The morning after her ultimatum, Sterling sat down to breakfast with Kai and their hosts, Jeb and Inesa. While Sterling had been introduced to Inesa last night, she hadn’t yet spoken to the girl or witnessed these talents Jeb had said she possessed.

"That was delicious, as usual, Inesa," Jeb said to his daughter, pushing his empty plate away.

"Yes," Kai said, quick to agree. "Thank you for the meal."

Inesa ducked her head at his praise. "You're welcome," she said to her lap.

Sterling scraped the last bit of eggs off her plate and into her mouth. It had been ages since she’d had anything this fresh. The eggs came right from this farm or, so Jeb had informed them.

As soon as Sterling set her fork down, Inesa stood and began clearing the dishes.

"I’ll have to go back into the city today, but I could give you a tour of the farm before I go," Jeb offered, rising from his seat.

"Sure," Kai said. “I’d like that.” She couldn't tell if he was interested in seeing the farm, or if he was only being polite. "Sterling?"

"No, thank you. I think I will stay here." Her eyes flicked over to Inesa, who was washing the dishes. Perhaps Sterling could get her to show off her special skills.

Plans made, Jeb and Kai disappeared outside, leaving the two girls alone. When Inesa finished with the dishes, she retrieved her sewing and, without a word to Sterling, got to work.

Sterling took the opportunity to study her.

Inesa was a pretty girl who surely caught the eye of every boy she passed. The girl's dark ringlets fell forward to frame her heart-shaped face as she bent over her work. There was an innocence about her that made Sterling wonder if she’d ever looked like that. Inesa had to be around the same age as her, and yet Sterling would guess she knew nothing of the horrors of the world. It filled Sterling with an emotion it took her a moment to place.

Envy, she finally realized. She envied this girl's simple life.

Inesa glanced up and caught her staring. Instead of asking Sterling what she was looking at, she merely smiled. It was a sweet smile, and Sterling couldn't help herself from smiling back.

"I've heard you have some special abilities," Sterling couldn't resist saying.

The smile instantly vanished, and a wariness entered Inesa's eyes. "I'm not sure what you mean," the other girl said carefully.

It was obvious to Sterling that Inesa knew exactly what she’d meant. "I must have been mistaken. Your father mentioned something, and I’d thought maybe you might be like me." Before she could second guess herself or worry about what the voices might do, she closed her eyes and imagined a light breeze.

She’d never been successful before, but if Kai was right, she should be able to do it.

Sterling pictured the breeze lifting her hair and rustling the curtains on the window. Light and refreshing, not strong and gusty. She didn't want to accidentally create a windstorm inside the house.

A few seconds ticked by and she felt nothing. She was about to give up when she finally felt it. The breeze tugged at her clothes almost playfully, and when she opened her eyes, she found Inesa staring at her with a startled expression.

Sterling grinned.

"You can control the air?" the other girl asked, disbelief coloring her voice.

Sterling shrugged like it was an easy thing. "Among other things." She let go of the magic, and the breeze settled down, her hair falling back into place.

Inesa smiled shyly and twitched her fingers. The mug Sterling had set on the table slid from one end to the other.

"Impressive," Sterling commented. "Did anyone teach you?"

Inesa shook her head. "I learned from practicing by myself. What little I could practice, that is. I have to keep my abilities a secret. Papa says it isn't safe, and the king hates those of us who have special talents."

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"Well, you don't have to worry about me telling anyone. I'm wanted by the king myself."

"Have you done something?" Inesa asked with concern.

Apparently, Jeb hadn’t told his daughter anything about the guests he’d invited into his home.

"No more than you."

Inesa nodded, reassured, and picked up her sewing again.

"Actually, that's not true," Sterling said. And then she told Inesa everything.

She wasn't sure what made her do it. Maybe she wanted to shock the other girl—take away a little of that innocence she so envied. Or maybe she just needed to tell someone what she couldn't tell anyone else.

To her surprise, when she was done, Inesa reached out and took her hand. "Don't worry," she said, "I'm good at keeping secrets and yours is safe with me."

Sterling searched her eyes for a hint of fear, or loathing, or pity, but there wasn't any.

"You are a good person, Sterling."

"How can you say that after everything I told you—after everything I've done?"

"Because I know," Inesa said with confidence. "Your story doesn't end here. There is still time to make up for the past."

Sterling snorted. "I don't know about that."

"You will. In time, you will find the path you were meant to take." Inesa squeezed her hand. "Everyone does."

