It was much too early in the morning, sun barely over the horizon ? the light hadn?t even made it past the buildings to reach the street yet. Pounding at the front door woke Kacey from her light and restless sleep. She stared at the ceiling through the tangle of hair over her face, trying to figure out what had woken her. A repeat of the banging at the door solved the minor mystery.

?Wha? who on earth? At this time of the morning?? It was a whisper as she eased out of the bed, trying not to disturb Davarin. He mumbled something into the pillow and turned over, but seemed to still be sleeping. Blearily Kacey yanked on the nearest pair of pants to hand ? the pair with the leg the little black hatchling, Seleste, had torn and burnt. She hadn?t gotten around to patching the damage yet.

So when Kacey answered the door, she was still less than half-awake. Her hair was a tangled mess half-covering her face, her shirt was actually one of Davarin?s she had stolen to sleep in ? which meant it hung to her thighs and inches over her hands ? and her pants were torn almost apart in one leg with abundant scorch marks. And she was barefoot, scuffing through sawdust. Not the image a person might want to present to suspicious Town Guard.

Unfortunately, that was who was pounding at the door. A squad, four men. Four large, angry-looking men. Kacey barely had time to blink and stutter out a confused, ?Hello?? before the squad leader spoke, ignoring her greeting.

?Kacilla Eve Lynne, carpenter, late a sergeant in Grave?s Wolves?? His rumbling voice made it more a statement than a question, with barely an upward rise in tone. She nodded anyway, more confused than before. She had never in RhyDin mentioned her middle name, nor the name of their company ? had Davarin? Kacey didn?t have time to wonder for long as the squad leader continued.

?Kacilla Eve Lynne, you are bound by law. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to have an attorney present during questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you have any questions about your rights?? There was grim, self-righteous satisfaction in the squad leader?s voice.

Kacey just stared at the man, stunned. Her mind was a blank, and then after several moments, racing with thoughts and questions that went in circles. She blurted out the first that came to mind. ?Bound by law? For what?? She didn?t think to shut the door, nor even less to resist, so when the large hand reached out and took her wrist she staggered out onto the cold cobblestones.

Bare feet protested the feel of melting snow and ice-cold stone. Kacey was too distracted to pay much attention to that, yet. The squad leader?s look of satisfaction turned into one of vicious anger as he answered her. ?For the murders of Justin and Allyna Talren, Tomas, Alice, Ryan and Beth Bever, Margi Kale, Ranald Edmondson, and Chad Venne.? The man?s voice dropped to a hiss as his hand wrenched her wrist behind her back, as he spun her around and caught her other forearm. ?Did you honestly think we wouldn?t catch you??

Breath escaped Kacey with a rush, only to be drawn back in by a gasp. Steel snicked closed over her wrists, behind her back. The white-gold bracelet around her left wrist was pushed up out of the way, and dug into her skin. She would be left with bruises from the guard?s rough hands, but more from the knee in her back when she abruptly began to struggle. Her voice lifted in protest. ?You?re mad! I didn?t ? I would never,? and then the words were cut off by one of the other guards, who backhanded her casually across the jaw ? it was enough to send her staggering.

Resisting arrest. She didn?t even have time to shout back into the shop, to try and wake Davarin. When the squad finally lifted her by her elbows, she was scarcely able to walk. Bare feet stumbled down the icy cobblestones, more than half-carried by her ?escort?, as they took her to the nearest holding house.

The workshop door hung open.

Lydia had left only a short time before, the guards grumbling and looking at her suspiciously. One of them had glared into the cell and scowled to see Kacey with the gloves and scarf. The cookies were set aside neatly, for a time when the ache in her jaw had eased. Kacey looked back at the guard with a level stare through her one good eye. The visit had done much to restore her spirits, to yank her back from blank bewilderment. After a moment the guard muttered something inaudible and moved away from the barred window.

It was an odd feeling, locked in this cell. Not the first time Kacey had spent time in a jail cell, but that was usually after a bar fight or a drunken night, waiting for the company sergeant to come and bail her out ? and usually half the company, as well. Grave?s Wolves were a tight-knit group, and if one got into a brawl, the others would be just as fast to defend. This felt different. She was alone, and the guards had even ensured that there were no others held in the neighboring cells. And this was an accusation for a much worse crime than a bar brawl.

