Indira exited the northeast entrance to the Northern Kingdoms Admin Palace and paused in the bright morning sunlight. The devastation of the inner city still shocked her. Only two days had passed. It would take weeks for any semblance of order to be restored.

  Murky haze obscured distant objects, and the air smelled strongly of sulfur. Thankfully the ground had stopped shaking during the night. The first few aftershocks had triggered panic across the city and more had been injured. There were already too many injured, with too few Healers to tend them. Resources were stretched so thin, only the most critical cases were treated with the Healers' gifts.

  Indira glanced at the jagged mountain of black volcanic rock that now occupied most of the central courtyard. Ridges of stone extended from that mountain like rough snakes along the tracks where the grand streets of the Spokes had once offered such easy access to the city. Now the volcanic stone filled the gates and stretched the length of the city.

  All through the inner city, towers that ended in broken tops huddled beside palaces with burned roofs, broken windows, and cracked exteriors. The once-glorious expanse looked beaten and crippled. Rubble mixed with gray ash lay thick everywhere except for in the most heavily traveled areas where it had been shoveled back far enough to allow passage.

  The shattered shell of the Great Dome crouched amidst the palaces. Where before it had shone as a beacon of hope and a symbol of the empire's pride, now its maimed silhouette seemed to represent all the suffering that had befallen the city.

  Indira moved toward a small group standing in the charred remnants of the northern garden that ran all the way to the cliff face overlooking the devastated Formal Port. A squad of soldiers dressed in climbing gear flanked Ceren. She wore a black leather skirt split for riding and a russet leather jacket over a white silk blouse. Her auburn hair was pulled into a simple braid, and she wore long leather gloves.

  Ceren offered a hesitant smile as Indira approached. Her eyes looked sad and her face drawn and tired.

  Indira gave her a warm smile. "I heard you were leaving this morning."

  "I didn't expect anyone to bother coming to see me off, not with so much still to be done."

  "The others are all down in the city," Indira admitted.

  Every able hand had been pressed into service since the cataclysmic events rocked the city. Injuries were widespread, although fatalities were amazingly low. The volcanic ridges that now split the city into isolated sections blocked easy travel and were proving a difficult problem to overcome.

  "Are they working on the cuts?"

  "Trying to."

  Although the outer crust of lava had cooled the first night into a hard shell strong enough to bear a man's weight in many places, the deeper layers still burned hot enough to melt steel. Efforts to open cuts through the ridges to enable transfer of medical supplies, foodstuffs, and other critical supplies had so far been frustrated by the superheated lava.

  "The Sentinels still haven't found a way through?" Ceren asked with a frown.

  Indira shook her head. She'd been one of many dispatched to cross the ridges and offer aid to the trapped populace. The scenes of chaos and suffering she'd witnessed still chilled her. Many people had dared the dangers of crossing the ridges already and fled the city. Some had tried too soon and were seriously injured when a foot or a hand broke through the crust.

  The situation was fast becoming a humanitarian disaster. Refugees crowded the countryside around the city, but could not utilize the wide, fertile plain that lay beyond the Imperial Highway. With new volcanic islands blocking its path, the River Tam had burst its banks and flooded the plain, compounding the already severe problems.

  The cuts were desperately needed, but resources were spread too thin, and the Sentinels were all but helpless. The latent magic had been drained from the entire area. Their personal stores of power had all been sacrificed in the effort to defend the palace from Kevlin's insane assault. No one had ever seen such a dearth of actinic energy, so they could only guess at how long it would take to replenish.

  Indira nodded toward the climbing harnesses and ropes. "You mean to descend the cliff?"

  "No. We'll walk the outer wall as far as we can. We'll need the climbing gear to get over the new mountain blocking half the port."

  "I'm surprised you found a seaworthy ship."

  "Well, she's a ship. Hopefully seaworthy enough to see me home."

  "Safe journey."

  Ceren drew Indira away from the waiting soldiers and asked hesitantly, "How . . . how is Kevlin?"

  Indira fought down a flash of anger that Ceren would dare ask about him. She reminded herself that Ceren had been driven to her actions by a rogue Sentinel. "He hasn't woken up yet. I'll check on him later."

  Ceren sighed and looked down at her gloved hands. "It's better this way."

  Indira resisted the urge to hug Ceren to help ease the hurt she so obviously still suffered. She reminded herself again that Ceren's actions had been forced upon her by another. The towering fury that had consumed her in the sunken garden still burned hot in her breast. She couldn't yet pretend all was well between them.

