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  calm. I have that with my job.” He brushed my hair from my

  eyes. “After you sacrificed your magic I thought you would

  be content to stay uninvolved in Sitian affairs and be with me.

  But you rushed off, jumping right back into the maelstrom. I

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  don’t have the energy to deal with storms on both fronts—pun

  intended. I need someone steadier.”

  Tears ran down my face.

  He hugged me. “And I’ll offer to render aid whenever

  needed because I know you wouldn’t ask. After all, I don’t

  want to miss out on all the fun.” He kissed my forehead and

  walked away.

  Devlen hovered near the stable’s entrance and Kade paused

  next to him and said something. I held my breath, but Devlen

  nodded and Kade left.

  When Devlen came closer, I raised my eyebrows, invit-

  ing him to explain. He peered at me in amazement. “I never

  dreamed you would forgive me. Would want to be with me.”

  He cupped my cheek, wiping away my tears with a thumb.

  I covered his hand with mine, pressing it against my face.

  “Kade asked me to be the voice of reason when you dash

  off into danger. Note he said when.”

  Valek arrived to escort us to Galen. It had been a full day since Devlen injected my blood into him. They had chained him in

  one of the cottages. Quinn’s glass ball/null shield nearby. Valek had also gagged him so he couldn’t order me to free him.

  A deep hatred consumed me when I saw him. I gripped the

  orb hard. Devlen stood behind me. He squeezed my shoulder

  in support. Quinn’s parents acted as witnesses. Since the revolt, Quinn’s father, Lane, had been unofficially voted as the new

  clan leader. According to Valek’s report, he planned for a more democratic society where everyone shared the work and the

  profits. Since Quinn was the only Bloodrose with magic, I

  had asked him to stay away from me just in case I accidentally

  grabbed his magic.

  I started with Devlen, draining the blood magic from him.

  Then I nodded to Lane. He moved the null shield away from

  Galen. Without hesitation, I concentrated on the orb, siphon-

  ing our magic. Galen’s eyes widened in surprise. The steady

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  ring of diamonds filling the orb sounded. Between the two

  of us, our power was considerable.

  Controlling the pull of magic, I drew it all. Galen bucked

  and screamed. But for me, the burning sensation of the magic

  leaving felt purifying, cleaning Galen from my body and soul.

  The pings of diamonds slowed and I closed my eyes, reaching

  for the last bit. A heavy fabric of magic settled on my shoulders and I instinctively pulled it as well.

  When no power remained, I opened my eyes. The effort

  had sapped my energy, but I stayed on my feet.

  Able to speak for the first time in days, I said to Galen, “A

  good friend told me that criminals get caught because of greed

  and stupidity. Loophole number two, Galen. You ordered me

  not to siphon your magic, but not our magic. And you underestimated Walsh, who took steps to protect his family before

  he died.”

  I turned away. Valek had taken Devlen’s place behind me.

  He pulled the fabric from my shoulders and the significance of

  its presence finally sank in. It was a null shield jacket. I glared at Valek.

  “I thought it was worth a try. Did it work?” He gestured

  for Lane to approach.

  Lane held Quinn’s glass ball. The null shield’s magic pushed

  me back. It did work. My immunity had returned. Damn it!

  I sputtered. “You… How… I don’t want magic! ”

  “Being immune isn’t magical. There’s no magic involved,”

  Valek said in a f lat voice.

  “Save that speech for the Commander of Ixia. I know and you know and the horses know better.” And Reema and Teegan, but I wasn’t going to tell him. He’d try to recruit them to our team.

  And they were too young to decide if they should join or not.

  “Before you start lecturing me, I have a present for you.”

  Valek handed me a spyglass.

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  “Is

  this—”

  “No. Yours was crushed in the cave-in, but I thought you’d

  like a replacement.”

  “Thanks.”

  He

  waited.

  I pulled the spyglass’s sections out and peered at Devlen

  through the barrel. “You’re right. I can see the future.”

  “And?” Valek asked.

  “And if you need our help for any future missions, just ask.”

  “A package deal?”

  “Yes,” Devlen answered.

  “Good thing, I brought another.” With a dramatic f lour-

  ish worthy of Janco, Valek presented a spyglass to Devlen.

  “Now you need to leave so I can finish our business with

  Galen.” Valek showed me one of the glass knives. “I thought

  it fitting.”

  “It is.” I took the knife from Valek. “You once told me

  Galen was my problem and I should deal with him.”

  “You’re not a killer, Opal,” he said.

  Devlen agreed. “You’ll regret it.”

  But they didn’t know what it felt like to be magically bound

  to another. To feel helpless. “This isn’t about murder. It’s about justice. We know the Sitian Council will discuss the situation until the subject is exhausted. Anything could happen

  during that time. They’re already backing away from charging

  Vasko.” He claimed Galen had engineered the blood magic

  test laboratory and he had no knowledge of it.

