Epilogue
Alise studied the silver-white disk with trepidation, her ankles weak, her legs wobbly. “Are you sure this will be fun?” she asked uncertainly.
Cillian threw back his head and laughed. “You faced down a demon, but you’re afraid of ice-skating?”
“It’s unnatural to stand on a narrow blade,” she grumbled, but she secretly savored his joy.
She and Cillian had gone first to House Elal after everything got settled at Convocation Center, which would take a while, but with House Seraphiel guiding the new government, Alise had faith that things would go well.
The greatest challenges would be the entrenched wizards trying to keep their familiars from breaking the chains that had so long bound them.
Houses Sammael and Tadkiel had withdrawn all their people to their lands and effectively barricaded themselves within.
But they wouldn’t be able to withstand the turning tide for long.
Before leaving Convocation Center, Alise had been busy severing wizard-familiar bonds, until Morghana suggested teaching the technique to Professor Cixin, master of spirit magic and former Elal wizard.
He’d been delighted to learn and offered the service to any familiar wishing to be released from the binding enchantment, before or after transformation.
House Ariel had undergone an unexpected turnover, with Courtney Ariel taking over as head.
The previous Lord Ariel had tried to maintain the house’s grip on the binding enchantment taught to graduating wizards.
But seeing the way the winds of fate blew, Courtney had gathered wiser heads and staged a coup.
Alise still didn’t like the wizard, but having House Ariel as a cooperative ally in the new regime was a gift she wouldn’t reject.
House Chur, too, had become a surprise ally, grateful that Alise had rescued Brinda from her terrible bondage—Alise didn’t mention that had been a side-effect of battling her father—and Brinda had been one of the first ten familiars to become wizards.
A number of familiars had refused the opportunity to become wizards, some because it was still unclear if the transition deprived them of alternate form forever.
Jadren and Seliah were sponsoring ongoing research into finding out why familiars could take alternate form and wizards could not.
So far, no wizard had been able to take alternate form, even those who’d been able to as familiars.
It was too bad, but the familiars seemed to feel it was a small price to pay and Alise didn’t blame them a bit.
Most of the familiars who’d refused so far were very likely being pressured by their wizards and houses. It would take time to sort out who was under undue influence. Houses Refoel and Seraphiel were teaming up to begin the process of communicating with familiars and providing safe spaces for them.
At House Elal, Alise had been able to start what would be her own very long process of assuming the mantel of Lady Elal—the youngest in Elal history, it turned out, something that gave her no pleasure.
Her first decree had been that any familiar who wanted to become a wizard would receive safe and free passage to Convocation Center, and that any wizard even making a sour face about it would be expelled from House Elal.
She’d also taken care of one very important, outstanding piece of business.
Under her leadership, House Elal would honor its debts.
And then, she’d accompanied Cillian to House Harahel.
She’d met his parents and accepted the chagrined apologies from Lady Harahel.
Bertie had been the one to ensure the Anciela Archive, as they’d come to call it, had stayed safe.
Hanneil—and Uriel, a subterfuge that still stunned her—had tried their best to infiltrate House Harahel.
But the Harahel traditional distrust of strangers and Bertie’s vigilance had saved the day.
Alise had sincerely been able to forgive and reassure órlaith, sharing her own marrow-chilling experience with psychic magic and mind control.
Cillian was over the moon to finally show her all the charms of the house of his birth, which apparently included a long-held fantasy of his to teach her to ice skate.
Facing down a demon had been easier.
“Just watch,” Cillian said, and Alise sat gratefully on the bench.
The winter landscape shone serene white and it was hard to believe that they’d already come around to midwinter again.
The last months had been so very busy, flying by in a flurry of change.
Cillian, dark curls a contrast to the ivory shades surrounding him, wearing a jaunty red scarf, skated around the pond, demonstrating the technique.
Then he gained speed and leapt into the air, spinning several times before landing on one foot, the other leg extended.
Alise clapped her mittens together. “That’s amazing! I didn’t know you could do that.”
He skated up to her hands extended, cheeks rosy with cold and pride. “I know. All this time I’ve waited to show you I have more talents than reading books. Well, one other talent,” he amended.
She stood and took his hands, letting him guide her off the safe snow and onto the ice. “I’ve always known you were a wizard of many talents. But I don’t know about this…”
“Trust me,” he said, squeezing her hands and holding her gaze.
“I do.”
And she did, forever and always.