Anya was forced to wait inside the carriage while part of their party went inside, Jim included. Marvin entered the carriage and sat in stony faced silence while they waited. Anya gazed out the window at the darkening inner walls of the yard and wondered what was about to happen.

After what seemed like an incredibly long amount of time, the carriage door was opened by Samson. There were several armed guards standing with him, and Anya's heart leapt into her throat. Where were they going to take her?

"Come with us," said one of them, and Anya pulled herself from the carriage.

One of the men grasped her arm, and another took her other. Anya licked her lips nervously. They were obviously taking her case very seriously. It seemed that they considered her quite dangerous, or perhaps the king was simply a cautious man. She supposed that it was natural for them to fear her, considering what she was and what she had tried to do. Was she going to be placed in the king's jail? A shiver ran down her back.

The armed men began to move quickly, and Anya had to walk quickly to keep up. They walked into the castle and Anya wondered if she would be seeing the king soon. She did not know what she would say. How could she stand before the king and lie?

Anya could not understand how someone like her, a peasant, had come to be in this situation. Anya had never tried to reach beyond her means, she had never thought bigger than her own little life. Thorne had ripped her from all that was safe and comfortable and thrown her into the machinations and politics of the larger world.

How she missed her simpler life. It had been hard, but at least the problems were problems she could find a way to deal with. Everything here was too big for little Anya. Someone like her should never have a reason to enter the royal castle.

It felt like a dream, like a terrible nightmare that she could not wake up from. Anya was half pulled, half led through the castle halls, up staircases and past rich tapestries that she could barely see until they reached one door in a long line of doors. It was opened, and Anya was half pushed inside.

The armed man's voice was brisk. "You will be guarded at all times. Do not attempt to leave or you will find yourself in less accommodating quarters." He sounded sorely displeased that she was not being thrown into a moldy dungeon. She wondered how much of her story he knew. Maybe not all, but he was probably aware she was a witch or the sound of disdain might not be in his voice. Or perhaps he just loathed would be murderers.

He shut the door soundly and Anya heard the metallic sound of key in lock. She was not surprised that she had been locked in. What surprised her was the pain that she could feel at the guard's easy dismissal of her.

She should not care what a stranger thought. He did not know why she had done what she had done. It was only the same thing as the hatred and fear she had always engendered as a witch. It was simply that she deserved it now.

Anya let herself slide down the door. She could not allow herself to give in to despair now. There was still hope. There had to be. Just because she could not see it did not mean that it was not there. Surely some people were on her side. Lord Wildwood seemed to understand her.

But how selfish to hope that her intended victim would speak on her behalf.

Anya stood up and looked around the tiny room. It was a likely an extra servant's room. Her room at Wildwood had been larger. This room had only space for a narrow bed in front of a long window. She wondered if she was here rather than in the jail because of Wildwood's good graces. It was probably more than she deserved, but she was grateful.

Anya walked to the window and looked outside. She was very high above the city and could see many buildings, and the scattered lights of lanterns and candles spread out among the dwellings.

Anya moved the small distance to the bed and lay down upon it.

The day had been tiring and the night before had not been restful, and Anya managed to fall asleep more quickly than she would have imagined possible.

* * * * *

A light sound of scraping woke Anya. At first she thought that she had only dreamed the noise, but then she heard it again. It was coming from the window, but certainly her window was too high up for anyone to scale easily. She could see the window was empty against the brightening sky. There was nothing there.

Was it just a normal sound of the capital at night?

Suddenly a dark shape filled the window, and Anya jumped back. She glanced around the dark room but she already knew that there was nothing to use to defend herself even if she could see. She could not imagine any good reason someone would bother scaling the castle walls. Was it Thorne? Or did someone want to hurt her? Would it not make more sense to wait and see if the king would do it for them? Or perhaps someone wanted to speak with her.

Anya reached for the vials that she kept strapped to her arm. She could not use the ignition vial and keep herself safe. She would be caught in the explosion too. It would be a last resort.

The person entered the room and Anya felt her heart leap into her throat. There was nothing she could do, so she waited.

"Anya?"

"What do you want?" she asked, unable to believe the voice she heard.

"Anya, it's me," he said.

The tension left Anya's body in a rush. She hurried forward, and grabbed her brother in a hug. He seemed taller, had he grown in the short time they were apart?

She barely remembered to speak quietly in her excitement. "Damani! What are you doing here? Did you escape? Where is Kallie?" Anya's mind whirled through the possibilities. If the twins were safe, she would see that Thorne paid for his crimes.

"Kallie is with him," Damani said and there was no mistaking the resentful tone in his voice. Anya's heart sank. "And I didn't escape. He sent me to bring you this."