  She felt ashamed and guilty for feeling that way, but she hadn't yet reconciled her heart and her mind. She said, "Ceren, don't blame yourself for what happened."

  Ceren sighed, trying to maintain her image of strength. "I should have resisted more." She took Indira's hands and added in a whisper, "What I almost did . . . part of me didn't want to resist."

  Indira retreated a step. Ceren really had wanted to steal Kevlin away. Her fury returned with undiminished strength and she curled her fingers into claws. She barely restrained the urge to lash out.

  Ceren added quickly, "I never would have tried to seduce him or hurt him, but I do care for him." She sighed again. "Everything's still so muddled in my head."

  Indira forced calm over her features and slowly relaxed her hands. "Evil is always seductive, and it twists any weakness into monstrosities."

  "Oh, Indira," Ceren cried. "I'm so very sorry. What I did to him, what I did to you."

  Seeing her in anguish helped a little. She couldn't let her leave like this. "You have to stop thinking about it that way. If you had been in control, you never would have."

  Ceren smiled again, and tears glistened in her eyes. "Is it evil to care for Kevlin?"

  Part of Indira wanted to snarl, Yes! But she managed to say instead, "It's evil to try to force his feelings, or control his will."

  "Thank you for understanding." Ceren threw her arms around Indira.

  Indira accepted the embrace and even managed to hug Ceren lightly in return. She tried to focus on the positive memories they'd shared. She had genuinely liked Ceren, and the noblewoman had proven a friend in many ways. Could she hate her now?

  She wasn't sure what she felt. At the least, a new tension now existed between them. Ceren might have been compelled to do what she did, but she still did it. Kevlin had proven in the tower at the last that it was possible to resist those types of compulsions, even if driven to the very brink of death.

  If Ceren ever tried to act on any feelings for Kevlin she still harbored, if she tried to be more than a very distant acquaintance . . . well, Indira would have a problem with that.

  Her hands tingled again with the memory of slapping Ceren's face so hard it hurt. She'd bruised her hands in the fight in the sunken garden, but she'd refused to heal them. Now she squeezed Ceren just a bit tighter and promised herself she'd try to maintain a cordial friendship.

  Until Ceren forced her to change her mind.

  #

  Kevlin blinked his eyes and opened them slowly. They felt plastered with sand and ached from the small movement. Feeling returned slowly to the rest of his body, and he wished it hadn't. Every muscle complained, and he felt weak.

  Movement drew his eyes and he managed to focus. Indira stood over him, dressed in her green Healer's robe, with her long, midnight hair in a loose twist. Her robe looked dirty and her face marked with grime, but the sight of her took his breath away.

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  The lingering grogginess evaporated, and all the memories returned like an avalanche. Indira held his gaze for a moment before withdrawing.

  Kevlin tried to leap out of bed to go to her, to beg forgiveness, to make things right. He couldn't move.

  Thick iron bands encircled his hands, feet, and even his throat. Heavy chains secured them to the bed. Kevlin struggled, but could do little more than rock side to side.

  Indira, now standing several strides away said, "Relax, Kevlin. You're going to hurt yourself."

  "What's going on?"

  "You are restrained on Harafin's orders."

  Kevlin settled back and forgot about the rising panic at being so tightly restricted. Everything faded under the exultant thrill to hear Harafin's name. His murky memories were not clear, but he'd feared the worst.

  "Harafin's all right?"

  "He lives. He is very weak, though. He nearly died when . . . " Indira's voice trailed off.

  When I lost control.

  Bitter self-loathing consumed him. "It's probably better this way." He closed his eyes and mustered his courage to ask the next question. "When are they going to execute me?"

  Indira gasped. "Don't say that."

  Kevlin could see little of the room other than the low wooden ceiling and one plain wooden wall beside the bed upon which he lay shackled. It felt small, though, like a prison cell.

  He gave Indira a wry smile. "Indira, you know what I did. You think they're just going to forget that?"

  Indira drew a little closer. "Are you . . . under control?"

  "Yes."

  He nearly added, "Of course," but realized he couldn't say that. Not now, perhaps not ever again.

  "No one is talking execution, Kevlin. In fact, I'm not sure anyone really knows what happened."

  "How can they not know?"

  She drew closer. "Think about it. Very few of us were there when . . . "

  "When I lost control and almost destroyed everything," Kevlin said harshly.

