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a low murmur. A servant in red robes
screamed, turned on her heels, and ran in the opposite direction.
Cailen stood beside me, energy crackling off of him.
    The soldier looked down in
wide-eyed horror as a dark stain grew on his pants.
    "If you ever say that word
again," Cailen said with steady coolness that made me shiver, "I'll
take you on a different trip." The walls glowed blue and green as
he extended his wings. No one could miss the point, especially not
the boy pressed against the ceiling. He nodded and blubbered
something unintelligible.
    No one moved, no one made
a sound, but I watched the spectators' faces. Each one slowly
morphed from terror to challenge to rage and anywhere in between.
With the room hushed, the only sound came from the projections on
the walls with the kind-eyed, soft spoken Emperor urging us to love
one another and work together. How ironic. To the civilians, he
suggested--for the millionth time--to visit the Information Viewing
Rooms to pass the lull. His admonition and advice continued in a
loop as we all stood there, the tension growing thick.
    "Put him down," a voice
like thunder boomed.
    I'd been so busy watching
everyone else, wondering at what point Cailen and I would have to
fight our way out, that I hadn't even noticed Lastrini come up to
us. But the moment I heard his thick, slurred accent, my gaze
whipped around and up to face the giant. Sweat licked my palms as
my heart beat overtime. Even though I knew in the back of my mind
size didn't matter when it came to Auri, I always felt more than a
little apprehensive around a man who towered so high above me I
only reached his waist.
    Cailen stared hard and
cold into Lastrini's eyes. I felt the electricity surge within him,
sparking over to me. The boy on the ceiling came down slowly,
whimpering. Cailen placed him back gently on his feet. Somehow I
knew this was a show of power. He could have let the soldier fall
and probably break his nose, but that boy didn't matter anymore.
Lastrini needed to see how much control Cailen really
had.
    I couldn't help the smile
that spread across my face right then. My chest tingled all over in
pride. And I really wanted to make my own display.
    Lastrini's jaw tightened,
his eyes narrowed. Without taking his eyes off us, he said, "Get
back to your duties, soldiers."
    They obeyed without
question or pause and the corridor filled again as if nothing had
happened. I watched as the boy from the ceiling rejoined his
friends and after a few pats on the back, his arrogance came back
like he hadn't just peed himself. He turned his head to look at me,
his lips curled up into a sick little smirk. I knew I'd see him
again. I almost welcomed it.
    "Attack my people again
and I will no longer be lenient with you." Once again, Lastrini's
thick slur pulled me out of my oh-so-wonderful fantasies. They
involved lights. Lots and lots of little lights doing exactly what
I told them to do.
    "Get off it, Lastrini."
Cailen's voice cut like windblown ice. "Your people should learn
decency." He smiled. "Or at least how to fight back."
    "Speaking of decency," the
giant said. "A squad of Mosandarians reported having seen a very
angry, erratic, little Auri girl. Above ground. Not in The
Block."
    I cringed. I hadn't even
thought of them. Even after Cailen's very cool display of his
abilities by making us invisible we still got caught. Because of
me.
    "What's so indecent about
that?" A breeze blew past the Commander's uniform, catching the end
of his shirt. "You know who we are," Cailen said. "You also know we
can transport anywhere without your knowledge, or your
permission."
    I nodded, but my insides
twisted. Cailen knew I'd never transport again. Not after what'd
happened when I blew up Kalhandthar's star. My wings ached as I
relived the ripping and tearing, the lack of air, the
darkness.
    No. Never
again.
    But Lastrini didn't need
to know that.
    Far from being amused,
Lastrini's whole demeanor darkened and pulled taut. Out of