One of the men she'd sent to find her family returned with Ahamo. He'd run up, hugged her, and had explained very quickly that he'd been stopped by the alchemists and had been subduing them. There was a purpling bruise over his left temple, and he was limping slightly. Evidently, several of the alchemists had tried to start up their machines, and he'd been preventing their attempts. Ahamo also brought news of her mother and sister. Lavender Eyes still insisted her eldest daughter remain out of sight until the resistance fighters knew and accepted that she was no longer the sorceress. DG agreed. She didn't want her sister killed because of a misdirected grudge. However, the queen refused to leave Az alone. After Ahamo had relayed this, he stepped back, away from the line of petitioners. The man wasn't going to assume authority. He was going to let her . . . She should have hit him with a metal rod instead of a broom.

Over the next few hours, the resistance fighters' treatment of her and her friends changed. The story of who they were and what they had done passed through the ranks, and the salutes and bows became more respectful and less awkward. Raw was a healer. He was given the most seriously injured patients, and soon other recently freed viewers began to join him and the resistance fighters' medics. DG was in charge. This idea was reinforced when even Jeb started following her orders. She had three advisors who more or less acted as her second-in-commands. Glitch answered all technical or diplomatic questions, and the two Cain men supplied tactical plans. They sent runners to the guilds, Central City, and other resistance camps to relay the outcome of the battle. DG had a feeling part of the message would be that she was the new ruler of the O.Z. She hadn't said that, had tried to deny it, but everyone assumed it anyway. Grrrr. And she couldn't stop helping now. Could she?

It had been dark for hours by the time the pressing issues of the battle and the tower had been resolved. Ahamo had left half an hour ago to return to his wife and elder daughter. At least he'd stayed that long. Raw had passed out on one of the hospital beds meant for the wounded. All the seriously wounded fighters were stabilized. Cain and Glitch still hadn't left her side, and Jeb was currently standing with them.

She walked into a nearby room and leaned against a wall. How was she still standing? That morning she'd been riding in the balloon with her father still following the pointer to the emerald. She'd still been afraid that her friends had been captured or killed. That morning, no one would have taken orders from her. "I think there's been a misunderstanding," she said eyes closed. "I'm not in charge." When no one spoke, she opened her eyes. Jeb was sitting on the floor leaning against the wall. Glitch was still standing but was like herself was relying on the wall for support. Only Cain stood erect and alert, but the fatigue showed round his eyes and mouth. None of them had the energy to argue with her. "You should get some sleep," she said pulling herself off the wall.

"What about you?" Cain asked.

"She'll sleep too," Glitch answered for her, "I'll stay up in case there are any more problems. My noggin may be disconnected, but I still have annuals of experience of advising the queen." He'd spent the last several hours proving that, but she wasn't going to say it.

"I'll relieve you in a few hours," Jeb volunteered. His eyes kept closing.

"And I'll relieve you," Cain added.

DG sighed, "I'll play politician tomorrow," and because she still had some stubbornness left, "but I'm still not in charge." Three pairs of tired eyes looked at her then looked away. Cain helped his son up, and the four of them left the room. Glitch took a seat where they'd been standing earlier.

By silent consent, she, Cain, and Jeb entered another room where makeshift beds had been set up for the fighters. None of them were willing to make the trek upstairs to search for a real bed. Jeb passed out on the nearest mat. She sat down on another. "Mister Cain," she began.

He sank onto the bed beside her, "DG, I think you better drop the formality."

Instead of arguing, she nodded tiredly, "What should I call you then?"

"Wyatt," he answered. Like his son, his eyes began to close repeatedly.

She nodded again. She needed to say this before she could sleep. "Wyatt?"

"What is it, DG?"

"I'm a princess."

"Yes, we established that several days ago," he said with a bit of annoyance as he leaned against the wall.

"I'm starting to realize what that might mean," she looked down at the makeshift mattress. It was lumpy, and she'd slept on the ground most of the week. However, she'd have a grander bed tomorrow; her stomach clenched.

