They rode hard for two days to reach their camp. Luna took turns sleeping in Katyia's and Roman's laps. She shied away from everyone else, even Greggor. He tried to charm the girl, but she was having none of it. Katyia often laughed at his chagrin over his failed attempts to bribe the child into liking him.

As much as Luna and Greggor distracted her, her thoughts remained on the First Regent's test. Today was the day. Nicolette would go before the council and attempt the test. What that entailed, exactly, no one knew. Only the person who took the test understood it. Everyone would be watching, waiting for the shimmer of lights to wash over the room to say the new Regent had been crowned.

Roman rubbed her shoulders, soothing some of the tense muscles. The village came into view, the townspeople gathered around the raised platform where her father stood speaking. Katyia hoped her sister could pass the test if that was what Nicolette truly wanted. Roman had other thoughts. He kicked Goliath into a full gallop and people scattered before the massive war horse. Roman halted the horse in front of the platform.

Her father couldn't look her in the eyes, but Olivia could.

"Get her out of here now! You are not allowed here!"

"Hello, Mother."

Olivia shook with suppressed rage. Katyia smiled, knowing all the vile things her mother wanted to hurl at her, but couldn't here in front of everyone. People who still respected her.

Roman helped her dismount and then jumped down behind her. As soon as her feet hit the ground, her little brother hurled himself at her. She leaned down and hugged him. "I missed you to, Jaimie."

"When are you coming home?" he questioned. "Mama said you were never coming back."

"She's not coming back." Olivia seethed.

"That remains to be seen." She found her sister on the platform to the left of Olivia, Gavin and the rest of her family behind Nicolette. "Are you going to stand there all day, or do I get a proper welcome?"

Gavin was the first to throw in the towel. He picked her up in a bear hug and swung her around. "We missed you, Kitty Kat."

"Are you okay?" Nicolette fussed, waiting for her turn. "I mean, I know you're okay, but are you okay?"

"I'm not going to go ripping your throat out, if that's what you're worried about." Katyia hugged her sister. She smelled of jasmine oil. It tickled her thirst, but Katyia controlled it. "Now in a couple hours, that could change."

"Who's this?" Her sister eyeballed Roman, assessing him.

"This is Roman. My mate."

"Your what?" Nicolette exclaimed.

"Kind of like my husband among the vampires."

"Oh...oh!" She pointed her finger at Roman. "You'd better treat my sister right or you will have me to deal with."

Roman simply lifted a brow in challenge, but he kept his mouth shut.

"Your hair!" Nicolette exclaimed, already losing interest in Roman. "What did you do to your hair?"

"That's a long story." Katyia took stock of all the citizens. No one looked like they were ready to run screaming from the building. "Are you ready for your test?"

Nicolette's fell, her eyes downcast. "I failed the test."

"I'm sorry, Niki." She hugged her sister again, truly sorry.

"I'm not," she said. "I never wanted to be Regent. That was always Mother's plan."

"I'm glad you said that." Katyia let out the breath she'd been holding since deciding to come here and take the test. "Because I want to try."

"No!" Oliva shouted. "Nicolette will be the new Regent. You cannot take the test, Katyia. You are no longer human. Only a human can hold the role of Regent."

"Be quiet," Ivan snapped at her. "Nicolette cannot be the new Regent. She has taken the test and failed. If Katyia wants to take the test, she can."

"I won't have it!" Oliva screeched. "She will not steal this from my daughter."

A hushed murmur went through the crowd at Olivia's outburst. Nicolette could not be the new Regent, but Olivia refused to accept it. People gave her pitying looks. Katyia wanted to tell them she didn't deserve their pity, but she held her tongue.

Horace, the oldest on the Council of Elders, stood and faced the crowd. Not even Oliva was brave enough to face the council down. "As is the tradition amongst Sector Three, anyone who wishes to stand before the Council of Elders and attempt to pass the trials may do so. The rules do not state who or even what that person must be. The only requirement is they be a citizen of Sector Three. Katyia Dragonovich has come forward and asked to be considered. What say the Council?"

All five members nodded in acquiesce. Horace motioned for Katyia to come forward. Roman gave her shoulders another squeeze and shooed her toward the elder. She swallowed, a lump in her throat. What if she didn't couldn't pass it either? Roman's presence at her back gave her the strength she needed to shake off her doubts. She approached Horace, her back ramrod straight.

She felt them before she heard them. Ravager. Everywhere. Her back stiffened and she opened herself to them, to tell them to back the hell off. Dozens of them hissed back at her. These were not the ones from camp. They were new.

