Page 171 of The Iron Flower

“I can’t fast to him,” I cut her off, my voice suddenly rough with defiance. “Tierney, the Gardnerian forcesmurderedthe Lupines. And I don’t even know what side Lukas is really on.”

“Then find out,” she says, her voice severe, but her eyes conflicted. “Elloren...”

“I know,” I say, fighting back the sting of tears. “I know that everything has changed. And I know my lineage puts me in a position with some power.”

And I have to get my brothers out of prison and help Jarod and Diana escape from the North Tower.

Tierney’s mouth tenses into a grim line. She glances around aimlessly and growls out a curse. “We need that blasted dragon. I hope she’s having fun gallivanting around the wilderness.”

“Naga said she’d come back.”

Tierney scowls. “Yeah, well, her timing could be improved.” She gets up and winces as she stretches against the constant pain in her back. Then she holds a hand out to me and nudges me into motion with a determined glare.

I take her hand and rise, pushing back the misery.

Pushing away thoughts of Yvan.

Tierney’s eyes flick toward the elegant row of dresses on the bed. “Get cleaned up,” she says. “And put on one of those obscenely lavish dresses. Then we’ll get you ready to go meet with Commander Lukas Grey.”

* * *

I pull in a breath as Tierney laces up my opulent tunic and stare into the full-length oval mirror before me.

“This is really more blue than black,” I comment, shocked by my reflected image. The dense, glowing Ironflowers dominate the black velvet in a way that doesn’t just push against the edges of Gardnerian respectability.

This dress blasts clear through them.

“I’m amazed your aunt can get away with defying convention like this,” Tierney says as she fishes through a lacquered Ironwood jewelry chest for just the right pieces. “Our rules about dress are getting stricter. This is risky.”

Aunt Vyvian doesn’t care, I bitterly consider.She’ll throw caution straight off a cliff to lure in Lukas Grey.

“Ah, this is perfect,” Tierney crows as she lifts up a gleaming necklace. Obsidian branches are linked to a slim silver chain, sapphire Ironflowers lush on the branches. There’s a pair of dangling earrings with the same branching design as well, glinting azure in the lamplight.

Tierney fastens the necklace around my neck as I put on the earrings. Then she carefully applies my makeup, rouging my lips and cheeks and lining my eyes with kohl. Scrutinizing me in the mirror, she picks up a gilded brush and styles my hair with braided accents.

When she finally steps back, she frowns into the mirror, dissatisfied. “Wait one moment,” she tells me.

Tierney disappears through the door and into the conservatory, then returns a moment later with a fist full of Ironflowers. She pulls off portions of the stems and weaves the glowing flowers into my hair.

Then she picks up her teacup, steps back and sips at it, eyeing me with cool speculation. “Yes, that will do.” Her expression hardens, braced and unforgiving. “Go get your brothers out of prison, Elloren.”

the iron flowerlaurie forest

CHAPTER NINE

BREAK

Outrage carves out my center and lightning flashes in the sky as I survey the field before me. Both the Gardnerian forces to the right and the Vu Trin on the left seem even more firmly entrenched, a wide aisle cutting up the center to expose the North Tower at its apex.

My home.

I want to run to the North Tower. I want to pull my Wand, harness my power, fly up the stairs and get Jarod and Diana out of there.

“Mage, Commander Grey is expecting you.” My bearded guard firmly nudges me, barely hiding his ill humor over how I’m dragging my heels.

There’s a sizable black tent on the Gardnerian side of the field now with our new flag, the white bird on black, flapping above it. A large, newly raised circular tent stands on the Vu Trin side, its black canvas covered in glowing blue runes, the flag of the Noi people flying above it—a white dragon emblazoned on blue. Two large, cleared circles stand in the center of both fields, ringed by soldiers.

Intimidation carves through me.

---