Catherine Adelbrand

Daughter of Émile Adelbrand, wife of Lucius Stoneheart, and mother of Jean, Charlie, and Lucie. She passed the Adelbrand gift for lightning—and its excess—to Lucie, along with a pale blue pendant that sparks in her hand and answers only to her.

Catherine was visiting the Alois when her father tried to destroy their tower. Émile had survived Gérard Alois's ambush and torn off his arm. When Lucius warned that Catherine was inside, Émile offered him her sister instead: she looks a great deal like her. Lucius closed a Destruction Sphere around him. The council called it suicide.

Two days later, Catherine confronted Lucius. Her lightning could not pierce his barrier, and she refused his offer to share the memory of her father's attack. Instead, she turned the spell on herself. Lucius dropped his barrier for the first time and reached her only in time to catch her.

His absolute defense could stop her magic, but not her death.

Their children were told that a complex spell had turned against her. Perennus Albion told Jean the truth; Jean told Charlie, and Lucius denied it.