Anya felt Damani push a piece of parchment into her hand. Another letter. More instructions, more schemes. Her stomach turned to lead. What could he possibly want from her in this situation? She dreaded to read this new letter when the sun rose.

Then Damani pulled out a round and shining object that had been concealed in a cloth. "He sent this."

Anya opened the parchment and began to read in the faint light.

Dearest A.S.,

These are your new instructions. The time has come for you to truly prove your worth.

You will be brought before the king before the week is out. He will hear your testimony against Lord Reaumur, and he will also pronounce sentence upon you. It is clear to those in power that you have been acting as a traitor and murderer. Almost certainly you shall find yourself sentenced to death.

It is unfortunate that your end shall come to you in such a way as you have great potential to be useful to me. No doubt you have many concerns on your mind at this time about the care of your innocent young siblings. I should like to relieve your mind and reassure you. If you complete this final task then they shall want for nothing. If you refuse they shall suffer greatly.

You shall kill the king. Your only opportunity will be when you are brought before him. If there is any hint that you have not done all that you can Kallie and Damani shall pay the deficit.

Your humble servant,

T.

Anya did not even feel shocked at the contents any longer. She had known that Thorne's plans were large and she had even suspected that they involved the ruler of their land, but she had not thought he would expect her to attempt such a feat.

The words faded away beneath her hands with the familiar magic ripple and Anya shut her eyes for a long moment. "How does he expect me to do this? I'm not able to touch my magic. How could I possibly?" she asked.

"He sent this," Damani said. Anya opened her eyes and saw a dagger in a sheath in his hand.

Anya stared at it. She could not think of anything to say. He did not really think that she could get close enough to kill the king with a dagger, did he? Had everything been a plot to bring her to this state, or was Thorne just taking advantage of opportunities as they arose?

Anya took the dagger numbly. Damani met her blank gaze in the pale light. "Don't do it, Anya."

"I don't think that I have a choice. He'll kill you and Kallie if I don't."

"If you do it, you'll die," Damani pointed out.

Anya felt like crying. She shoved the dagger under the bed. He needed to face the truth. "I'll probably die regardless."

Damani spoke quickly. "I don't have much time, Anya. He's impatient. But I don't think that he is watching us right now. He doesn't care what we say because he doesn't think we have a choice. He's got Kallie still."

Anya watched her little brother. He seemed to have aged decades in the short time they had been apart. "We can't let him kill Kallie."

"No. But I will take Kallie and escape," Damani said. "Don't worry about us."

Anya knew he was lying. "I'm sure you've already tried."

"I have. But I will do it next time. I'll kill the bloody bastard with my bare hands if I must, and I'll get Kallie out of there," Damani said viciously.

Anya hugged her brother. "Damani! Don't think like that. You shouldn't wish for the death of anyone. If you kill him, it would leave a stain that never leaves."

Damani looked at Anya grimly. "You've never wished for his death? You've never thought of killing him?"

Anya closed her eyes. He was right. "I have. But I shouldn't."

"He deserves it." Damani's voice was firm. "He likes hurting people. I've seen it in his eyes."

"I know," Anya agreed.

"He's a bastard, and he likes hurting you best of all. He likes making you do evil things. It's like the stain that never leaves. He's trying to stain you. He's trying to make you just like him, I think. I watch him all the time, when he is there. He hates me, too. He likes making Kallie cry."

Anya felt Damani's rage flow into her. How she hated the man.

"But he won't kill us."

Anya looked at Damani seriously. "He's perfectly capable of killing you."

Damani shook his head. "He can, but he won't. If we die, then he has nothing to use to force you to do what he says and to force you to keep his secrets." His eyes were earnest as he spoke. He looked much like Gage had when they had been young. The reminder made her miss him more. But it was her little brother and sister that mattered now.

"Damani."

"We will escape."

"If you do somehow, go to Wildwood and tell them everything. I know they will help you."

Damani nodded he looked towards the window. "I have to go before he gets angry."

"Where is he keeping you?"

"I don't know. He blindfolded me. It's a tower, in the woods, though."

Anya forced her shoulders not to sag. A tower in the woods could be anywhere.

Damani was at the window. Anya clutched him again. "I love you," she said.

"I love you too." He began to climb through the window.

"How will you get down?" she asked, remembering the great height.

"Thorne's magic. Don't worry about me. Don't do what he wants you to do. Goodbye." Damani started climbing down the wall.

"Goodbye," Anya said as she looked out the window. "Be careful, Damani." The height was dizzyingly high and Anya clutched the window as she watched her little brother descend seemingly without any help from equipment or ropes. Only Thorne's magic was holding him there.

Anya watched until Damani disappeared into the still dark shadows of the buildings.

* * * * *

Author's Note:

Because you didn't hate Thorne enough?