  Fire f lashed in Valek’s eyes. “Vasko’s due for a visit.”

  “I’ll let you handle him, but Galen is mine.” I spun and

  sliced the sharp edge of the glass knife deep into Galen’s throat, drawing a line from ear to ear. Blood spurted. I watched until

  he died. No regret.

  I paused on the doorstep. Was she still disappointed? Would

  she be upset over my delayed visit? Would she be able to accept

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  all the changes in my life? So much had happened, she might

  be overwhelmed.

  “Opal, the door is not going to open by itself. She’s your

  mother. How bad can it be?” Devlen asked.

  Sweat dampened his tunic. The bright sun blazed. It was

  midafternoon in the middle of the hot season. The humid air

  felt hot enough to melt sand into glass. His skin had darkened

  as we traveled south, but our paler traveling companions hadn’t fared as well.

  Grabbing Devlen’s hand for strength, I knocked and entered

  the kitchen, pulling him in with me. As expected, my mother

  prepared the evening meal for my father and brother. She

  gaped at me as if seeing a ghost. Considering that I hadn’t seen her since she learned I was alive, I shouldn’t be surprised.

  I braced for recriminations or for her to ladle on the guilt

  for not rushing home as soon as possible. Instead, a smile lit

  her face and she ran to me.

  “Opal!” She embraced me and held me like only a mother

  could.

  All my worries dissipated, and any hard feelings between

  us had been forgiven and forgotten in an instant.
r />   “Your letter asked us to wait. That you’d be visiting us at

  the start of the cooling season. Why didn’t you tell me you

  were coming sooner?” she asked. She finally noticed Devlen

  standing by my side. Stepping back, she clutched her hands

  to her chest. “And you brought a guest?”

  “Yes. Mother, this is Devlen, my…” All moisture f led my

  mouth. My tongue refused to work.

  “Her betrothed.” Devlen extended his hand.

  Shocked, my mother stared at him for a moment. I fiddled

  with the ring on my finger, spinning it around and around.

  And then my mother pulled it together and shook his hand.

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  My emotions f lipped from being terrified of her reaction to

  being impressed.

  “Nice to meet you,” she said then addressed me. “Are you

  planning on staying with us for long?”

  Time to drop my final surprise. “Yes. We hoped to visit

  for the rest of the season. All four of us. If that’s okay?”

  My mother brightened. “Of course! You know me. I love a

  house full of friends and family.” She peered behind us. “For

  sand’s sake, Opal. Did you abandon them outside in the hot

  sun?” She tsked. “Where are your manners?”

  “They’re giving the horses water,” I said.

  Devlen offered to check on them.

  When he left the kitchen, I said, “Before you fuss about

  not having enough to eat, I also brought plenty of food.”

  “Thoughtful of you,” she said in a f lat tone. “But you can’t

  bribe me. You will tell me everything, including what was so important at the Citadel that you had to go there first. ”

  I hung my head. “Yes, Mother.”

  Devlen returned with Reema and Teegan in tow. The sib-

  lings hovered near the door, one shy and uncertain and the

  other getting a feel for the situation.

  After a few seconds of silence, my mother grinned at the

  kids. “Come in, come in. Nothing to be afraid of in here.

  Unless you don’t like my cooking. Then you have to do the

  dishes!”

  Teegan laughed. “I’ll never have to do the dishes.”

  Reema stepped closer to her brother. She would be harder to

  win over. Spirals of blond curls hung down from a once-neat

  knot on top of her head. Being out in the sun had reddened

  her cheeks.

  My mother put her hands on her hips. “You sound pretty

  confident, Mr.…”

  “Teegan,” he supplied.

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  “Mr. Teegan. What would you say if I served spider soup

  and dung beetle pie?”

  He glanced at me before replying. “Opal’s been telling us

  how yummy your cooking is. So I would say, ‘give me extra

  helpings please.’”

  Mother chuckled. “And what would your sister say?”

  “Reema would tell me to eat it first. Then she’d wait to

  see if I got sick before trying it.”

  My mother nodded in approval. “A smart girl and a brave

  young man. Your children are wonderful, Devlen.”

  “They are,” he agreed.

  I drew in a deep breath. “They’re not his or mine. Well,

  not yet. We’re still waiting on the official adoption papers.”

  Again my mother showed impressive restraint over her emo-

  tions. Her voice only squeaked a little. “Adoption?”

  Teegan answered in a rush. “Our mom died and we were

  on our own, which was okay. I mean, we were doing fine,

  but then I had trouble with magic and Opal saved us.”

  “She did?” My mother wiped her clean hands on her apron

  over and over—a danger signal.

  I jumped in before Teegan could expound. “Actually, they

  saved me. And they’re the reason I went to the Citadel. I’ll

  tell you all about it during supper.”

  The mention of a meal propelled her into host mode.

  “Where are my manners? You’re hot and thirsty from your

  trip. Go relax in the living room. It’s cooler in there and

  I’ll bring drinks and a snack.” Mother shooed us out of her

  kitchen.

