Page 26 of Spark of the Everflame

“The girl, Lily—her arm was broken, and I needed to set it. He had the nerve to try to stop me. He acted like it washisjob.”

Maura’s chuckling abruptly stopped. “And you didn’t let him?”

“Do you know how many broken bones I’ve set, Maura? I could do it in my sleep. Blindfolded.”

“Yes, but the girl was a Descended.”

“So?”

She gave me a curious look. “So how did you set it?”

“Oh, you know, with a hammer, a rope, a shot of whiskey—”

“I’m serious, Diem.” Maura stood and walked over to me. Her face was uncharacteristically solemn. “Did another Descended help you?”

“I didn’t need help. I took care of it like any other patient. Silverworm to numb the pain, a little distraction, a sharp tug—and it’s done.” I smirked. “Just like magic.”

Her head cocked. “And you’re sure the bone set?”

“I’m trying not to be insulted, Maura.”

“It’s just...” She trailed off, frowning. “Descended bones are strong. Stronger even than iron. Mortals don’t have the strength to move them.”

That couldn’t be right. I had clearly felt the girl’s bone shift under my hands and heard the crunch as it slid into place.

“Perhaps it’s easier with the young ones,” I guessed.

Maura shook her head. “The toddler had several that needed to be set, and the first Descended I asked couldn’t even shift them. She had to call in one of the stronger males to help.”

We stared at each other for a long moment, blinking.

Maura seemed to hesitate before speaking again. “Diem... was there only a broken bone? Prince Luther said you saved his sister’s life.”

A lake of blood flashed into my vision. Colorless lips. A faded pulse. A mountain of crimson-soaked gauze. Then, seconds later, an unblemished back, perfectly smooth, no trace of a wound.

I shivered.

I busied myself at my worktable, avoiding her stare. “It was a minor wound that healed almost immediately. Who knew a prince could be so overdramatic?”

Maura loitered for a moment. Her eyes couldn’t stop trailing my arms, like she might peel back my skin to find some answer hidden beneath.

I shifted uncomfortably. “Did he say anything else? Anything about my mother?”

“There was one thing. He asked if I had known you as a child—if I’d seen you with brown eyes, before they changed. I told him I had, of course. And he asked if I knew your father.”

I held my breath. Maura was one of the few people outside of my family who knew that I was not the blood child of the Commander. “What did you say?”

Maura gave me a grave, meaningful look. “I told him everyone knows Andrei Bellator, the greatmortalwar hero.”

“So you didn’t mention...?”

“No,” she said firmly. “That’s none of my concern.” She turned back to her desk and resumed her writing, as if there was simply nothing further to be said on the subject.

We worked in silence for a bit longer until I finally worked up the courage to say the words that had been hanging on my lips all day.

“Maybe I should start taking some of the Descended work at the palace.”

Maura raised an eyebrow. “What was that you said about insufferable beasts? And now you want to dote on them?”

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