She turned and tried to run but the air was thick and syrupy and her legs were too weak to move through it. She could see the shadow of the tower lengthening before her. As it widened, she wondered why she hadn’t had the sense to run sideways, out of its path.

Then the world exploded.

Everything was abruptly dark and silent. She could not breathe. Voices called her name, but she could not draw enough breath to answer. Slowly the cold darkness crept in.

“Sorceress!”

The voice of the speaker was dark with anger, but it was a chance of rescue nonetheless.

“Come out, you meddling old bitch!”

Emerahl started out of the dream and opened her eyes. The round interior wall of the lighthouse disappeared into darkness above. She heard the sounds of approaching footsteps and the muttering of several voices coming from the opening in the wall where, in the past, two great carved doors had been. A broad-shouldered shape stood beyond.

“Come out, or we’ll come in and get you.”

The voice was full of threat and anger, but also a hint of fear. She shook off the lingering nightmare reluctantly—she would have liked time to analyze it before the details faded—and scrambled to her feet.

“Who are you?” she demanded.

“I am Erine, Head of Corel. Come out now, or I’ll send my men to fetch you.”

Emerahl moved to the doorway. Outside stood fourteen men, some looking up at the lighthouse, some glancing behind, and the rest watching their leader. All wore a scowl and carried some kind of rough weapon. Clearly none could see her, as they were standing in the bright morning light and she was hidden in the shadows of the lighthouse.

“So that’s what you’re calling that ring of hovels nowadays,” she said, stepping into the doorway. “Corel. A pretty name for a place founded by smugglers.”

The broad-shouldered man all but bared his teeth in anger. “Corel is our home. You’d better show some respect or we’ll—”

“Respect?” She stared up at him. “You come up here shouting and putting out orders and threats, and you expect me to show you some respect?” She took a step forward. “Get back to your village, men of Corel. You’ll get nothing from me today.”

“We don’t want any of your poisons or tricks, sorceress.” Erine’s eyes gleamed. “We want justice. You’ve meddled one time too many. You won’t make any more women in our village into sorceress bitches. We’re turning you out.”

She stared at him in surprise, then slowly began to smile.

“So you’re the father?”

His expression shifted. A moment’s fear, then anger.

“Yes. I’d kill you for what you did to my little Rinnie, but the others think that’ll bring bad luck.”