circled her head and stretched out in a glowing path down to her feet. And still they burned her, Lyon saw.
He shook his head sadly. “You must offer them haven with true heart. Otherwise they will not rest. It is Law, Maddie.”
She stood, caught in rigid anger. “So many stupid rules.” And then her shoulders slumped. “Okay, fine. I give them—haven. To stay.”
At her low words, the spirals blew out in dizzying wings of light. They chased back and forth around her body in streaming strands of gold and flashing silver. They twisted upward, forming six-fold braids that burned fiercely.
And then they settled with infinite grace across her palms.
Maddie stared at them, her face sickly pale. “I don’t believe this is happening.” Muttering, she moved her hands back and forth, watching the bands of light rise and fall. “This is—totally nuts. And I’m going to be really sick now.” She pitched forward, holding her stomach.
Only the quick support of Lyon’s hands kept her from falling as she spewed up all the contents of her stomach.
“Be careful with her.” Lyon’s face was grim.
“I am being careful. But by my oath, I am not well used to lifting humans. In all my memory, only one human could see me.” Adrian said gruffly.
Over their heads Aeryx raced through the night, amber eyes burning.
“What did your winged friend mean? What have you not told her?”
“Her marks have an effect on all around her. She will learn this in time. For now she has enough to bear in her own anger and fear at all that she has lost.”
“What loss? Normal life must pale next to the power her marks will give her.” Adrian shook his head. “How can she prefer weakness to that?”
“We all prefer what we know best. Would you give up this house and all of these lands to hold such powers as hers?”
“Of course I would not.”
“Because this is what you know best. You are no different from her, Draycott.”
Adrian started to argue, but his muttering was cut short by Aeryx’s rumbling of laughter.
“The guardian has caught you well, Draycott. And he has the truth of it.” The air vibrated with the deep force of that voice. “She will learn what she needs. I can feel her spirits struggle even now. When you bind her, Crusader—”
“I will not bind her.” Lyon’s face was stony. “She cannot accept the cost. It would require force and I will not use force against her.”
Aeryx’s breath drew out in a long sigh of understanding—and sadness. “You risk much in this choice.”
“Explain this,” Adrian cut in. “What is this choice that she must make?”
“It is none of your affair.” Lyon kept walking. “I can see the house now. What of the alarm, Draycott?”
Adrian gave a sniff of disdain. “You think I may not subvert a few wires and sockets? No one and no thing will hold me from my own house.” He glared at Lyon. “Take your Rose and I will deal with the entrance door. Carry her to the old gatehouse.” Adrian’s eyes narrowed as Lyon carefully took Maddie into his arms. “How much time does she have before her powers must be controlled?”
“Not enough. Something is wrong. You feel it too, Aeryx.”
The creature fluttered his wings restlessly. “It digs at my bones and shatters my rest. Yet I can find no source.”
Lyon stared north, past the great oak tree and along the dark cliff known as Lyon’s Leap. Memories clung and his eyes were like pools of darkness. “There is only one source. They are awake, stirred by Maddie’s power. They have not seen her yet. But they will. And now that her marks have begun to stir, her presence will be hard to hide. I ask your protection, Aeryx.” Lyon looked gravely at Adrian. “And yours too. Can you put the past aside for her sake, if not for mine?”
“She will be safe here. You have my vow. Abbey lands will be safe haven for the Rose. As for the enmity between us, it shall be put aside.” Adrian’s eyes were cold. “For now at
He shook his head sadly. “You must offer them haven with true heart. Otherwise they will not rest. It is Law, Maddie.”
She stood, caught in rigid anger. “So many stupid rules.” And then her shoulders slumped. “Okay, fine. I give them—haven. To stay.”
At her low words, the spirals blew out in dizzying wings of light. They chased back and forth around her body in streaming strands of gold and flashing silver. They twisted upward, forming six-fold braids that burned fiercely.
And then they settled with infinite grace across her palms.
Maddie stared at them, her face sickly pale. “I don’t believe this is happening.” Muttering, she moved her hands back and forth, watching the bands of light rise and fall. “This is—totally nuts. And I’m going to be really sick now.” She pitched forward, holding her stomach.
Only the quick support of Lyon’s hands kept her from falling as she spewed up all the contents of her stomach.
“Be careful with her.” Lyon’s face was grim.
“I am being careful. But by my oath, I am not well used to lifting humans. In all my memory, only one human could see me.” Adrian said gruffly.
Over their heads Aeryx raced through the night, amber eyes burning.
“What did your winged friend mean? What have you not told her?”
“Her marks have an effect on all around her. She will learn this in time. For now she has enough to bear in her own anger and fear at all that she has lost.”
“What loss? Normal life must pale next to the power her marks will give her.” Adrian shook his head. “How can she prefer weakness to that?”
“We all prefer what we know best. Would you give up this house and all of these lands to hold such powers as hers?”
“Of course I would not.”
“Because this is what you know best. You are no different from her, Draycott.”
Adrian started to argue, but his muttering was cut short by Aeryx’s rumbling of laughter.
“The guardian has caught you well, Draycott. And he has the truth of it.” The air vibrated with the deep force of that voice. “She will learn what she needs. I can feel her spirits struggle even now. When you bind her, Crusader—”
“I will not bind her.” Lyon’s face was stony. “She cannot accept the cost. It would require force and I will not use force against her.”
Aeryx’s breath drew out in a long sigh of understanding—and sadness. “You risk much in this choice.”
“Explain this,” Adrian cut in. “What is this choice that she must make?”
“It is none of your affair.” Lyon kept walking. “I can see the house now. What of the alarm, Draycott?”
Adrian gave a sniff of disdain. “You think I may not subvert a few wires and sockets? No one and no thing will hold me from my own house.” He glared at Lyon. “Take your Rose and I will deal with the entrance door. Carry her to the old gatehouse.” Adrian’s eyes narrowed as Lyon carefully took Maddie into his arms. “How much time does she have before her powers must be controlled?”
“Not enough. Something is wrong. You feel it too, Aeryx.”
The creature fluttered his wings restlessly. “It digs at my bones and shatters my rest. Yet I can find no source.”
Lyon stared north, past the great oak tree and along the dark cliff known as Lyon’s Leap. Memories clung and his eyes were like pools of darkness. “There is only one source. They are awake, stirred by Maddie’s power. They have not seen her yet. But they will. And now that her marks have begun to stir, her presence will be hard to hide. I ask your protection, Aeryx.” Lyon looked gravely at Adrian. “And yours too. Can you put the past aside for her sake, if not for mine?”
“She will be safe here. You have my vow. Abbey lands will be safe haven for the Rose. As for the enmity between us, it shall be put aside.” Adrian’s eyes were cold. “For now at
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