Damien circled The Citadel once to have a look around. It was late afternoon on a dull, gray summer day. He’d gathered his gear and taken off a couple minutes after his talk with Eli. His rucksack and weapons hung off his shoulder, just like when he’d left, but he didn’t bother with a mount. Instead he flew on his own like a bird, his shield keeping the bugs out of his mouth and nose. He went full blast, pushing as hard as he dared. He ended up making the return trip in under an hour.

Below him, tiny figures practiced their forms in the training yard. A wave of nostalgia hit him, just for a second, before he remembered all the bad things he had to put up with. He descended and landed on the dirt patch beside the wall. No one greeted him, of course. He’d come early hoping to surprise Jen and Lizzy.

He skirted the practice field, pausing a moment to look the students over and make sure no one was a sorcerer. Nope, all happy little warlords. That was good. He wouldn’t have wished the frustration he went through on anyone.

He angled toward the fortress. Classes would end soon and Damien wanted to avoid the press of students in the entry hall.

He walked through the doors and sighed in relief. The hall was empty; he’d beaten the rush. He jogged up the stairs and down the hall to his family’s quarters. He raised his hand to knock then hesitated. Three years, what would it be like to walk through that door again after three years?

Stop being such a wimp.

He pushed the door open.

Jen stood in the kitchen setting the table, her familiar golden hair swirling around her as she worked. She’d grown since he last saw her. She stood close to six feet tall now and her figure had filled in. He suspected the guys still drooled when she walked by. Especially if she walked by wearing an outfit like the one she had on now. Sheer blue fabric billowed around her and slits in the arms and legs revealed smooth skin. A lot of female warlords dressed in revealing outfits to distract their opponents, their iron skin defense better protection than any armor.

“Hey, sis.”

The plate in her hand fell to the kitchen floor and shattered. She spun, eyes filled with tears. “Damien.”

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She covered the distance between them in an instant, lifted him off the ground, and spun him around. She cried openly as she hugged him. He had a tickle in his throat, but managed not to cry. “It’s good to see you too.”

She set him down. “I didn’t know if you were coming. Why didn’t you write?”

“I didn’t know if I was coming either until I passed the final test this morning. I’m a full sorcerer now. I still have to do fieldwork with a more experienced sorcerer for two years before they’ll give me my own missions, but I have no restrictions on my power beyond good sense.”

“Congratulations.” She stepped back and looked at him. “You’ve grown so much.”

“So have you,” he said, eyeing her ample chest.

“Ugh! Why is it every boy, even my brother, notices those first? I swear they’re nothing but a nuisance. Still, they make an excellent distraction when I fight men.”

“I bet. What’s for dinner?”

“Roast venison and vegetables. I need to clean up that plate.”

“I’ll get it.” Damien focused on the plate and the pieces glowed and lifted off the floor. He heated the edges and fused the chunks together. The small bits he melted and used to fill the cracks. Finally he polished the surface and it looked good as new. “There, all fixed.”

She looked at him then at the plate floating in the air in one piece. “Neat trick.”

“Thanks.” He lowered the plate into the sink and released his power. “How’s it feel to be a proper warlord?”

“Great.” Jen finished setting the table, adding a place for him. “They gave me my own squad. There’s only five of us, but I’m in command.”

Damien sat in his usual place at the table. “Congratulations. From your letters I got the impression you didn’t care much for working with the watch in Port Valcane.”

She grimaced. “No, the commander was grabby and it took all my self-control not to knock him through the wall of his office. That was a long year.”

“I’m impressed you managed it. What’s your squad like?”

She grinned and sat across from him. “They’re great. Tough, smart, and determined. One of them graduated this year, two are my yearmates, and the fourth is a veteran of twenty years.”

Damien offered a knowing smile. “Is he there to keep an eye on you?”

“Probably, but he’s never undercut me with the others and he follows orders like any other soldier so I can’t complain.”

A creak from the door stopped Damien before he could ask another question. He glanced over his shoulder to see his father walk into the room, Lizzy held easily in his left hand. He spotted Damien and stopped. Here it comes.

“Hi, Dad, I’m home.”

“Damien. You’ve completed your studies?”

Not the warmest greeting, but at least he hadn’t yelled or threatened to throw him out. “Yeah, I’m a full sorcerer now.” Damien conjured a little light and made it vanish.

His father hung Lizzy over the fireplace and took his seat at the head of the table. “Sending you there was the right decision. Good. When’s dinner?”