The walk back from Sunrise Bluff was filled with a warm, triumphant silence. The success of the evolution hung in the air, brighter than the morning sun. Sienna walked with a new lightness in her step, the magnificent Storm Finch, Lily, perched proudly on her shoulder. Its gold-and-blue feathers shimmered with every movement.
Cade felt a deep satisfaction. He had done it. He had used his gift to change his mother's life.
Suddenly, Sienna stumbled. She put a hand to her temple, her face paling for a second. A faint, golden glow flickered around her like a halo before fading away.
"Sienna?" Zara asked, quickly moving to her side. "Are you alright?"
Raven was instantly alert, her hand going to the knife at her belt, scanning the trees for a threat.
Sienna took a deep, steadying breath. A look of profound shock and awe spread across her face. She held out her free hand, and a visible, powerful shimmer of golden energy—far stronger than her old Silver energy—crackled around her fingers for a moment before she closed her fist, containing it.
"It's... it's the feedback from Lily's evolution," she whispered, her voice full of wonder. "The energy is so strong. It's like a river rushing into me. My spirit... it's finally expanding after all these years." She closed her eyes, focusing inward to steady the violent flow of new power.
Cade watched, fascinated and a little worried. He hadn't felt anything like that when Rocky evolved.
After a long moment, Sienna opened her eyes. They seemed brighter, and she held herself with a new, subtle authority. She smiled, a true, deep smile of someone who had overcome a decades-long obstacle.
"I'm through," she announced, her voice clear and strong with joy. "I'm a Gold-rank Tamer now."
Congratulations erupted from her sisters. The twins hugged her, and Raven clapped her on the back with a proud grin. Zara beamed. "It's what you always deserved, Sienna."
Cade, however, was confused. "When Rocky evolved, I didn't feel that. I didn't have to focus like you did."
Sienna turned her bright gaze to him, her expression softening. She placed a warm hand on his shoulder. "That's because it was your first time, dear. The bond itself made you a Copper-rank Tamer. Your first evolution's energy didn't need to be refined; it was simply absorbed to lift you from nothing to something—from Copper to Bronze. You are a true Tamer now. The next time, when Rocky reaches Silver, you will feel the storm of energy. You will have to be strong enough to withstand it and make it your own, just as I did."
The explanation made perfect sense to Cade. It was like his first step had been taken for him, but now he had to learn to walk on his own.
Their happy return to the cottage was short-lived. As they approached, they saw a man standing at their gate. He was dressed in fine, sturdy clothes—a dark tunic and trousers, with a silver hawk emblem stitched on the shoulder. He was not from the village. He held himself with an air of official importance, and his eyes were cold and calculating.
The family's joyful mood evaporated, replaced by instant caution. Raven subtly moved in front of Sienna and Cade.
"Can we help you?" Sienna asked, her voice polite but firm. The new Gold-rank Tamer was gone, replaced by a protective mother.
The man's eyes swept over them, lingering for a moment on the stunning Storm Finch on Sienna's shoulder. A flicker of surprise showed in his cold eyes. He cleared his throat.
"I am Bailiff Corbin, from the office of Lord Blackwood, Baron of these lands," he said, his voice bored and official. "I am here to collect the annual Tamer's Tithe."
Cade's stomach dropped. The Tamer's Tithe. It was a tax imposed by the ruling Baron on all Tamers in his territory. It was supposed to pay for road safety and village guards. But everyone knew it was mostly just a way for the Baron to get richer.
"The tithe was paid last month," Sienna said, her tone even.
"That was the standard tithe for a household with one Silver-rank Tamer," Bailiff Corbin said, a nasty little smile playing on his lips. He pointed a finger at Lily. "But it seems your household's status has changed. A newly advanced beast means a new tax bracket. A Gold-rank Tamer owes five gold crowns per year. You owe for this year. Now."
Five gold crowns. It was an impossible sum. It was more than they could save in five years.
Sienna's face went pale. "That's... that's outrageous! We don't have that kind of money."
The bailiff's smile didn't reach his eyes. "That is the law. If you cannot pay in coin, the Baron will accept payment in kind. He would gladly take that new bird off your hands. It would cover your debt for... oh, a few years at least."
He took a step toward Sienna, his intent clear.
Before anyone else could move, Raven was there. She didn't draw her weapon. She simply stepped between the bailiff and her sister, her posture radiating a hunter's deadly stillness. Her grey eyes were like chips of flint.
"You will not touch her," Raven said, her voice low and dangerous. "You will not touch her beast. You will take your leave. Now."
The bailiff, though armed, took an involuntary step back under the intensity of her gaze. He was a bureaucrat, not a fighter. He scowled, trying to regain his authority.
"This isn't over," he spat. "You have one week. One week to bring five gold crowns to the Baron's manor. If you don't, we will return. And we will take what is owed."
He turned on his heel and strode away, leaving a cloud of fear and anger behind him.
The celebration was completely over. The reality of their situation crashed down on them. They had achieved a miracle, but that miracle had just made them a target.
Cade looked from his mother's worried face to his aunts' angry ones. The warmth of success was gone, replaced by a cold knot of determination in his stomach.
His power had gotten them into this problem. Now, his power would have to get them out.
They needed money. A lot of it. And they needed it fast.