For some girls, age eighteen is the magical age of freedom and independence. For Aerys, turning eighteen means an arranged marriage to a man she's never met before, leaving the only home she's ever known, and accidentally discovering things she never knew about the world, about her family, and about herself, things that have been lurking beneath the surface all along. However, each new discovery brings new questions with it, and the answers could lead in some very dangerous directions. She and her fiancé, Dmitri, must decide whether or not to find the answers to these questions and what to do with the knowledge they gain. To change the game instead of living by others' rules, they must look beyond what they see.

Look Beyond What You See

Thunder crashes over my head and rain and wind buffet me as I stand on the roof of the mansion, still wearing my fancy turquoise and gold gown from the evening s festivities. Much as I like this dress--much as my fiancé seemed to like this dress--I don t really care what happens to it. Right now I m enjoying being in the middle of a real storm (as opposed to one created by elementals), letting the wind and rain wash away all my stress from this evening.

That s not to say that things went badly this evening. Actually, I d be hard pressed to find a better way for everything to have worked out. Well....

"Are you sure that last idea s out of the question, Torcuil?" I asked my fiancé s favorite relative in an alcove near the kitchen.

Chapter 60 Learn to Love Again