The feeling of walking on her
own two feet again almost brought a smile to her face, as did the
grass beneath her bare feet and the warmth of the sun's rays as she
emerged from the cellar. In her newfound vigor, she fought back the
thoughts of escape, and anyway, she wanted to see what had become of
her subordinates. From the way Eluani spoke of them, they were still
alive...

Eluani led her around to
the front gate, and there they were: Rowley and Shattick, tied up
like potato sacks and stupidly blinking like confused animals. Sonja
had to will herself not to break away and give them both a good hard
slap. They had both freedom and magic, and still couldn't manage to
evade capture! Now they had been reduced to Sonja's own condition,
stripped and bound andability to detect him even when he was at his quietest. It
only added to how magical she was in his eyes.

But
his former guardians were out there. To hear that they were so close
by filled Magus with cold terror, and the only thing that would set
him straight was to take just one look at them in their disgrace. The
trio that had given him merry hell for the past year was now in the
custody of the Knights of the Jewel. Magus could believe that Rowley
and Shattick had been captured—after all, he had helped that
along—but Sonja Farrell had never been captured. Sonja Farrell
never submitted to anyone. Nobody could manage to apprehend Sonja
Farrell for very long. Magus couldn't believe such a wild thing just
because he had been told. He just had to