"He thinks I'm with the Ladies of Light, planning the Sun Festival.”

"What will he do when he finds out you're not?”

"He won't. I actually was with the Ladies tonight. I just stopped here on my way home." Selianne waved a dismissive hand. "Enough about that. Tell me everything.”

Ellie tried to recap the day's tumultuous events quickly, but Selianne insisted on details. Soon the whole emotion-filled tale came pouring out: Den's attack the previous night, the fire cage and Rain Tairen Soul's claiming of her, the shattering news of Ellie's betrothal this evening.

"Oh, that sneaking, conniving, rotten little maggot," Selianne breathed when Ellie told her about Den's assault and showed her the mark on her neck. "But I thought the mark had to be someplace ..." She broke off, blushing.

"I know, so did I, but apparently it's the mark, not the location, that's important.”

"Surely your parents wouldn't really make you marry him?”

"They've already signed the betrothal papers, and they won't break the contract for fear of how it would hurt the family and Papa's business. And now that Rain Tairen Soul did what he did, I think Mama is even more determined to see me wed to Den. She's afraid of the Fey and their magic. She hasn't said as much, but I think she'd rather marry me off to old Master Weazman than see me wed to a Fey." The ancient, toothless old Gilding Master was known as much for his lechery as for his exquisite work with precious metals.

"Well, put that way, I admit I understand her concern. The Fey are a frightening, secretive lot. And we all know what they're capable of." Ellie stiffened. "The same can be said of several other races I could name, Selianne.”

Selianne gave her a reproachful look. "There's no need to get personal, Ellysetta.”

"Sorry." Ellie blew out a breath. "I'm a bit on edge." She rubbed her arms and the back of her neck to massage away the faint tension gathering there.

"Be honest, Ell. Do you really think Den or your parents stand a chance of defying the Tairen Soul? What's to stop him from just breathing a little tairen flame on Den? Problem solved. Betrothal broken”

The same thought had occurred to Ellysetta earlier, when Papa had told her that he would not break the betrothal. She'd instantly dismissed it, though the possibility still nagged at her. "He wouldn't do that. That's not honorable.”

"And flaming millions of people was?”

It always came back to that whenever Selianne and Ellie discussed Rain Tairen Soul or the Fey. It was the one constant bone of contention in an otherwise flawless friendship.

"That was war, and the Mages had just killed his mate. He went mad for a while from a documented Fey phenomenon called the Wilding Rage. Gaelen vel Serranis experienced the same thing when his sister was murdered. We've had this discussion a hundred times.”

"It was murder, Ellie. In both cases. No matter how you try to pretty it up.”

"It was vengeance. The Eld murdered Gaelen's sister—that was true murder. She'd done nothing to provoke them. The Eld murdered Sariel—an unarmed woman healing the wounded on a battlefield—hoping to destroy Rain Tairen Soul. Well, in both cases, the Eld got more than they bargained for, didn't they?" She rubbed at the tension in her neck and arms again.

"You've never liked hearing anyone speak ill of the Fey, especially not Rain Tairen Soul." Selianne eyed her intently. "Aren't you even the least bit afraid of him?”

"Of course I am. Who wouldn't be? He's the man who scorched the world. But, Selianne, when he held me in his arms this morning and said those things to me … I could have died right then and been happy. I've never felt so … at peace, so loved.”

"It was probably Fey magic—a glamour of some kind.”

"I know that. But, Sel, if you'd felt it … part of me thinks I would do just about anything to feel that way again. Even if it was a lie”

"I don't like the sound of that, Ellie. You've never wanted a pleasant lie over a hard truth. Never." Selianne gripped El- lie's hands, squeezing tight. "Don't let them control your mind.”

Ellie smiled and shook her head. "I can assure you no one's controlling my mind. Part of me may want Fey-perfect love, even if it's an illusion, but most of me is still firmly grounded in common sense. In fact, I keep waiting for Rain Tairen Soul to come back and tell me he made a mistake in claiming me, and would I please just forget the whole thing." She laughed.

Selianne didn't laugh with her. "I'm worried for you, Ellie. Maybe your mother's right. Maybe you're better off marrying Den—or even old Master Weazman." She cast a glance over her shoulder at the five Fey standing near the wing's entrance. "Handsome as they are, I'd never want anything to do with them.”

Ellie didn't answer. The sensation she'd mistaken for tension was now a tingling in her skin, an odd awareness that grew stronger by the second. She lifted her head. "He's coming.”

"He? He who?”

"Rain Tairen Soul.”

"He's coming?" Selianne squeaked. "Here? Now?”

"Yes." She felt him, felt the hunger and longing rise up within her in response to his nearness. The sensations were frightening and compelling all at once. "He's here.”

Fresh panic flooded Selianne's eyes. "Ellie, the Tairen Soul hasn’t sworn any vow against mind reading, has he?" Ellie shook her head. "Bright Lord save me; that's what I thought. If he picks my brain and discovers the truth, he might decide to flame me instead of just Den." She snatched up her shawl from the bench and hugged Ellie in a quick, fierce embrace. "I've got to go. Take care, dear friend." She hurried away, heading for the rear exit of the Fey wing to avoid the approaching Fey King.