  The room was ten degrees cooler. I sprawled on the couch,

  propping my feet up on the ottoman. Reema and Teegan

  explored the space, found the bookshelf and happily sorted

  through the selection, making a pile to read. Devlen settled

  next to me and automatically tucked me under his arm.

  “That went well,” he said.

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  “I’ll suffer for it later. Her interrogation techniques would

  crack a hardened criminal in seconds.”

  “I think you’re exaggerating. She’s very sweet.”

  “Uh-huh. Then why didn’t you tell her you’re my

  husband?”

  He had the decency to look chagrined. “I didn’t want to

  overwhelm her. She just met me and the children. It’s a lot to

  absorb. We’ll explain it to her later.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Besides, I’m going to ask her to plan and organize a big

  beautiful wedding for you.”

  “Interesting strategy. Bribe her first, then blindside her.

  Good luck with that.”

  He laughed. “I’m sure she will be thrilled since she missed

  our tiny ceremony. And I want your family and friends to be

  able to share in our joy.”

  I rested my head on his chest, remembering what had led

  to the simple service in the Keep’s formal garden with Reema

  and Teegan. Leif and Mara acted as our witnesses. In order

  for both of us to adopt the children legally we had to be

  married. I still marveled at Devlen’s instant acceptance of the siblings in our lives. He had meant what he said before. To be

  with me regardless. Although he wouldn’t let me procrastinate

  and delay this trip to introduce everyone to my parents and

  brother.

  Once Nic and Eve sorted out the paperwork and officially

  released Devlen from Dawnwood, Devlen had asked me to

  marry him.

  My left hand rested on his lap. Smiling, I played with the

  ring on my finger. The proposal hadn’t been a surprise, but his betrothal gift had brought tears to my eyes. Set in an elegant

  gold band, the two-carat black stone glinted with f lecks of

  red and orange. A fire opal.

  We married in the early morning to avoid the heat. Master

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  Irys Jewelrose officiated the ceremony near the Fire Memorial.

  She wore her formal robes made with purple silk. I wore a

  simple cream-colored gown. Devlen chose to don the Sand-

  seed’s ceremonial attire—a long-sleeved black tunic with

  animal shapes and geometrical symbols embroidered in silver

  thread, a black leather belt, gray pants and black boots.

  After we exchanged vows, I presented Devlen with my

  wedding gift to him—a scimitar with a simple leather hilt

  and Ixian battle symbols etched into the blade. The symbols

  matched the vows we had just spoken aloud. I offer my heart, entrust my soul and give my life to you. And they matched the marks on my switchblade.

  He beamed at me and presented his gift. A vial full of blood.

  Magic clung to the glass, pre
serving the contents.

  Shock ripped through me. “Whose?”

  “Yours.” He curled my fingers around the barrel. “Blood

  is very powerful, I only needed to use one of your syringes

  on Galen. The other I saved for you.”

  “But I don’t—”

  “It’s yours. Use it, keep it or throw it out. It’s your

  choice.”

  After the ceremony, our little family celebrated by having a

  picnic in the garden. We left soon after for my parents’ house

  in Booruby.

  Having no desire to reclaim my magic at this time, I placed

  the vial in a box and secured it. Then I gave it to Irys, asking her to lock it in the Keep’s safe. I might need it someday.

  But not today. Not as I sat next to Devlen with happiness

  welling inside me. I pivoted and kissed him deeply. Reema

  and Teegan made yuck noises. Devlen and I hadn’t had any

  privacy during the trip to Booruby. I was about to suggest to

  my husband a private tour of the guest room upstairs when my

  father and brother burst into the living room. Loud and wel-

  coming and full of questions, they embraced my new family

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  without hesitation. My mother followed them, carrying a tray

  overf lowing with enough food and drinks for twenty people.

  She appeared to be recovered from the shock of our arrival

  and beamed at Reema and Teegan. Probably realizing they

  would soon be her grandchildren.

  After the kids, Ahir and Devlen went to bed and after a

  marathon conversation with my parents—yes, I loved Devlen

  with all my heart; no, we weren’t going to settle in Booruby,

  but live in my glass factory in Fulgor so I could make magic

  detectors and he could use his Story Weaver skills to help

  reform prisoners; yes, we would visit as often as possible; no, we didn’t plan to work for Sitia or Ixia, but to help Valek when he needed us; yes, they could watch the children when Devlen

  and I were on assignment—I climbed the stairs exhausted.

  I checked on my charges. Reema slept in my bed and Teegan

  was next to her in Mara’s old bed. She wouldn’t let him stay in Ahir’s room as he had wished. The two “boys” had bonded

  within minutes of being introduced. They had already gotten

  into trouble twice for rude and obnoxious behavior during

  supper.

  Devlen slept in the guest room. He roused when I slid into

  bed with him. He rolled over and molded his body to my

  back, draping an arm around my waist.