Ruby smiled at that with all the warmth of a cat. “I was young then. I didn’t understand anything. I can be far more precise now.” She took a step forward. “He plans on binding your hands. That’s not good.”

Farilane had never believed in magic. Her conviction that it was all superstition and ignorance was at its max until Kile had jumped off a cliff. That little trick had cracked her foundation and deeply shaken her confidence. Ruby Finn had been at the heart of it all. The princess still wasn’t giving in to the mumbo-jumbo parade, but she also wasn’t about to risk Ethan’s life on less than a sure thing, and Farilane was no longer sure.

“Who is this woman?” Nordyan asked, riding up with First Minister Dray by his side.

“She’s—”

The First Minister spoke over her. “This is Ruby Finn, Your Highness.”

“Don’t you look all fancy,” Ruby said to Dray. “You’re with them?”

“I am, Ruby, and you need to go back into the forest and stay out of this.”

“She has green eyes,” Ruby gestured at Farilane. “She’s like me, and these soldiers want to bind her. She doesn’t want to be bound. She’s very unhappy. I can feel it. And she’s scared. Frightened of what will happen if they take her—just like Aldaria was.”

“No, Ruby, it’s not like—”

“Oh, for the love of Ferrol!” Nordyan erupted. “I don’t know who you think you are, missy, but I’m the Imperial Prince Nordyan myr Nyphron, and this is my sister, who has disobeyed our grandfather’s orders to stay home. And she’s going back, right now! If I have to take out a stick and beat her with—”

In a straight line, moving left to right, a series of fifteen hardwood trees directly behind the woman in green exploded. Their trunks burst with deafening cracks and their leaves caught fire. In the resulting firelight that played on each of their faces, Ruby addressed Nordyan and replied, “I am Ruby Finn.”

A moment later, Nordyan himself caught fire.

“Ruby!” Dray shouted, and instantly the flames engulfing the prince went out.

Nordyan screamed, fell from his horse, then lay shivering on the ground. Ethan stepped between Ruby and Farilane, shielding her. The remaining Teshlors dismounted, drew steel, and circled the fallen prince. Ruby appeared unperturbed by their attention or their weapons.

She glared at Dray. “Don’t get between me and them. I don’t like you that much.”

Farilane thought the whole thing might be a show, an illusion, but looking at her brother, she saw his face had the appearance of a sunburn, and much of his hair and eyebrows were missing.

“Ruby!” the abbot of Dibben Monastery shouted. He led a troop of monks across the field at a trot. “This is not allowed.”

“This is my forest,” she replied. “I make the rules here.”