“And you think that’s a good idea?”

Ash didn’t answer and I knew I was right, we both did. My father was not in his right mind; he hadn’t been for a long time. And until the mental wounds Cassava inflicted on him healed, we couldn’t trust him.

We truly were on our own.

A slow building anger started in my belly and spread outward to my hands where the iron manacles clamped my wrists. I fed the power of the earth inherent to me into the iron, pulling the ore apart, molecule by molecule, until they fell to the ground at my feet.

Maggie stared at me and the curl of red lines, indicators of her power climbing her hand, was the only warning I had that she was about to blast us with her element. Fire danced from her hands and onto the ground around us creating a perfect circle. I flicked my hand and the earth covered the fire, putting it out as easily as breathing.

At least easy enough when I was angry and I could reach my power. Without anger backing me, I couldn’t tap into the earth and the power within it. A flaw I didn’t know how to change.

“Maybe in the Pit you rule, Maggie. But not here.” She glared at me, and I backed away, bumping into Ash. Except it wasn’t Ash.

It was another Ender from the Pit, one I didn’t know. He dug his hand into my busted up shoulder, his fingers scooping into the open joint. I screamed, unable to stop the sound from escaping me anymore than I could stop myself from dropping to my knees. The world swayed as the Ender put more pressure on the joint. The sounds of people yelling, and the rush of bodies around us was about all I could make out.

There was a flash of green and gold and suddenly Fern, my father’s current wife, stood in front of me trying to stop Maggie and the other Enders from the Pit. Her belly swelled with what would be a younger sibling for me, but even so, she fought for us.

“I am the queen here and I forbid you taking my Enders!” she snapped, pointing at Maggie.

Goddess love her, she was trying. Another voice rose in defiance and I could hardly understand what I was seeing.

Coal stood next to Fern, his back to me but I would know him anywhere. My on-again-and-currently-off-again lover whose hand I’d been forced to cut off in order for him to survive the catastrophe that was the lung burrowers. The last I’d spoken with him, he’d gone more than a little crazy. Something that happened often to those elementals who lost a body part.

Yet there he was, fighting for me. He put his remaining hand on Match’s chest and shoved. “She’s mine. No one is taking her from me.” Well, there went the warm and fuzzies.

I looked around again, now no stars dancing in front of my eyes. Ash was flat on the ground, his face pressed into the dirt. He wasn’t fighting back though and I knew I couldn’t get us both out of this mess on my own. The pain had overridden the anger and I couldn’t reach my connection to the earth any longer.

The Ender holding me down squeezed again and I rolled my head back to stare up at him. His red hair was lighter than the others’ from the Pit, almost a blond if not for the distinct red undertones. “Think you can ease up?”

He grinned at me and I was reminded of Eel, an Undine I’d faced in the Deep who had a penchant for hurting people. “Nah, I like you on your knees in front of me, little Terraling. You look good down there.”

I tried to pull away but he bore down and the world darkened for a moment as the pain consumed my consciousness.

There was screaming and yelling and I struggled to lift my head because even that movement tweaked the tendons and ligaments I’d torn. Coal picked up Fern and carried her out of the way. His eyes met mine in a brief flash of green. “I’m sorry, Lark. I can’t save you.”

I let out a breath. “You never could. This isn’t anything new.”

His face hardened, and behind me, the Ender laughed. “Oh, a spunky one. I hope your trial goes for weeks. You know, I’m one of the guards from the dungeons. I’ll be taking care of you. Personally.”

How was I not surprised?

Things seemed to slow for a moment, and the sound of my heart hammered in my ears as the leather clad Enders parted. My father walked toward us, but I had no hope in him saving us. I’d lost faith in him a long time ago.

“I wish to have a word with my Enders before they go to their punishment,” he said, his normally rich voice holding a distinct tremor to it. Maggie grunted.

“If you try to free them, we will not stand for it.”

He waved her off as if she were a buzzing gnat, and stopped in front of me. Slowly he dropped to a crouch so we were eye to eye.

“Your Majesty.” I bowed my head.

“Ender Larkspur. I have tried to save you from yourself, but you seem inclined to find trouble wherever you go.” Around us, the Enders shifted their feet, and one even laughed.

My father drew a breath and the sound of the air in his lungs was a wet rattle. “The mother goddess has commanded you face your destiny in the Pit without interference from me. She has a task for you there, a life to save.”

I raised my head and really looked at him as the finality of his words settled on me. His skin was pale under the perpetual tan and his eyes seemed fogged over; even his clothes hung on his frame. My heart lurched. Had one of the lung burrowers somehow been missed?

As softly as I could, I spoke. “Are you ill?”

He bowed his head so our foreheads touched and his words were for my ears alone. “I believe I am dying, Larkspur. There is no cure in this world for what ails me. I do not know why Fiametta sent her Enders for you, as she swore she held no grudge against you or Ash.”