I felt pressure around my stomach, a powerful arm hooked across my ribs. Then I felt the swell of sweet Seelie magic all around me, the brilliance halo of silver and softness. My uncle was holding me against him, my back to his chest. And he was holding a knife at my throat. THE knife.

Why was I still alive?

Then my eyes focused, and I saw Sy.

He was standing free of his chains—and the chains themselves lay in broken pieces behind him, splinters of ...