Kacey rubbed absently at her left wrist, the raw place where handcuff had rubbed over bracelet and torn the skin. It felt strange to be without that bracelet again. Putting it back on had felt so natural. The guards had taken it when the magic-sniffer reacted to the white-gold band. She had protested, indignant, ?It?s just a charm, just to keep from getting pregnant,? and somehow a flush had stained her cheeks past the bruises.

The guards laughed. ?Not much chance you?ll be needing that here, then. Nor after they stretch your neck. Not long to get such an open and shut case through the judges.? Flash of fear had shone in her eyes, and they had laughed again. The last she saw of the bracelet, one of the guardsmen was pocketing it. No doubt it would soon grace his girl?s wrist and she would never know of its ?side benefit?.

Now she thumped her head back against the wall, welcoming the little jolt of pain. It was a distraction, a way to keep her mind from going in aimless circles. The bed was narrow and hard, but she was curled up on it to keep bare feet from the cold floor. Nothing to do now but wait and hope.

The yell, in a voice she would recognize anywhere, brought startled recognition to Kacey?s eyes, and some relief to her features. After that was a few minutes of muffled speech ? she could only assume they were performing the usual search ? and then the door to her cell opened again. Davarin was there, framed in the light, until the guards closed the door behind him. Dimness returned to the small room.

Lopsided smile was unchanged by the bruises on her face, and his amused grin and light tone let her laugh quietly. The stabbing pain that caused to her cracked ribs cut the laugh short. ?Just like. I keep expecting to hear the Sergeant yelling at us.? She eased off the bed and padded close to him, noiseless on bare feet. Every motion was stiff, slow.

It took a few moments before she found any other words, but then they poured out, quick and low and urgent. ?Dav, they?re saying I killed the Bevers, the other families that were caught in that fire. My screwdriver ? I must have dropped it out of the toolbox that morning. It?s got my mark on it, on the handle. That?s how they tracked it back to me. Then ? witnesses. They say they have witnesses. I don?t know what they?re talking about.?

The rush of words came on one breath, and she inhaled shakily before she continued. Her words came more steadily, but that only let her fear shine through. ?They?re talking as if I?ve already been tried and condemned. As if all they have to do is wait for the executioner. We need to fight this. And I can?t do anything about it from in here. Dav? Find out if they?ll let me out on bail?? Despite the words that urged an action, her hands reached out towards him, tentative and slow.

She wanted to cling to him ? she was afraid he would doubt, that he would believe the accusations. The conflict held her still, with her hands suspended in the air, inches from his chest. The eye not swollen shut was fixed on his face, searching his expression. She didn?t know what she was searching for.

The muffled sound of voices was followed by a yell that brought a perplexed look to Kacey?s face. She pulled Davarin?s jacket a bit tighter, the faint scent of him still on it a comfort. A knot of tension had been released when he took her into his arms, with the silent reassurance that he believed her. The re-opening of the cell door came as a surprise, but delight was quelled by the fiercely angry look the guard gave her as he gestured for her to step out.

She edged by the guard, who was not above shoving her in the back as she emerged, causing her to stumble in the hallway. Kacey straightened her back as she recovered her balance, and walked on down to the front desk with all the pride she could manage. The slow pace forced by her injuries assisted with the illusion. The man behind the desk stared at her as she held out her hand, palm up.

?My bracelet. I want it back.? Her voice was cool, remote, as if she weren?t bruised, battered and bedraggled. The man paled, then flushed and glared at her. Apparently Davarin?s push had been all that the man would stand for. The officer stood and leaned forward across the desk, putting his face inches from Kacey?s.

The guard?s voice was a hiss. ?Ye may think ye?ve gotten away, but ye haven?t, not by a long shot. Just because yer lover,? the man spat the word with disgust, ?comes in here and throws threats around to get ye temporarily released doesn?t mean ye get ta make demands. The bracelet?s yer bail, ye murdering witch.?

Kacey?s lips thinned, tightened, as she bit back words that would probably have sent her back into the jail cell. The firm grip of Davarin?s hands on her shoulders aided in that restraint, especially as she could feel his fingers tightening at the officer?s words. After a moment she found her voice, and it was only slightly less cool than before. ?Then I?ll be able to claim it when I?m proved innocent.?

No further word, she just turned on her bare heel and walked for the door. The warmth of Davarin?s coat was around her shoulders, and his arm was loosely around her waist in support. It was just as well that the guards couldn?t see her shaking, nor feel the growing unsteadiness of her gait.