. Sebastian can’t be compatible so that means one of the monsters is. Or both of them. The thought makes me nauseous but I tell myself that I should be glad. It will be so much easier to kill one of them if they win.

“The following compatible males will approach the dais. The others will leave immediately.”

Elwyn pauses, dragging out his moment of power. “Jasper Grace.”

Jasper strides up the steps and positions himself to my right, eyes down. I can’t figure out his expression, but that’s nothing new. I tried not to read anything into it.

“Sebastian Splendor.”

What? No!

I take a step back. Sebastian climbs the steps, his hands balled into fists, but not at me. He’s the first of the champions to look up, throwing daggers at Elwyn Elder. He positions himself in front of me, blocking my view of the other champions on the arena floor.

I’m choking. I can’t breathe. How is this male compatible when his heart belongs to someone else? I shake my head at Sebastian. No.

He drops his gaze without responding.

“And the final compatible male…” Elwyn’s mouth pinches like this is the first distasteful thing he’s done today. “The final male is Baelen Rath.”

Baelen approaches the dais, still fixated on a point at the back of the room. He takes his place to my left. There’s enough distance for me to take stock of all three males. Jasper and Sebastian both cast imposing figures, but standing beside them Baelen is a Rath through and through. He’s the biggest. The strongest. The one with the most scars. But these three males have fought side by side. They’re friends. They’re loyal to each other. And…

I’m the only one who can yield.

In a final fight between two of these males, one will have to kill the other.

Now I understand why they’re so subdued. There are only a few more chances for elimination. They must each be assessing the odds, the possible outcomes. From their point of view, the only way all of them come out alive is if I make it to the final fight and exercise my right to yield to my opponent.

Except that I already told Baelen I wouldn’t do that.

I never should have told him that. I grip my stomach, trying to calm my breathing, to halt my overwhelming panic. I can’t kill any of them. I don’t want them to die. I want to scream. Why did it have to be these three males?

I understand why Jasper is compatible with me. He’s from a minor House. He knows what it’s like to be poor, looked down on. He’s worked hard to get where he is, using his determination, courage, and persistence to be his House champion.

But how is Sebastian still a contender? There’s no way we’re compatible. His heart belongs to Jordan and my own bleeds for them. She stands off to the side, focused on me, avoiding looking at him as if she can shield herself from what’s going on around her.

Elwyn Elder instructs the three males to leave the dais. At some point, the eliminated males have already left and I don’t give them a second thought.

Jasper and Baelen are both wooden as they take the steps, but Sebastian has located Jordan. One glance from him is all it takes. She presses the heel of her palm to her heart. Elise pulls her close but it’s too late. Tears slide down the cheeks of my fearless protector. Jordan turns away before anyone else sees and five ladies from my Storm Command step up to form a visual barrier around her to protect her.

Sebastian is stricken pale. He stops at the top of the steps, his fists clenched, shoulders drawn back. For a second I think he’s going to confront the Elven Command. His House forced him into this position, tearing him and Jordan apart. As he throws a look of anger at his grandfather, I finally see the hatred he’s kept hidden for so long.

He continues down the steps to take his place beside Baelen. That’s when it strikes me why Sebastian’s still here. His heart is broken in the same way that mine tore apart seven years ago. Neither of us can have what we want and our pain unites us. Our broken hearts link us. They make us mirror each other.

We are compatible in exactly the wrong way.

There are three males left. This is my last chance to use my power to veto one of them.

Elwyn clears his throat. “The next trial—”

“Stop!”

Elwyn stares at me in surprise.

I say, “I wish to exercise my right of veto.”

The crowd gasps. Elwyn glances at the Elven Command. He clearly wasn’t expecting me to do this, but I haven’t played by their rules all along, so I’m not about to start now. “The Princess has that right.”

My heart is pounding, banging against my chest. I don’t have a chance of calming down, but as long as I can get the words out, I’ll be okay. “First I want to acknowledge that the vetoing of a House comes with an obligation. The vetoed House can make a request of me.”

“That is correct,” Elwyn says, “But it must be something that the Princess is capable of fulfilling without harm to herself or her… reputation.”

Oh, the hypocrisy. They’d tried to hurt both me and my reputation during the battle in this arena. I smother my distaste for Elwyn as I step down from the dais, pausing at the base of the stairs.

Baelen meets my eyes for the first time. He’s somber and clearly sober. I regret now my anger at him the day before. At the time when I’d stormed into the barracks, he already knew the outcome of the test. I picture him sitting with his head in his hands as I’d burst into the room. Now I know that it wasn’t just because his head hurt.

Right now, I have to conceal my intentions. No House wants to be vetoed because of the dishonor that comes with it. There’s nobody left in Baelen’s House to try to stop me, so I head for him.

Confusion spreads across his face, followed by resignation. Maybe he thinks that I’m still angry at him. Maybe he guesses that I’m trying to save his life. Maybe he understands that I’m not coming for him at all.

Beside him, Sebastian’s expression becomes more and more blank and absent as he sees his chances of being with Jordan disappear with every step I take. Once I use my veto power, only two males will remain, which means there’s only one more chance for elimination before the final fight to the death.

Jasper, on the other hand, looks surprised. I know from our time on the mountain that he’s loyal to Baelen. He’s also observant. He wouldn’t expect me to willingly dishonor Baelen by knocking him out of the trials.

A quick glance behind me tells me that the Elven Command are gloating. They want nothing more than for Baelen to be out of the trials.

I focus on Baelen. I can do this. Three feet away from him, I close my eyes and drop to a knee, my head down. At the same time, I raise my voice, knowing that I have to speak more clearly than ever before.

“I veto…”

I have one more moment to consider my choice. I could still veto Baelen, push him away, and keep him safe from everything in my life. But I know what I have to do.

“I veto the House of Splendor.”

There’s a moment of silence as the meaning of my declaration sinks in. Then the arena bursts into commotion. Sebastian’s advisor appears behind him, shouting and shaking his fist. Every elf in the whole arena is speaking, some shouting—well, that’s mostly the Elven Command.

I keep my focus on Sebastian. Feeling returns to his face. His eyes widen, his legs buckle, but he remains upright. He sucks in a breath so deep, it’s like he hasn’t breathed for days. His shock slams into me. He can’t believe I chose him, that he’s free. Tears burn the back of my eyes at the agony he’s been bearing.

I shout above his advisor’s rage. “Sebastian of the House of Splendor. Name your price.”

His advisor screams, “Gold! Silver! Elevation to the highest House! A Splendor female admitted into her Storm Command.”

I wait for Sebastian to take a moment, to take it all in. Then, very deliberately, I point toward my Storm Command. They’ve pulled Jordan forward, tear-streaked and shocked. Sebastian has one chance to be with her.

I fill my voice with thunder so strong that the entire room quiets. Even the advisor shuts up.

“Sebastian of the House of Splendor. I am obligated to do one thing for you and one thing only. This is to compensate you for taking away your chance to share the power of the storm. Only you can name your price.” I glower at his advisor. “Consider your request wisely.”

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. She was 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.