WE STARED AT ELENA, OUR expressions a mixture of shock and horror.'Are we meant to be excited about this?' Kassie looked understandably dubious. 'We may have super powers and if we do a family of nutters is going to hunt us down and suck us dry?' Her voice increased an octave.Sian stared icily at Elena. 'Well put, Kass.'Loi and I gave the Sorceress similar unimpressed looks.Elena appeared a little stunned by our not so rapturous response and stared at us in shock before exclaiming, 'No, NO! That is not what's going to happen at all. There are a couple of reasons, please let me explain. Do you know how the late King died?'Loi, Sian, and I shook our heads but Kassie spoke up.'Yes. Well, I think I do. Rumal told me it was in a fight, and his first griffon, Ofelaan, died in it too.''Yes, but there is more to it than that. The late Queen Ariadwen, Alek's mother, died not long after she gave birth to him. We thought at the time that it was an unfortunate complication from the b

ALEK WINCED AT THE TONE of Cat's voice and closed his eyes for a moment. Damn it! He'd meant to mention it to her. A little voice in his head sang outyou're lying.Alek opened his eyes. Cat still bowed low and now the other three girls joined her. An exasperated sigh escaped his lips and the four of them looked up, eyes alight with mischief, while his so-called friends gave him I-told-you-so looks as they stood back.ALEK STEPPED TOWARD ME SO I straightened up and widened my eyes into a look of vapid idolization. Alek stopped short at the expression and his eyes narrowed.He snapped, 'Cat, I'm sorry. I should have told you.'Matching his tone, I replied. 'Yes, you should have,' and returned the annoyed look. The others in the room drifted off with mumbled words, leaving us glaring at each other. 'REALLY, WHAT DID YOU THINK I would do,' I demanded, feeling my annoyance grow. 'Fawn over you because of your title? I'm a kiwi, Alek. Titles have little meaning to us.'Alek looked c

WE PACKED UP THE LEFTOVERS and Alek took a different route back into the castle to show me the Armoury. Not knowing what to expect, I stepped through the door and stared in amazement at the display of weapons in the room. To begin with the room must have been as big as the ballroom. It had huge rows of shelving stocked full of items. On Earth it would have been a red-necked, gun-toting male's dream come true, except of course, no guns. Instead there were rows of crossbows, long bows, bows I didn't know the names of, and swords of every length and manner imaginable. I made my way around the room and felt a shudder of disgust at the sight of heavy maces that hung from racks. I paused in front of a shelf covered in light, delicate looking daggers and moved closer for a better look.'Careful,' Alek warned. He reached past me to pick one up.'These are exceptionally sharp and can even cut through dragon scales. The blade is made of a rock that's only found within active volcanoes.'But

LOI WOKE BEFORE THE OTHERS the next morning and rolled onto her back. Rain buffeted the windows. That sounds really heavy, she thought, and rolled onto her side to peek out of the window. Sure enough, rain hit the courtyard with clouds gathered thickly overhead. Might as well get up and have a shower, at least I don't have to wait for anyone else, she thought and hunted for her slippers. Tiptoeing through the room, she was astonished to see they had an over-stayer. Audrey and Nnelg lay curled up together on the dog's generous bed. So cute. Wish I had a camera to capture it. She smothered a giggle as she slipped into the bathroom.Awhile later she lay sprawled across her bed fussing over Lucky while the others sorted themselves out. Nnelg and Audrey had played up as soon as everyone woke so had been banished from the room, which left little Lucky all by herself, not that she seemed to mind. Loi gently rubbed the cat's tummy while Lucky, in the throes of pleasure, alternated between cur

I HEARD SIAN GRILLING DARON about the magick shop but didn't turn, too busy studying a dress in the window of another shop. Something about it seemed wrong. But I couldn't place a finger on what. The dress, a lovely soft rose colour, had graceful bell sleeves with a mandarin style collar. It fitted the mannequin like a glove, but there was still something wrong about it.KASSIE NOTICED CAT FROWNING AT a dress in the shop down from where Sian gushed over a wand to the very happy shopkeeper.'What's wrong, Cat? Are you trying to memorize the pattern?' Kassie teased. Cat's head snapped round to her, her mouth dropping at Kassie's words.'That's it. How the heck did they do that?' she cried.ALEK PUSHED THROUGH THE CROWD of idolizing females and headed to Cat's side without thinking.'Do what?' He touched her shoulder, wondering what had her so excited.'There are no seams. It's not possible, how on Earth could you do that?'Everyone watched when she dashed inside the Tailor's,