"Ravagers," she whispered.

Gavin's face paled. "Where?"

"Here." She picked up a handful of dirt to center herself and reached out with her witchy senses, trying to feel the barrier. Nothing. Not a drop of magic remained. "They're coming. Get everyone inside, Gav. Now. Do it quickly."

But they were already too late. She saw them hurtling down the mountainside straight for them. Heard Roman unsheathe his sword. Felt the fear blaze through the town square. People started running, screaming, children crying. They were coming to harm her family, to hurt her mate.

The ravager in Katyia cocked its head, considering. It would be so much fun to join in, to rip and tear, and feel their wet flesh strung across her body. The vampire in her agreed. It would taste so good, the fear tinged blood. Like a drug addict on their best high.

But Katyia the witch was stronger than both of them. Katyia the witch only thought of her mate, her family, and all the people here counting on the Dragonovich family to protect them.

She blinked, letting all three of her minds shift and blend, then she walked out to meet them. Her body twisted and contorted, becoming more ravager than human. Shock and fear rippled amongst the people behind her, but Roman's pride was the only thing she focused on. Her mate was proud of her.

The ravagers slowed, their unease rolling through her head. They didn't understand her. She was foreign, yet familiar. A few scuttled up to her, sniffing and tasting her now snow white skin. More hissed at her.

She opened her mouth and spoke, the sounds alien to everyone but her and the ravagers. Leave and never come back here. That was the message she broadcast. These were her people, under her protection. Leave now or die.

They screeched their denial and as one, they started to run straight for her. Katyia knew they wouldn't stop. They would come and slaughter them all. Her family, everyone who meant anything to her. Her little brother. Never again.

A door opened in Katyia's consciousness. A cold light bathed her. She let it seep into her body, fill her up. The dirt in her hands multiplied, spreading up her arms, grounding her to the very essence of the magic in their world. She looked at the approaching horde and the light burst out of her and toward them, the dirt becoming a cloud of dust as it multiplied and became a blanket that wrapped around each ravager. Screams echoed around her, but she couldn't discern if they were from the ravagers or the people behind her. She let the light pour out until there was nothing left. She collapsed, her head bouncing when it hit the ground.

When the dust settled, every ravager lay on the ground, their bodies broken and twisted. No life remained. Only husks. The hush behind her became unbearable and she tried to stand, but fell down. Roman was there in a heartbeat, picking her up, cradling her to his chest as he walked back toward the people staring at her in horrified awe.

"What...what is this abomination?" Olivia whispered.

"What's wrong with her?" Jamie whispered in that little kid too loud whisper. "Why is her skin all white and her eyes...Gavin, she has yellow eyes." He didn't sound scared, only confused.

"There was an attack in our camp the night of her turning. A ravager's blood mixed with ours in the very beginning of her turn. It changed her. She's a hybrid."

"She's part ravager?" Gavin asked, his voice quiet.

"Yes," Roman answered. "She's spent the last two weeks learning to control her thirst and the ravager's need to massacre. She's done a magnificent job of controlling her beasts."

"Beasts." Olivia's voice lashed out at them. "She is an abomination."

"She's the abomination that just saved every person here from certain death." Roman's voice was calm, cold, and unyielding. "Do you think she would have done that if she weren't still every inch as human as the rest of you? She loves her family, her people, and would do anything within her power to keep you all safe. As she has just proven."

"Lies!" Olivia screeched. "Get this monster out of my sight!"

"Put me down, Roman." Katyia had heard enough.

He let her slide down his body, keeping her pressed against him in case she needed support. She worked to regain some control of herself and shifted back into her human skin. "There is an abomination here, Mother, but it's not me."

"You disgraceful, ungrateful child," Olivia spat. "After everything I've done for you, this is how you repay me? I took you into my home, raised you as mine, and you call me an abomination?"

A murmur of agreement sounded behind Katyia. Anger curled in her stomach at Olivia's words. How dare she play the martyr after all the pain she'd put Katyia through?

"Really, Mother? I'm ungrateful? I should be grateful for all the beatings you gave me growing up? I should be grateful for the scars on my back? I should be grateful you had me bound and gagged and delivered to the vampires because you were so insane with hatred for me you thought the best thing to do was to give me to monsters? I should be grateful for all that?"

"Mother?" Nicolette questioned. "You did that to Katyia? You gave her to the vampires? Father said one of us must be sacrificed to them..."

"No," Roman cut her off. "The Regent's children were never part of our deal."