  She motioned him to be quiet and drew closer still until she stood right beside the bed. He could almost touch the hem of her robe, but couldn't quite twist his fingers far enough. Being so close and still prevented from any contact was maddening.

  "Please stop talking about that," she said softly. Her dark eyes looked so earnest, he forgot to speak for a moment and just looked at her, savoring the fact that she was safe and still speaking with him.

  "I won't hide from the consequences of what I did."

  Akillik's final words rang in his mind, and he wondered if this was what He meant all along. First I suffer, then I die.

  "Don't talk about it, Kevlin," Indira said more strongly. "In a few days, you'll be gone. For now, everyone has more than enough to do."

  "What's happening?"

  Indira related to him how everyone had been mobilized with rescue and relief efforts. She told him about the difficulties with the cuts through the volcanic ridges. In several places, earth had been brought in to form long ramps on either side, so some goods were being moved and were beginning to alleviate some of the suffering.

  The more she spoke, the more Kevlin hated himself. He'd done all that. He dared not ask how many people had died as a result of his actions. She painted a clear enough picture of the suffering and overwhelming problems that still plagued the city. Things wouldn't return to normal for months. It would take years to rebuild everything.

  "Why don't the Sentinels help?" With their actinopathic powers, they should be able to make short work of cutting the volcanic ridges, even with the still-hot cores.

  Indira shook her head. "There's no latent magic to draw upon." The Sentinel's personal stores had returned to a small degree, but they'd been needed to assist with more pressing demands.

  Kevlin was surprised to learn that the dearth of actinic power was affecting the Stalwarts and Healers too.

  "How is that possible? I thought Stalwarts received their gifts from their gods?"

  Indira shrugged. "So did we all, but there's more of a link to latent magic than we knew. We can do some healing, but our powers are weak and we have to rest often. We can barely treat the most critical cases."

  "I wonder what the connection is."

  Indira shrugged again. "No one really knows. Leander has several ideas, but I haven't had much time to speak with him."

  "How is he?"

  Indira looked down at her hands, twisting the fabric of her robe. "He is well, and he throws himself into the effort to help."

  "What are you not telling me?"

  Tears blossomed in her lovely eyes and she savagely wiped them away. "The emperor still means to banish him, still means to strip his title."

  He cursed the chains that prevented him from comforting her.

  She managed a weak smile. "Despite how much needs to be done here, part of me can't wait to be gone. I want to be away from all this, and I want to feel my gift at full strength again."

  "You keep talking about leaving."

  "We all are. We’re going to the far western border as soon as they secure a ship."

  "Who?"

  "I thought you'd remember. The Ruling Council discussed the need to send a mission to inspect the western fortifications before winter snows."

  "I do, sort of, but I hadn't expected it to affect us."

  "I think Harafin had a hand in it."

  "Who's going?"

  Indira explained that the council decided that every kingdom should be represented. It was to be heralded as a vital mission, used to distract the population from their troubles and demonstrate national unity.

  Leave it to the ambassadors to turn a simple mission into something far more complicated than it had to be. He was surprised to learn that he had been appointed to represent Hallvarr on account of his recent appointment to the noble class there. Drystan and Jerrik would represent their kingdoms, and Gabral would represent the emperor and Tamarr.

  Freyarr and Meinarr would appoint representatives prior to departure. Everything was thrown together hastily amidst the chaos of the past couple of days. Due to the lateness of the season, they needed to embark soon, and even then they might not beat the snows.

  Kevlin focused on the mission. It gave him something to do, a goal to embrace. Perhaps it could help drive back dark feelings of lingering despair from the suffering he'd caused. If he could do some good, maybe he could atone for some of the destruction he’d caused.

  He'd faced failure before, although not of this scale. From his experience and from what he'd learned from Leander, he knew wallowing in self-loathing wouldn't help. He needed to serve, to work harder than ever to try to restore some of what he'd done.

  "Very well. A mission to the west. Will you let me up now so I can try to help before we leave?"

  "I will." She retreated a step and said a little nervously, "But first I have to show you something." She drew from a pocket the amulet on its silver chain.

  Kevlin cried out in alarm and thrashed against the restraining iron bands. He needed the amulet's protection. Didn't she know that?

  Fear flooded through him. He needed it or he'd never get to touch magic again. Panic colored his vision and he snarled and fought harder against the chains. He'd throttle her! He'd . . .

  Aghast at what he'd felt, at how quickly he'd fallen under the insidious power of the Trembling Madness, Kevlin fell back against the bed. Maybe she should just leave him like this. Better yet, maybe she should have someone throw him into the sea. It would prove safer for everyone.