"If that's true, I hope I figure it out sooner rather than later."

Inesa smiled. "As Papa always likes to tell me, fate works on its own schedule, and we must simply follow along."

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The second day dawned, and Kai had yet to decide if he was going with her. It didn't matter to Sterling. She’d meant what she said. With or without Kai, she was leaving for the portal. He had until nightfall. Then she was gone.

In the meantime, she needed to distract herself.

Jeb had left for Daralis already, once again leaving them alone on the farm with his daughter. There wasn't much to do in the way of entertainment, so Sterling coaxed Inesa into teaching her how to move objects.

They started small. Inesa placed a mug on the table and, with a twitch of her fingers, slid it from one side to the other with ease.

"All you have to do is picture what you want it to do in your mind," she told Sterling.

It was the same thing Kai had told her about using her own magic. Imagine what you wanted and how to achieve it. Simple.

"I think I can do that."

Inesa dropped her hand and stepped back.

"Do I have to use my fingers like you do?"

"No." Inesa shook her head. "I find it easier to learn when using gestures, but it isn't necessary. See." The mug slid to the other end of the table without so much as a twitch from Inesa. "Now you try."

Sterling stepped up to the table, focusing her eyes on the mug. In her mind, she pictured it moving smoothly over the surface as she’d seen it do for Inesa.

Nothing happened.

Sterling glared at the mug. Move, you stupid thing.

Still, nothing changed. Not even the slightest hint of movement.

A few more minutes of staring and then Sterling threw her hands in the air. "Why isn't it working?" She whirled on Inesa. "You made it look so easy. Why can't I do it?"

"Try using gestures," Inesa said calmly. "It can help."

"Fine." Sterling turned back to the table. She lifted her hand and twitched her fingers in the direction she wanted the mug to move.

Nothing.

She tried it again, waving her hand more forcefully.

Still nothing.

Then another thought occurred to her. If the stupid thing couldn't be moved the same way Inesa used, maybe it could be moved another way.

She balled her hands into fists at her side and imagined a powerful gust of wind sweeping the mug across the table. In her anger, the wind Sterling called was too strong.

The mug slid across the table and off the other end, smashing on the floor. Pieces of it skittered off in every direction.

Take that, you stupid mug, Sterling thought smugly. She turned to find Inesa staring wide-eyed at the pieces of pottery scattered around the room.

"Maybe we should practice outside," Inesa suggested, not meeting her eyes. She said nothing about Sterling cheating and using the wind to move the mug as she grabbed a broom and started sweeping the broken pieces into a pile.

Once Sterling's mess was cleaned up, the two of them left the farmhouse. Inesa suggested they visit a small pond in the field behind the house, and Sterling agreed. It would give her a chance to practice her water magic.

She was attempting to bring the water droplets up to dance in the air, as she’d seen Kai do back in Daralis when she heard it.

The thrum of hoofbeats vibrated the ground.

Sterling's head snapped around, scanning the direction she could feel it coming from. It was the same direction Jeb had headed off in this morning—toward Daralis.

"What is it?" Inesa asked.

"Horses," Sterling said. "A lot of them. Are you expecting company today?"

Inesa's eyes grew wide with fear. "No," she breathed. She scrambled up from her seat on the bank. "Come on. You have to hide." Inesa grabbed Sterling's wrist, pulling her away from the water and back toward the house.

"You can hide in the cellar," Inesa told her between breaths as she ran. "No one will look there."

When they reached the house, Inesa led Sterling around the side to the cellar in question. It took both of them to lift the heavy door and reveal the dark musty inside. It didn't look particularly inviting to Sterling, but she had no choice.

She walked down the first few steps before she remembered Kai and realized she had no idea where he was.

"I will find him," Inesa reassured her. "You stay here and be as quiet as you can. Papa keeps some barrels down there and not all of them are full. You should be able to find one you can hide in. I'll come get you when it is safe again." Inesa let the door fall closed, cutting off the light.

Gathering the last of her reserves, Sterling summoned a little glowing ball of magic to float in front of her. It flickered in and out, and it took all of her focus to make sure it stayed lit until she could get down the rest of the stairs.

The barrels Inesa had spoken about were easy to spot. Sterling checked each one until she found a suitable one to hide in. She climbed inside, curling herself into a little ball just as the last of her strength gave out, and she lost her ball of light. Overhead, the hoofbeats grew louder, sounding like thunder before abruptly cutting off.

Whoever it was had arrived.