"There's still ice everywhere," Phoenix said, taking in Vellaria's crystalized town square.

"Of course it is. It's not summer. It won't just melt in these colder temperatures."

"Is it colder?" Phoenix asked. She'd never noticed.

"It's not yet Spring." Altair slid sideways an inch on top of the ice. It'd taken them three days to travel to Vellaria. The Watcher wasn't pleased by their pace, insisting they'd already missed their quarry. Phoenix couldn't find the effort to care.

"I can fix it." Phoenix skated along until she reached the thickest portion - nearly two solid feet of ice. Placing her hands atop it, she spread heat through, pulling it from the air to maximize the effort. The heat stretched from the solid block until all the ice dripped.

The effort proved too great, and Phoenix stumbled, breathing hard. Altair supported her, frowning down at her. "What's wrong?"

"His ice - it's...it's like the cold is fighting back."

"It would, just as he would have a hard time putting out one of your fires." Altair lifted his gaze, eying the tops of the buildings. "Looks like you've started it, though. I think it'll keep melting."

"How'd you do that?" A voice drew them around. A little girl stood wide-eyed.

"She's a Guardian. She's here to make your village safe," Altair said, righting Phoenix to stand on her own two feet.

"And who are you protecting us from?" A woman approached, suspicion blatant on her face. "The Militia? The Army? Other Guardians? We've seen it all."

"I'm no friend of the Militia," Phoenix said without prompting from Altair. "They're murderers and tyrants. Nor would I say I'm with the Army - King Bainon allowed others to rule in his sted and led to the Militia's formation."

"And other Guardians?" A man asked from the other side. "The one that was here did this with another who created a frightening wind. Will you protect us, or hurt us as they did?"

"They're lost," Altair said, and Phoenix sensed the partial truth to it. "They have been wounded by the battle between the Militia and the Army. We'll help them."

"What battle?" More had gathered, and Phoenix caught murmurings and whispers of "they were right," and "can it be true?"

"The battle the Militia started when they snuck into Osha and attacked at the dead of night." Altair rose to his full height. "Innocent women and children were killed. Queen Narissa is dead, pushed off a balcony. King Bainon and his heirs are missing."

"The heirs aren't!" someone called. "They were here!"

Rumblings went through the crowd.

"Was it real?"

"They were right!"

"Can it be?"

"We're looking for them. We have to find them, keep them safe," Altair said, face brightening.

Phoenix frowned up at him. "I thought we were looking for Ares."

"Both," Altair said under his breath. "I think either could help you return to who you were."

"Do I know the heirs?"

"They went north!" A short man with blond hair stepped forward. "They went north after the Guardian who attacked us."

"We'll find them," Altair said, placing a hand on the man's shoulder. "We'll find them all."

#

Noelle sat in her cell, staring down at her hands.

I can do it. I know I can do it. I know I can. She closed her eyes, trying to tap into the power she'd used all those weeks ago with Abigail. She could still see Abigail's wide eyes, her face paling as she lost blood.

"Do you know what you are? You're an amplifier, Noelle."

What did that even mean? Did it mean her gift only worked with empaths like Abigail?

"Something wrong, little miss?" Pollemius stood outside her cell, smiling in at her.

"I'm working out a problem. Or, at least, I was trying to."

The cell door opened and Pollemius stepped inside, sitting down across from her. The cell was barely large enough for her to stretch out at night, and both of them in there made it quite cramped.

"What's your problem? I mean, aside from the obvious," Pollemius gestured to the cell walls.

"Do you remember Abigail? She told me I was an amplifier, but no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to make it work."

Pollemius's eyebrows stretched up toward his bald head. "You're trying to amplify?"

"Yes."

"Here...by yourself."

Noelle hesitated, sensing his amusement. "Yes."

"Without anything to amplify..."

Noelle opened her mouth, paused, and closed it. Without anything to amplify. "What do you mean?"

"An amplifier projects another's power, makes it stronger, uses it on their own. If you're sitting in her by yourself, what exaclty do you think you'll be amplifying?"

Dumbstruck, Noelle stared at him. "I didn't think of it like that." Pollemius didn't reply as Noelle considered this. "Wait a moment, you've heard of them? Amplifiers? Can you tell me how to do it?"

"I'm a Guardian. I've heard of a lot of things." Pollemius grinned. "Your power can't be used with every other power. Physical ones like strength or speed, or talents like smithery or cooking are difficult to amplify."

"But emotional ones - like lies, truth, or even empathy?"

"Those are much easier to amplify. It's an internal thing. In fact, you may even be able to amplify mine." He glanced out the doorway. "Hang on, I have an idea."

Half an hour later Pollemius returned with a small potted plant, just a seedling. "I nurtured it this far, but down here, in the dank dark, it won't stand a chance."

"You can keep it alive, though," Noelle said as Pollemius set down the plant before her.

"I can. But if I want it to reach full growth, it'll take more than just keeping it alive." He stared at her. "Go ahead."

"Beg pardon?"

"Make it grow. Amplify my power so it'll grow even in darkness."

"I--I don't know how."

"Figure it out." Pollemius sat criss-cross, his smile infuriatingly patient. Noelle stared at the plant, willing it to grow, but nothing happened.

"It's not working."

"Then do something different."

