Power surged through me instantly – not the divine fury I'd channelled at the ceremony, but something more personal, more intimate. The magic woven into the very structure of this house recognised my blood, my lineage.
The doors swung open without being touched.
"Holy s**t," Brent whispered behind me.
The entrance hall stretched before us, its soaring ceiling and sweeping staircase speaking of a grandeur that even seventeen years of Northern Alliance occupation couldn't diminish. But I could see the changes they'd made – modern security equipment bolted crudely to ancient stonework, their banners hanging where my family's should have been, the scent of strangers permeating every surface.
"Come out," I called, my voice echoing through the hall. "You know who I am. You know why I'm here.
