The fairy left through the door while Iris was bathing, unsatisfied by the offerings it found in Micah's bureau. Iris stepped out of the tub and was reaching for a towel when the door flew open again. She grabbed the towel and hid behind the dressing screen, her heart pounding frantically. If it wasn't the fairy - if it was Micah-

"Iris?"

"Char?" she gasped, peeking around the dressing screen. She had only a second to register those sharp green eyes, that familiar form dressed in a soldier's uniform, before she realized he was rushing toward her. "No, wait!" she shrieked, hugging the towel tightly about her, but he was already behind the dressing screen, engulfing her in his embrace.

"Don't you ever do that again," he said sternly, crushing her to his chest.

"Char, I'm n-not dressed," she stammered, tripping over the word 'naked' and changing it at the last second.

He released her like she was on fire, but he didn't turn away from her. She swallowed hard, holding the towel in place as his eyes scanned up and down, watching the anger build in his face.

"Did he-"

"Please stop looking," she begged him.

He finally turned away, stepping around the dressing screen as the fairy zipped through the door. Iris snatched the maid's uniform from it and pulled it on as quickly as she could. She hoped the fairy had picked up her torn dress from the floor. Char's sudden arrival had scrambled her thoughts, and she was struggling to focus on the crystal while making sense of what was going on. He was wearing a soldier's uniform. Rath had stolen a set of keys from the guards that Char had knocked out the night before.

"Is Rath here, too?" she asked, stepping around the dressing screen.

The fairy hadn't picked up the dress. Char was staring at it, and at the blood staining the gold of the tangled sheets. The sheer rage on his face made Iris take a step back. His eyes were flashing, the muscle in his jaw pulsing as he flexed and relaxed it, his fists so tightly clenched at his sides that his knuckles were white.

"I'm going to kill him," he growled.

Iris swallowed hard. "I-I'm sorry," she stammered. "I was following the crystal, and I-"

"No," he snapped, storming up to her. "You're not apologizing for this. Come on." He grabbed her hand and headed for the door, pulling her along with him. "I'm getting you out of here."

"But - I can't go yet," she said, following him down the stairs. "The crystal-"

"Forget the stupid crystal," he said sharply. "I'm taking you away from here. As far as I can go. Farther still if he comes after you again. This can't continue."

"It won't end unless I reach the crystal!" she exclaimed. "He's going to keep hurting people - and not just him. So many have died for this amulet - so many have killed for it. I have to stop this!"

Char stopped and spun around, grabbing her upper arms firmly and bringing his flashing green eyes close to her face. "I don't care about other people," he growled. "I care about you, Iris. I love you, and I will not allow you to stay here with that madman for another second."

"But I do care about other people," she countered. "You said it yourself - that's who I am. I could have ended this last night, but I let fear stop me. That won't happen again. If he even tries to lay a hand on me, I will kill him."

She stopped, her eyes widening as her last words echoed in the air. They were words she never thought she would say, but they rang true. She felt the anger in her chest, the same anger that lit up Char's eyes, and she felt the certainty of those words.

"You really mean that," Char said wonderingly.

She nodded. "Last night, I thought I was saving others by giving myself up to him. But I was wrong. He won't stop with me. My magic is never going to be enough for him. He always wants more, more magic, more power, and I have the power to stop him. Please don't get in my way, Char."

He stared at her for a moment. She held her breath, waiting for his response.

"You healed yourself," he finally said.

She nodded hesitantly.

He took a deep breath and released her arms. "I'm still taking you away as soon as this is over."

"After I say goodbye to Kayla."

He took her hand and started down the stairs again. "And explain to Fred that you were not running away from Rath and me because we've been exploiting you."

"Did he really think that?"

"He was already suspicious of us before you took off."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing. I'm glad he's looking out for you, even if he is pushing the odds by trying to take on two fully grown men. Be quiet."

She held her tongue, waiting at the foot of the stairs while he opened the door and poked his head out into the hallway. The crystal's pulse was strong and consistent. She took the amulet in her right hand again, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath as she felt its pull.

"All clear. Come on."

She opened her eyes and followed Char out into the hallway, but she stopped in her tracks when she saw another soldier.

"Char-"

A pair of sharp blue eyes met hers, bright and dancing above Rath's mischievous smirk.

"Pretty good, huh? Kelnor's going to love this one. Impersonating enemy soldiers when he's always saying we barely qualify in our own army. Ready to go?"

"We're not leaving," she replied, turning slowly as she listened to the pulsing of the crystal. "This way."

"What the - Char, really?" Rath sputtered.

"Just come on," Char snapped.

Snapping and crackling filled the air. Iris winced and kept walking.

"Iris-" Char started.