Shooting him a glare, Noelle tried to remember what it'd been like with Abigail.

"You're resisting. Even now you're resisting my power. Don't. Take it in. Push it out."

Resilient. That's what her father had always called her. How else had she survived so many years with Aundreya?

Getting to her feet, Noelle moved closer to Pollemius, placing a hand on his bare arm. She couldn't feel his power like she could Abigail's, as his wasn't shared by touch, but the contact helped ground her. She focused on the plant.

"You have to use your power, don't you?" she asked him. "You should be trying to make it grow."

"I am perfectly able of making it grow," Pollemius said with a grin. "I want to see you do it without me."

"How do I amplify something you aren't using?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"My power is always there. I'm in the room with the plant. Make it happen."

Nothing happened.

In fact, nothing happened the whole day. Pollemius left to attend his duties, and Noelle shifted the plant so it would catch torchlight through the cell door.

Two weeks passed with Pollemius visiting every day, allowing her a chance to try. Once, she was convinced she made a leaf a bit bigger than it had been, but it was a hollow victory.

The plant was dying. Pollemius wasn't going to keep it alive but wanted her to save it.

"You have to learn. You have to find that power in yourself. Is this plant's life worth it?"

At the end of the second week, Aundreya returned, an angry expression on her face. "What did you do to him?"

"To whom?" Noelle asked, no energy for her sister's games. "Who have I turned against you now?"

"Roman."

"Roman?" Noelle laughed. "I have nothing on Roman. You really think I could affect him from all the way down here? In the dungeons?"

"Has he been down here to visit you? Tell me!"

"He hasn't come once!" Noelle shouted back. Tears filled her eyes, her heart aching. "Not once. He's not my friend, Aundreya, but obviously, he's yours." She looked her sister up and down. "Or is he more than that? Has he replaced Maverick for you?"

"Don't say his name. You don't get to say his name." Aundreya moved quickly, one hand gripping Noelle by the chin. "Not that it'd matter. One look at you and he'd lose his lunch."

"Has Roman grown tired of you? It wasn't me he was interested in - which means it wasn't you, either. We share a face, even with this scar. If he was never attracted to me when I was whole, why would you ever think he'd want you."

"Stop it!"

"Maverick didn't want you. I could see it in his eyes when he looked at me. I reminded him of you, and he hated you. But when he closed his eyes, he could see me for who I was inside--beautiful. Something you never could be."

Not exactly the truth, but she relished saying it. Aundreya let out a little shriek of frustration, and Noelle fired one more shot. One last lie to send her sister over the edge.

"Would you like to know how it feels to kiss him? I could tell you."

Aundreya slapped her hard across the face. "Stop when I tell you to stop!"

You're resistant. "No!" Noelle shouted back. "I won't stop! I'll never stop! I'll remind you every day of what you've done, of who you are. I'll tell you things you never wanted to hear--things that will drive you mad. Come here, sister dear." Noelle took a step forward, and for the first time in their lives, it was Aundreya who took a step back.

And then it all went wrong.

Aundreya's fist came up, hitting Noelle in the jaw. She reeled backward, crying out in pain.

"You are nothing," Aundreya said, eyes blazing. "You'll die in here, and you know it. That isn't even me forcing you to believe it. You are going to die in here. You're ugly. Any beauty you had, is gone. I saw to that. You're disgusting. And you think your face is the end? You think my words have been the only thing to cause you pain? Wait until I have you tied down so I can carve your every sin into your body. Who will love you then?"

With that, she turned, her dress fluttering around her. At the sight of the potted plant in the corner, Aundreya paused. Without a word, she brought her foot up and down with all the force she could muster, breaking the pot and trampling the plant. With a snort of amusement, she exited.

Noelle sat very still, her heart pounding as her sister's threats coursed through her. She stared at the plant, limp and brown in a pile of dirt.

"Are you all right? What'd she do?" Pollemius kept his voice low as he reopened her cell and stepped inside. Without a word from her, he inspected her jaw. "This will bruise. It could have been worse. Don't worry, I won't let her do it. I won't let her cut you again."

Noelle only half listened, staring at the little plant. All of her hatred and anger boiled inside of her. The plant hadn't done anything to Aundreya. Neither had she. One couldn't reason with a person like that.

The plant didn't deserve to die.

Frustration replaced her anger. If she could do what she was supposed to do, she'd beat Aundreya. She'd been so close. Resisting.

The plant shouldn't have to die.

Noelle's eyes widened, and she grabbed Pollemius's arm. "Are you doing that?"

Pollemius glanced over his shoulder, seeing what Noelle saw. The plant stretched tall, reaching for the light, growing.

"That's not me." Pollemius grinned. "That's you."

"Get it another pot," Noelle pleaded. "Before it dies."

Pollemius stood and went to the plant, scooping it up in his arms. "I can take it from here." His eyes twinkled as he glanced down at her. "Atta girl."

Noelle lay back, her heart pounding. She wasn't sure she'd be able to do it again, but one thing felt very clear.

I have to get out of here before she kills me.

Noelle is figuring out her power! YAY! Who remembered she had this power? Who is excited to see what happens next? Who is hoping Aundreya doesn't make good on her promise and come back, giving Noelle more scars?

Let me know what YOU think about the plant and if you're at all worried that Noelle had to feel hate in order to find it.

Go now!