"Mother?" Nicolette's eyes implored Olivia to deny it, to dispute it.

"She had to go. She was going to steal it all from you, Nicolette. I had to protect you from this selfish little bastard whore."

Gasps went up and Katyia flew at Olivia, her hand striking her mother so hard she fell to the ground. "Never call me or my mother that ever again. The only whore here is the one who sold her body to a marriage for power. The only bastard here is the one who takes pleasure in the pain of a child."

"Katyia." Gavin placed his hand on her shoulder. "I know she punished you, but she punished us all."

Rage quivered inside of her. Thirst scorched her throat, her teeth ached to come out and quench it. So many scents assaulted her. Each one unique and drove her hunger to a height she'd never known. It took her several long moments to control the urge to rip Gavin's hand off her should her and fall upon Olivia and drink her dry.

Roman stepped up and gently nudged Gavin away from her, sensing her distress. "She speaks the truth. I've seen the scars that run from her shoulders down to the heels of her feet."

Katyia ignored them all. She had no time for this. More ravagers were coming. She could feel them. She walked over to Horace. "May I still take the test? More are on the way. We must get the barrier back up. We have to protect them all."

Horace stared at her for several long moments before finally nodding. "Aye, girl, you may still take the test. Vampire, witch, ravager, you are still a Dragonovich and a child of Semmondhold. That is all that is required of the First Regent's test."

"NO!" Olivia screeched and tried to run at Katyia. Ivan caught her within a few steps. He held her prisoner and nodded to Horace.

The old man winked at her. A smile tried to turn one corner of her mouth up, but she suppressed it. He handed her a vial of clear liquid. "Drink this, Katyia. As soon as you do, the trial will begin."

"What is the trial? She took the vial from him, hoping he didn't see the slight tremor in her hands.

"Drink the potion and you'll see."

Really? He wasn't going to tell her anything else? She gave him her best aggravated frown before turning the vial up and drinking it down. Foul, foul, foul. She grimaced. Worst thing to ever go in her mouth. She turned to tell Horace just that, but gaped. She stood outside the town. On the highest peak of the tallest mountain in their sector. From here you could see in every direction for miles. What was she doing up here?

Well, she wasn't going to bloody stand here all day, that was sure as certain. She turned and saw a woman sitting on a log behind her. Deep red hair and twinkling hazel eyes framed a face made for smiling. She waved to Katyia and motioned her over.

"Who are you?" Katyia took a seat beside her on the log.

"I'm Cassa. And you are?"

"Katyia."

"Isn't it beautiful here?" she asked, waving toward the view of the mountaintops. "There isn't a more peaceful place on the earth than sitting here and looking at this view."

She was right about that. It was peaceful. Cold, crisp mountain air cleared the senses, opened the mind. Katyia closed her eyes and took several deep, cleansing breaths.

"It's not safe anymore."

Katyia's eyes blinked open. Cassa had the most forlorn expression on her face. "We worked so hard to make this sector safe, and now it's all failing."

"The magic is failing."

"You've felt it?" Cassa asked, curious.

"Yes, I felt the magic in the barrier dying."

"You don't seem upset." Cassa gave her a once-over. "If the barrier fails, then everything and everyone in our sector will be overrun."

"No, they won't. I found another way."

"What way? Tell me of this new solution you found."

Katyia explained to Cassa about her turning and everything she'd learned over the last few days. "The only thing that matters is the safety of the people we protect. It's our only duty."

Cassa regarded her for a long time before she held out her hand. "You truly mean to put the safety of our people first, don't you?"

"Yes." Katyia took her hand. Shockwaves reverberated up her arm.

"Katyia Dragonvich, look into the void and find that which is missing."

Gone was the mountain and Cassa. She stood alone in an empty expanse of space. Darkness surrounded her. Find what was missing. Light. There was no light in this place. A simple enough spell that required no grounding item or potion. She opened her palm and thought of the little ball of light that always came when she asked.

Only this time it didn't.

She frowned, concentrating harder. It only took her seconds to understand what was truly missing. The magic. This place was void of magic. How was she supposed to find magic gone missing?

Katyia sighed. No wonder they kept this test a secret. It was impossible. No, not impossible. Her father passed it. How? She sat and thought. How to create magic where there was none?

Magic was always inside of us, her father told her once. Even when there didn't appear to be any, all she had to do was to find her own brand of magic. Instead of using the magic around her, she needed to find the magic born inside of her and utilize that. Maybe.

