The red light spread across the ice and climbed the walls without heat or sound. A curse could be fought. The Law of Causality simply opened its account and began returning what had been stolen.
Seraphina screamed when it reached her. The pale glow that followed her through court peeled away. For the first time, the men saw the hungry shape beneath her heroine's glamour.
Something fell from her ermine cloak and struck the ice.
It was a heavy gold signet ring stamped with the Imperial crest. One edge was tarnished and chipped.
Caspian picked it up. Twenty years ago, during the blizzard that nearly killed him, the ring had slipped from his frozen hand inside a hidden cave. A young girl had pressed herself against him and shared the last of her body heat until help came.
Seraphina had la
