I was summoned to the throne room early the next morning by my father. Eris had left only moments before the sentry arrived to escort me down. I knew what my father was going to tell me, Eris had snuck to my chambers so that I would not be blindsided.

"Sit." My father motioned to a chair in front of the dais where his throne sat, I felt like a fly caught within a spiders web. "Your betrothed will arrive in three days time so that you may meet him."

I kept my face blank, he was studying me, gauging my reaction to his words. Another test on his part. "I am very excited to meet him." The words felt like grit between my teeth but I managed a coy smile, keeping my eyes down the way he liked.

"I trust you to make a good impression daughter, I have put a good deal of planning into making this alliance possible."

"Of course father, I will make you proud." I forced the fire down within me, it was straining to be let loose, to burn this entire court to the ground.

"Be sure you do." He answered and dismissed me with a wave of his hand.

I forced myself to leave the room calmly but as I stepped into the hall I felt my self control slip. I managed to keep my scream in and instead took my anger out on the wall beside me. Pain bloomed across my knuckles as I connected with the unyielding stone but I barely felt it. I was shaking and taking deep breaths to calm the fire stirring within. I could do it, I could lose control and bring this entire court to the ground. I almost wanted to but I caught my senses, there were far too many innocent people that would be caught in the cross fire and I quickly dismissed that idea. I decided to walk out to the orchard, the fresh air and the smell of fruit would help clear my head.

As I walked outside I inspected my hand in the morning sun, the throbbing had already stopped and the swelling was subsiding. All that was left was a bit of dry blood from where the stone had cut my skin. It was a good thing I healed fast, I don't know how I would've explained the broken knuckles to my father.

I felt a trickle across my spine and peered into the crop of trees to my right, I had the feeling that someone was watching me. There weren't usually workers out at this hour, not with the harvest so far away, but I wouldn't shake the feeling of eyes on me as I continued my walk.

Eris had told me to stay in my chambers and here I was walking unattended through the orchard, I was as good as leaving breadcrumbs for my brothers to follow. I ducked into a cluster of macintosh trees to my left and began the walk back to court. I had come farther then I realized and forced my legs to move faster.

I saw a flash of colour and then I was falling to the ground. I landed hard on my elbow and felt the shock of pain travel up my arm, my eyes instantly watering.

"No need to cry sweet sister," my brother Avery loomed above me, his handsome face twisted in its usual sneer. "With those quick healing powers I'm sure you'll be all right in a moment."

"What are you doing out here?"

"Enjoying the Autumn breeze, such a quiet place to walk don't you think?"

He was watching me, his head cocked to the side, his eyes gleaming like a predator. I didn't realize I was trembling until I tried to rise from the ground and couldn't, my body was almost paralyzed with fear.

Avery took a step forward and smiled. "I never thought much of you. I was content ignoring your entire existence, I knew one day father would ship you off and we would never see each other again." He face darkened as he watched me, hatred blooming in his eyes. "Then you pulled your little runaway trick. I didn't care, good riddance right? But then you came back and it was like the moon suddenly shone and I could see everything in the darkness. You were always there, waiting in the wings, waiting to take this court for yourself."

"I have no interest in this court, Avery please I-"

"Oh shut up. Do you think I'm as stupid as father? You may have everyone around here fooled, our brothers included, but not me. I see what you are and I will not be ruled by some woman."

I saw the glint in his hand then, he was truly here to kill me. My arm had stopped tingling, had healed while he rambled on. I felt the fire light inside, felt my anger like the wind stroking the embers. With every moment the fire burned I felt my fear slowly ebb away, I pulled myself to my feet and stared him in the eye.

"Only a fool would think I would ever want this throne. Would ever want to rule a place I refer to as a prison."

I took a step toward him, my feet leaving smoking prints on the ground. He didn't back away but I saw the uncertainty in his eyes. I forced the heat to surround us, watched as sweat started to bead on his forehead.

"What are you doing?"

"We may share the power of Autumn, but the cauldron only truly blessed one of us." I spat at him, the fire rose suddenly, caging us in a wall of flame. The flames flickered as bright as molten gold.