"I know," he answered gently.

She looked up at him, "Wyatt, don't leave me."

"I won't," he answered.

"DG." Someone was shaking her. She forced one eye open. Jeb was staring down at her. She turned on her side to see Cain still asleep beside her. When he was unconscious, some of the severity left his face. DG turned back to Jeb.

"My shift isn't over yet," he explained. Looking at her face, he continued, "I've just received some news. The sorceress' advisor has escaped." At this, DG bolted upright. "I have some men looking for signs of his trail, so they can track him. They haven't found anything yet."

"What do you want me to do?" she asked standing up. Cain shifted but didn't wake.

Looking down at his father, Jeb brought his voice down to a whisper, "I don't know. Unlike Zero, Vy-Sor was never very visible. He was the sorceress' shadow, but no one seems to know the extent of his knowledge."

DG whispered too. Cain rarely slept, and this news would keep him awake for days. It was a sign of how exhausted he was that he wasn't stirring now. He might even insist on tracking the man himself. "What do you know about him?" She had a vague recollection of the man standing on the edge of her vision, watching her as the witch played her mind games. He'd had a blank face; she shuddered. He could know a great deal.

"Nothing really. Just that he served the sorceress almost since the start of her reign and that he was almost always with her. No history beyond that, at least we haven't learned anything yet, no known family, nothing."

DG nodded her head. The blond looked ready to pass out. "Get some sleep, Jeb. I'll take over for awhile."

"My shift isn't over," he protested.

"But I'm already awake," she said smiling. To her astonishment, he blushed.

"Dad said you were stubborn and strange. I can see why he likes you," he replied smiling back at her as he lowered himself to her vacated mattress. His had been taken by Glitch, so hers was the only one available.

"I'm not strange," she whined. He chuckled lightly. His father shifted again. She lowered her voice, "Or stubborn." But he was already lying down, so she walked quietly out of the room. As she entered the hall, she tried to squash the fluttering in her stomach at Jeb's words. He likes you. Jeb hadn't meant it that way.

She'd never had a protector before and then Cain had appeared, white horse and all. And he called her Kid. He'd been angry and stoic, kind and loyal, concerned and reliable, and her heart stopped every time he reappeared in her life. Always coming to save her, always watching over her, always causing those treacherous feelings in her stomach. And he called her Kid. Life wasn't fair.

Zero collapsed on the ground in front of the suit. Trembling from weakness and anger, he sucked fresh air into his lungs and glared at the three sets of feet in front of him. Two belonged to longcoats who were looking worriedly from side to side. Their fingers twitched on their rifles. The pair of boots directly in front of him belonged to none other than Vy-Sor. "I should kill you," he bit out.

"Why?" the man asked lifting an eyebrow in surprise. "I've just let you out, and I'm your one chance for survival and revenge."

"Where is she?" Zero asked struggling to his feet. The sorceress might appear at any moment to suck his life out as she had his predecessor. As much as he wanted to carve up Wyatt Cain right now, the woman still made him uneasy. She was never satisfied, and her anger was unpredictable. He had to stay alive long enough to tear the tin man apart.

To his surprise, the advisor bent his head as grief washed over his face. Had she banished the man? "That girl," he began then stopped. His features contorted into rage. "That wretch killed her. The sorceress," again he stopped, "the sorceress is . . . gone. The royal family and the resistance fighters have taken the tower." Vy-Sor was grieving. His devotion to the witch had always been sickening. "It's only a matter of time before tracking parties are sent to capture or kill us."

"You mentioned revenge," Zero said carefully. He'd never seen the man show extreme emotion before. It was unnerving to see it now, but he'd said revenge. And besides, Cain and his son were persistent.

The advisor looked at him and straightened, "Yes, I think we should use Amy."

"That freakish little girl?" Zero asked in shock. She was the worst of the sorceress' failed attempts to gain power, and she held a bizarre and sickening affection for him.