Page 106 of Spark of the Everflame

The fond familiarity with which she talked about Luther and the King set me off-kilter. I’d spent so long thinking of these people as mere figureheads. The Prince, heir to the Crown. The King, ruler of the realm. It was strange to think of them as family—cousins, uncles, siblings—and as people who loved each other and fussed over each other’s safety. It made them feel human in a way that made me deeply uncomfortable.

“Anyway, I know Luther wasn’t nice to youthen, but heisnice. No one ever believes me when I say that. He’s just misunderstood, you know?” Her smile faltered, her features hardening with a sisterly protectiveness I recognized all too well. “Everyone’s always trying to use him to get to the Crown, or they’re trying to win him over because he’s going to be King someday. He can’t trust anyone.” Her head tilted again, her expression going thoughtful. “I think he trusts you, though.”

I snorted. “I’m quite positive you’re mistaken about that.”

“No, really. I think he trusts you because you were mean to him. No one’s ever mean tohim.” Her eyes twinkled. “I think he kind of liked it.”

“I wasn’t... I don’t think I was mean.Hewas mean. I was just doing my job.” I paused and shook my head. “Wait, what do you mean he likedit?”

“Would you like to come have dinner with us at the palace sometime?”

I blinked at her.

“Maybe you could even, um, bring Teller. You know, just the four of us.” Her smile was dazzlingly hopeful and painfully innocent.

Then the realization hit me. She must know Luther disapproved of her relationship with Teller—her brother had surely ignored my advice to leave it be. Perhaps she thought if she could engineer a forced friendship between Luther and me, he might be less inclined to interfere.

It was a sweet thought. An absurd, impossible thought, but a sweet one.

I started to turn her down, but the optimism in her eyes was so utterly guileless I couldn’t bring myself to break her heart.

I reached forward and took her hand. She startled a little at my touch, but her fingers immediately closed around my own.

“That’s very kind of you to offer, Lily. I’ll, um... I’ll think about it.”

Her expression fell.

“But you’re welcome to come to our home any time,” I added quickly. “It’s no royal palace, but we’ve always got room for one more at dinner.” I gave her hand a light squeeze. “And there will be no judgment or gossip about anything that happens there. That much, I can promise.”

Not entirely true. If Father knew Teller was getting friendly with a Descended princess, he would certainly have judgment—some verystrongly wordedjudgment—but I also knew he would never express those thoughts in front of Lily. He would treat her with kindness and acceptance while she was in our home, which was surely more than Teller would get from anyone in that wretched palace.

She beamed, mollified by my offer. “Really? You wouldn’t mind?”

“Of course not. A friend of one Bellator is a friend of us all.”

She grabbed my other hand and clutched them both to her chest with an excited hop. “That would be wonderful. I would love to. And maybe... maybe you could teach me about being a healer. I mean, if you want to. If you’re allowed to.”

“You want to be a healer?”

“Blessed Kindred, no,” she rushed out, sounding almost frightened at the thought. “I couldn’t, of course. Not that there’s anything wrong with it—healers are incredible. Helping people like that, it’s so... so...” She sighed. “It’s just that my family wouldn’t allow it. We’re not, um, allowed to work, that is. Outside of the palace or the Royal Guard, I mean.”

Not allowed to work.

I nearly snorted.

“But I’d still like to learn about it. If... if that’s alright with you. It would be nice to know a few things, you know, in case I have children someday.”

The glimmer of pain in her eyes wounded my heart. I knew the words that went unsaid—children with someone other than my brother. Children that wouldn’t be doomed to a death sentence for their mixed heritage.

I squeezed her hands with a smile. “I would be happy to teach you, Lily. Come by any time.”

Luther might actually, finally kill me for it, but that never stopped me before.

ChapterTwenty-Three

“So, Teller... I saw Lily today.”

Teller’s fork froze in his mouth as his face went sheet-white.

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