She closed her eyes and went searching for that place where her magic slept. She sat for the longest time, her mind clear and searching. There, just on the edge of her vision, she spotted the tiniest flicker of light. It bounced around. She reached out and caught it. In the palm of her hand, the little ball of light sat, no bigger than a pearl.

It had to be like any other spell. Take your grounding item, focus on it, and then expand your magic outward. Much like she'd done while she'd looked for the wards surrounding the castle. In this case, her grounding item was this teeny tiny pearl. No, not a pearl. A seed. She'd use this small seed to grow magic where there had been none.

Easier said than done.

Katyia stood, the small ball of light clutched tight in her hands. Another idea occurred to her. What if her object was the barrier? What if she used it to ground herself, and then filled it with the magic? The barrier would represent this room. Decision made, Katyia thought about her own magic. It always ran hot, but it centered itself with the depth of the earth. Her fire would always burn, always light the way, and the earth would be there to catch her if she fell, to nourish her, to provide everything she needed to work her craft. She shed her doubts, her inhibitions, everything she thought she knew, and let her magic course through her.

She imagined the wall surrounding her sector, imagined the edges closing in on her, caging her in. Katyia opened her hands, the tiny seed of light growing and ballooning. She sent the flow of power into the wall, felt it leave her and begin to fill up like a river after a wild storm. It grew and grew, overflowing. The earth shook beneath her and more magic began to pour through the cracks, lighting up the room in a wild display of shimmering lights.

Then she was falling. Strong arms caught her and she collapsed against Roman. The lights shimmered all around her, but no cheer went up. Not a sound was uttered. Alarmed, she tried to push herself up. Roman held her tight, and that was when she realized she was as naked as the day she'd been born.

"How...where are my clothes?"

"They just vanished." His voice was grim. "Your back, Katyia."

Realization dawned. Without her clothes, they would all have seen the scars. She peeked over at her family. Stunned. Outraged. Angry. All those emotions and more played over their faces. All except for Olivia. She'd gone pale.

It was Horace who found his voice first.

"Katyia Dragonovich, you have passed the test set forth by the First Regent Cassia. As of this day, you are now the Regent of Sector Three."

Gavin waited long enough for Horace to bless her reign, then he was in her face. "Mother did this to you?"

Her eyes flickered to her mother. Gavin's nostrils flared and he stalked to where their mother stood. He slapped her. Olivia's hand flew up to her cheek. "How dare you!"

"No, Mother, how dare you? She is your daughter, and you beat her!"

"She's not my daughter!" Olivia raged. "She's a mongrel your father forced upon us."

Gavin looked like he was the one who'd been hit. "You...I can't..." He walked away from her, his hands shaking like he wanted to slap her again. She was his mother, though. He wouldn't lay another hand on her.

Nicolette couldn't bring herself to even look at Olivia. Instead she placed her cloak around Katyia and then hugged her. "I am so sorry, Kat. Why didn't you ever tell me? I could have stopped it."

"No, you couldn't have." She took her sister's hand. "She hates me. Nothing would have stopped her."

"She deserves to be banished." Nicolette's eyes flickered over to her mother, the disgust in them as clear as the blue sky above.

"Yes, she does." Roman finally spoke. "Anyone who would harm a child in their care should be banished."

True fear flashed across Olivia's face. Banishment was as good as an execution. No one survived the ravagers. She let her mother sit on that thought for a few minutes.

"Horace?" She called the Elder's attention to her.

"The role of Regent is mainly to sustain the wards with their magic, yes?"

"Aye." He nodded. "Why do you ask, Katyia?"

"As long as my magic sustains the walls, that is all that is required of me?"

"Well, I suppose." He stroked his beard. "What are you getting at?"

"Can I appoint someone to handle the day to day running of the sector, someone I trust to care for our people?"

"There's nothing that says you can't, but why are you asking this, child?"

"Because I don't want to be Regent, sir." She turned to Gavin. She'd been thinking about this plan since she'd decided that second night to take the test. "I want you to be Regent."

His mouth dropped open. "But...but I have no magic, Katyia..."

"But I do. As long as I sustain the magic and you run the sector, the role is fulfilled. Isn't that right, Horace?"

The old man laughed. "Yes, I guess that's right. And I'm assuming your magic will hold this ward for at least a century or two, being a vampire and all. You may appoint anyone you please to rule the lands as long as you hold the wall."

"Congratulations, Gavin." She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "You will be much better at this than I would have been."

"I don't know what to say."

"Say thank you, Katyia."

"Thank you, Katyia."

"What should we do with Mother?" Nicolette asked.