"I feel it," she interrupted. "He's in the throne room."

"Which is where we're going," Rath said uncertainly.

"Yes," Iris said firmly. She continued down the hall, her fingers clutching the warm crystal of the amulet, feeling the pulse within it, feeling the pulse up ahead. The whispers were crowding in excitedly. She barely saw her surroundings as she navigated the halls, focused as she was on reaching her goal.

"Stop right there," a guard ordered her, stepping in front of the massive wooden doors that were all that stood between her and the throne room. His partner matched his movements to complete the blockade.

"Oh, good, some action." Metal scraped against metal as Rath unsheathed his stolen sword. "I've been waiting to test this thing out."

"Stop," Iris commanded. There was a hardness to her voice that Char and Rath had never heard before. Even the guards froze, their hands on the hilts of their swords. "Do you remember me?"

She was addressing the first guard, and her words brought confusion to his face. He studied her, his brow furrowing.

"Micah - the king's mage - threatened you last night. I stopped him."

The guard's eyes widened in recognition.

"He's been ruling this kingdom from the shadows for a long time, and even now he's plotting to kill your king. I'm going to stop him, whether you move or not, but I would rather not have to use force on you."

White light glowed through the cracks between her fingers. The guard glanced at his partner and gave a slight nod. They both stepped aside.

Rath sheathed his sword, disappointed. "Do I at least get to stab Micah?" he grumbled, pulling one door open.

"No," Char said coolly. "I'm doing that."

Heads turned toward the open door in surprise. The king, a tired-looking man with long gray hair, sat on the throne at the other end of the room. Rows of men of varying ages, all dressed in robes indicating their nobility and importance, lined the red carpet in front of him. Micah stood at his right hand. His frigid blue eyes locked on Iris', and she felt a tremor of fear in her heart.

"What is the meaning of this intrusion?" one of the robed men shouted.

Iris walked down the carpet without a word. The hard, angry look in her eyes was enough to clear her path without the white light glowing between her fingers. Micah smirked and held out his hand, a blue spark dancing across his fingertips.

"I was going to wait until the upcoming battle, but if you are so eager for the throne-" His finger pointed directly at the king, and the blue spark took off like a streak of lightning, smashing into a wall of white just before it hit him, the explosive force knocking him to the floor.

"You - you just tried to kill me," the king stammered, climbing to his feet and gaping at Micah.

Another blue spark shot toward one of the robed men, only to be met with another white shield. Surprised shouts and exclamations rose from all except Micah, Iris, Char, and Rath. There was a panicked stampede to the door, but it slammed shut with a single bolt of blue. Sparks were flying in all directions, met time after time by Iris' shields. Micah's grin widened. An explosion of blue fire rippled from his feet outward in all directions. Iris stopped a few feet from Micah, and the flames tore through her to hit a white orb. It surrounded the two mages and quenched the flames on all sides, except for the ones licking at Iris' feet.

"I don't have to shield everybody if I can contain you," she said coolly.

Micah laughed. "How long can you keep this up, Iris? You have already healed yourself. Your stamina won't last much longer."

Red cords snaked out of the blue flames, climbing Iris' legs like vines and wrapping around her body. She cried out as they tightened, cutting through dress and skin alike.

"Iris!" Char shouted.

"Stay out of this!" she shouted back. The whispers were roaring in her ears. Her heart beat in time with the crystal's pulse.

"What is going on?" the king demanded.

Micah laughed again. "This is my new power source." The red cords constricted, the blue flames rose higher, and Iris cried out again. "She has been rebellious as of late, but I'll have her back under my thumb soon enough." He closed his hand into a fist, and Iris squeezed her eyes shut, throwing her head back and screaming as blood trickled down her arms and legs.

"Stop this!" Char shouted.

"Wait your turn. I'll deal with you in a moment," Micah replied. "After I force her into submission and depose the king."

"This is treason!" somebody shouted.

"Treason?" Micah laughed. "You've been following my orders for some time now. But I don't need you anymore. None of you. The only one I need alive is Iris - to feed me her magic and provide me with an heir to continue my research." His cold eyes flicked to Char's with a challenge. "And we're already working on both fronts."

It was loud. So loud. The whispers crowding into Iris' head, the pulsing of the crystal that had risen to an earth-shattering, relentless pounding in her chest, the flames roaring in her ears, the frightened exclamations of the court ministers, Char and Rath's angry shouting, Micah's gloating. She couldn't handle it anymore.

"Shut - up!"

Iris' voice rose above it all, shocking and silencing everybody. The glow between her fingers became a blinding light, engulfing her completely and forcing everybody to shield their eyes. There was a deafening explosion that knocked them all to their knees, and then there was silence.