  Indira stood watching him, one hand raised to her mouth, a look of anguish on her face. The sight of her watching him like that helped him regain control.

  "I'm sorry," he said, "You surprised me."

  "I do this on Harafin's orders. I will watch over this for you until . . . well, until later."

  Kevlin forced calm on himself. "Indira, Harafin's right. It's too dangerous for me right now. I trust you more than anyone. No matter what I might say later, don't give it back to me."

  "I won't."

  "I'm in control. Please let me up."

  Indira unchained him and helped him sit up. He rose to his feet, but a wave of dizziness nearly toppled him. Indira caught him.

  They stood together, arms wrapped around each other, and he never wanted to let go. She overwhelmed every sense. The warm touch of her skin seemed to burn into his hands and roll up his arms. His eyes drank in the perfect contours of her lovely face, her alabaster skin, the silky sheen of her ebony hair. Her gentle scent caressed his nose, and he breathed deep to inhale as much as possible. He never wanted to exhale again and lose it.

  "Kevlin." The rich sound of her voice speaking his name thrilled him, warming him to the center. He tightened his grip on her waist.

  She tried to draw away, but he held her firm in his arms. He looked deep into her dark eyes and yearned to stay there forever. "Indira, I'm . . ."

  He couldn't finish. What could he say? He couldn't promise never to hurt her again, never to lose control. Look at how quickly he succumbed just moments ago. No, he could never fall under the Trembling Madness again.

  That truth filled him with iron resolve. He could never relent. By all the gods, by all that had ever been considered holy, he would accept whatever death before surrendering his will again. He would never break this oath.

  He wanted to share the oath with her, but hesitated. He'd tried to kill her. He couldn't bring himself to speak of it aloud, but the truth hung between them. Could she ever see past that? Could he ever ask her to?

  Indira surprised him by grabbing the back of his neck and pulling his head down into a passionate kiss.

  His mother had always taught him to follow a woman's lead. Kevlin's lips tingled at the touch of her full, soft lips pressed hard against his. She clutched him tight and kissed him with a hunger he'd never felt from her before.

  They held each other tight in the small cell, and the passion of that kiss held all the hope, all the fear, all the longing that boiled through him. Hope illuminated his soul and passion ignited in his heart.

  He kissed her hungrily, savoring every second. He ran one hand through her long, silky hair and she grinned and grabbed his head with both hands. Her dark eyes glowed with emotion, and if he hadn't been so busy kissing her he would have shouted at the top of his lungs with exultant joy.

  Despite everything that had happened, she still cared for him. He no longer doubted, no longer cared about the consequences. This woman belonged with him.

  Indira finally broke away and retreated. She brushed her robe and with a visible effort composed herself. Kevlin took a step after her, but she held up a restraining hand.

  "I can't." Tears glistened in her eyes. "It's too dangerous. I can't hurt you like that again."

  What?

  How could she say that? That made no sense at all.

  A look of agony flitted across her face and he realized she'd been harboring some twisted sense of responsibility for what happened.

  "You didn't hurt me," he assured her. "I hurt you. I hurt everyone."

  "No," she said with conviction. "It was my fault. I gave you magic." She looked down and added in a whisper, "I trusted . . ."

  Kevlin moved toward her, but she scurried back to the door of the small room. "Indira, of everyone we could blame for events that happened, you are not one of them."

  She blinked away tears and shook her head slowly. She gave him a weak smile. "I cannot trust . . . us . . . again."

  Then she yanked open the door and bolted. Of all the ridiculous ways to view recent events, that one was the worst.

  Kevlin's strength failed him and he dropped heavily onto the bed. He stared after her, barely believing what he'd heard. How could she do this? He'd felt her passion. It was real. How could she turn away now? The soaring joy he'd felt just a moment ago crashed in his chest and withered to ash.

  He couldn't go after her. After what he'd done, he couldn't force her to care. He had no right to expect anything. She'd kissed him, by Jagen's unholy temper. That had to mean something, didn't it?

  Kevlin sat there for a long time, suffering just as Akillik promised he would. That made him angry.

  Kevlin rose and shook a hand at the blank ceiling. "I won't let you do this to me. I'll show you!"

  He'd keep the oath, he'd prove to Indira she could still trust him. Despite fear that threatened to rob his resolve of its power, he repeated over and over in his mind that he would do it.

  Then he headed for the door. He needed to find Leander.