The one thing that gave Katyia purpose in the first few days of her awakening was thoughts of revenge. She wanted Oliva to pay for everything she'd ever done to her, but in a way Katyia owed her a debt. If she hadn't done what she'd done, she wouldn't have found Roman. Her mate's warmth seeped into her skin where it was pressed against his chest. Olivia didn't matter to her anymore. The only person who mattered was Roman.

"Gavin, you can decide what to do with her. I don't care."

"It should be your decision, Kat," Gavin said. "You were the one who suffered at her hands. You should decide what to do with her."

"To decide her fate would mean I care what happens to her, Gav. She means nothing to me. It matters not what you do with her."

"She's power hungry," Roman murmured. "Perhaps the best punishment would be to put her somewhere she has no power."

"Saint Andrews," Gavin, Nicolette, and Katyia all said in unison.

"Saint Andrews?" Roman asked.

"A convent," Gavin explained. "The nuns there dedicate their lives to the service of God. Sister Holla would be glad to show mother the true ways of piety, forgiveness, atonement, and service. She delights in it."

Katyia grimaced. They'd all spent some time there to learn just those things. The head of the convent was a cruel taskmaster, and perhaps one of the few people her mother wouldn't be able to manipulate.

"It's settled, then," she said. "She'll live out the remainder of her days at Saint Andrews."

Gavin gestured for a few guards to come and collect her, but Katyia stopped him. "Not them. They are the ones who attacked me that night. They will have her whisked away before you blink."

"They attacked you?" Anger warred with pain in his eyes. He'd always protected her, but this time, he couldn't.

"Yes, they bound me and then delivered me to the vampire camp."

"I am so sorry...if I had known..."

"Shh." She placed a finger over his lips. "None of that. It all turned out for the best. The right person is Regent, the barrier is intact, and I found my own happiness, Gavin. I'm happy. Don't dwell on things we can't change, only on the future. Just be happy for me and I'll be happy for you. Besides, our new home is only a few days' ride from here. We'll be seeing lots of each other."

"Katyia?"

She stiffened at her father's voice. She made herself turn to look at him. He'd been holding Oliva until new guards had come to take her away. Now, he stood staring at her, ashen and ashamed. Olivia was one thing, but her father...that was a cat of a different color. He'd hurt her worse than Olivia ever had.

"I never knew about the beatings. I swear it. If I had known, if you'd just told me..."

"I know." She didn't hold Olivia's actions against him. She had never told him and that was as much on her as it was Olivia.

I'm sorry, Katyia." He took her hand. "I am truly sorry for all you've suffered, for what we did to you."

"You didn't even come to see me." A tear leaked out despite her best efforts to hold them back. "How could you do that to me, Papa? You let her throw me away and then you told everyone..." Katyia broke off, unable to say anything else. Tears choked her. Roman pulled her close, giving his support the only way he could.

"I was afraid you'd hate me. I brought them here. I made it possible for Olivia to do what she did. I couldn't bear the look of hatred in your eyes. Do you remember when you were very small and I told you to hide your magic? To never let anyone see what you could do?"

She nodded. She'd often wondered why.

"I did that to protect you from Olivia. She was consumed with the need for Nicolette to be the next Regent. It was the best way I knew to protect you from her ambitions. I had no doubt she'd harm you. I thought it would be emotional harm, though. Never physical." He ran a hand through his graying hair. "I am sorry, Katyia. I know I have no right to ask this, but I hope someday you find it in your heart to forgive me."

Her heart cried. She knew he meant it, but it didn't erase his actions. He'd taken the coward's way out. He'd left her there, alone and scared. A part of her would always love him, but she couldn't forget what he'd done. Not yet.

"Be well, Papa." She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, her vision blurry.

She turned around to face Roman. "Ready to go?"

Roman waited patiently while she said her goodbyes to her family and then whisked them out of the village, Goliath trotting along as they ambled down the road that led back to camp.

"You gave it up." Roman spoke after a while. "I can't believe you gave up the role of Regent."

"Yes." Katyia twisted so she could look at him. "Gavin will do a good job."

"But why, Katyia?" he asked. "Why would you do that?"

"Being Regent means nothing to me. My home isn't there anymore. It's with the man I love."

A slow smile spread across his face. "You love me, do you?"

"Mmmhmmm."

"Well, then, I suppose I am obligated to love my mate in return, wouldn't you say?"

"I would say so, yes." She gave him a sly smile.

"I do love you, Katyia." He leaned down and kissed her, a slow kiss that curled her toes. "More than you will ever know."

"Take me home, brute."

THE END