The uncertainty became fear and I almost laughed, my tough brother was almost quaking in fear. "Sister, please. I was only teasing, you know I wouldn't truly hurt you."

We were face to face now, the heat pouring off my body was intense, if I touched him I knew his skin would crackle and turn to ash. "Remember that I showed you mercy." I whispered into his ear before pulling that raw power back, just like that everything was back to normal. The fire was gone, not even an ash left over to show they had ever shone. I gave Avery a look of pity before turning away and walking back toward the court.

I felt him before I heard him, his hand wrapped in my hair and twisted my head to the side savegly, his knife digging under my chin. "Too bad no one is here to show you mercy." He sneered, his breath hot in my ear. "Goodbye sweet sister."

I felt the knife move to my throat and then the pressure was gone. I heard Avery grunt and turned in time to see Azriel smash him into the trunk of a nearby tree.

"You're pathetic. She shows you mercy and you attack while her back is turned." Azriel raged over my brother, his shadows covering his body in their icy cold embrace.

Azriel hauled my brother up and smashed him up against he tree again and I knew if I didn't stop this he would kill him. It wasn't that he didn't deserve to die, but Azriel didn't deserve to have that stain on his conscious.

"Azriel stop." I commanded and immediately he went still, my brother falling to the ground in a crumpled heap. He turned towards me and his eyes flashed with emotion.

We both rushed toward each other and suddenly I was in his arms and I couldn't remember ever feeling more safe. "Why are you here?"

"Eris let me in last week, he knew of a flaw in your fathers court protection. I've been watching you, making sure nothing became of the threats against you."

Every doubt I had ever thought of my twin melted away. He must have sent for Azriel just after Avery had voiced his concerns, had risked his life to once again protect me.

I pulled Azriel in tight, his wings moving automatically to encase us. I had stopped Azriel from killing Avery because I didn't want him to have to live with that. I knew he had killed before on the battlefield but this felt different, personal even. I also knew that Avery would attack again, call it instinct or maybe I just knew my brother better then either of us had known. I watched him struggle to his feet, the knife back in his hand. Blood poured from the wound in his head, hatred etched across his face. Our eyes met a second before he came at us and that was it. I pushed Azriel to the side and unleashed that golden fire that had been roaring at me, begging to be free. It slammed into Avery, knocking him off his feet and forcing itself down his throat. I watched him claw and wrench with his fingers, smoke leaking from his nose, eyes and ears. It was over in less then a minute and then he was nothing but a husk of what had once been human. I had burned his insides up, I had killed my brother.

I stared at his body, a slight buzzing in my ears before emptying the contents on my stomach in front of me.

Azriel grabbed me before I hit the ground and pulled me close, I was hot and shaking, uncontrollable tears pouring down my face.

I don't know how long we sat in the orchard, how long Azriel held me to him, stroking my hair as I cried. Eventually Eris came, his hand was cool and reassuring as he pulled me up to him.

"Look at me." He demanded, his tone was rough but his touch was gentle on my shoulders. "What happened here was an accident, a game. We were practicing and Avery lost control, there was nothing we could do."

He shook me when I didn't respond. "Cali, this was an accident. I need you to tell me you understand." I nodded, barely hearing what he said. My entire body was numb.

"Three rows down there's a path that leads into the lower wing of the house, take the third door on the left, the staircase leads directly to her chambers. Keep her there and lock the door." Eris ordered Azriel.

I felt his hand grip mine and we were walking and then we were in my room and I was so cold. It was as if I had used up my own body heat when I had called on that flame. Azriel sat me on the bed and retuned a moment later with a bowl of warm water and a cloth. He cleaned off my face and hands, I hadn't even noticed the soot and dirt that lingered there. He was gentle, his movements unhurried and calming. He helped me out of my dress and into a cotton nightshirt before following me into the bed and gathering my body against his.

Eris was in the room at some point, Azriel and him exchanged words I couldn't hear. The buzzing in my ears kept everything else around me quiet. A drink was pressed into my hand and I drank it because I needed to do something. The water was bitter and I knew they had put a sedative in there, I welcomed the darkness as it rushed to meet me.