Simple, it was so simple to take the essence of her element and dilute it so the magic was not a power connected to the earth, but a pure power she could use for spells. Not all that different from a supernatural. The smile slipped as the burns on the fronts of her thighs cracked. She’d gone too close to the Pit and had to steal ointment from the healer’s rooms a second time.

Soon though she wouldn’t have to sneak anywhere. She’d just make a demand and someone would get her what she wanted.

As she ripped through Fiametta’s things, her mind wandered. Why did they have to kill Larkspur anyway? She was a weak half breed with nothing to offer. Why couldn’t Mother see that?

Not that it mattered, she would kill her sister and then be done with that chapter of her life. Mother would be so pleased. Perhaps she would come see her coronation as the new queen of the Pit. She could just imagine her mother smiling, proud of her youngest daughter for doing what none of her other children had managed. Kill the half breed and take a throne in one fell swoop.

The memory busted apart as we stumbled into the Traveling room within the Rim. No one was waiting for us. I shook my head, trying to orient myself and push Keeda’s memory away. Perhaps her soul wasn’t gone, but just tucked away deep within her. Because how could a memory exist where there was no soul to power it?

Cactus drew in a deep breath beside me. “I can’t tell you how good it feels to be home.”

Ash clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m glad you’re here. Perhaps between the two of us we, can keep Lark out of trouble for more than a day or two.”

The two men laughed, but I didn’t join them. Now home, there were things I had to take care of. Primarily a missing father and the missing soul of my sister. No matter how bad she was, I couldn’t leave her in that state.

“Ash, take Keeda to the healer and call for Niah. See if she can help with what I did to her,” I barked the order out as I made for the door. “Cactus, go with him.”

Cactus grunted. “Bossy, isn’t she?”

“You have no idea,” Ash answered.

Peta growled at them both. I ran up the stairs and into the main Enders barracks. The room was silent, but of course it was early enough in the day that even the Enders wouldn’t necessarily be up.

The farther I got from the Traveling room, the faster my feet took me until I was full out sprinting across the small distance between the barracks and the Spiral, my family’s home and the seat of my father’s rule.

The guard on duty at the main doors stared at me with wide eyes and an upraised sword. At first I didn’t recognize her, with her hair cut short enough to leave nothing to be pulled back. Even the sides were shaved.

“Blossom,” I said her name and she lowered her sword.

“Lark, you’re back.”

“Is Belladonna here?”

She nodded. “Yes, go on up. She left orders that when you came home you were to be taken to her right away. But . . . how did you get away? We all thought she was off her rocker thinking you’d escape the Pit.”

“Long story, no time for it now,” I breathed out as I flung the doors open and headed for the stairs that would take me to the sleeping quarters. While this was my family’s home, I hadn’t actually lived there for years. Not since my mother, my father’s mistress, had been killed by Cassava.

There was another guard on Belladonna’s door, and I did recognize him right away. Coal.

“I need to speak to my sister.

Surprising the hell out of me, he didn’t question me, just stepped aside. “She’s crabby when you wake her up suddenly.”

He sported a black eye. I couldn’t help the laugh. “You tried to make a move on her?”

His eyes narrowed as I pushed through the door, shutting it tightly behind me. “Bella, wake up. I’m home.”

She sat bolt upright in bed, her hair a mess and her nightdress tangled around her body. “Lark, thank the mother goddess, you made it out. What took so long?”

I let out a breath. “Long story. But before I do say anything, this is for you.” I pulled the emerald necklace out and slipped it over her head. “It will boost your connection to the earth, but you will have to practice. It is a weapon, Bella, and I am trusting it to you. Use it only to protect our family.”

Her hand trembled as she took it and slipped it on. “I won’t break that trust.”

“I know.” I let out another slow breath. “The Pit, the traitors there . . . Keeda was in on it.”

Bella gasped, a hand going to her mouth. Slowly she dropped it. “Is she alive?”

I sat on the edge of the bed, finally allowing myself to feel the full weight of what happened. “Not really. I . . . burned her out.” In halting words, I explained what had happened, and what Spirit had done to our younger sister. Bella reached out and wrapped her arms around me and I let her, lowering my head to her shoulder.

“I should have known better.” A sob ripped out of me. The horror of what I’d done wouldn’t leave me. I wasn’t sure I could ever close my eyes again and not see the vacant stare of my little sister looking back at me.

Bella held me tight. “Would you have died if you’d not used Spirit?”

I mulled the question over rehashing the fight in my mind and seeing once more that there had been no other way. Peta would have been too late to help me and there was no other weapon I’d had that could have stopped Keeda from killing me. “Yes, I would have died. But I could have held back. I should have held back.”