Page 108 of Spark of the Everflame

Father turned his grin on me. “Did that boy finally pull his head out of his ass and ask you to court him?”

“Oh, he asked her a lot more than that,” Teller said.

Father’s eyes went wide.

I dragged a hand over my face and slumped down into my chair. I couldn’t even be mad at Teller. I’d earned this one.

“Diem Bellator.” A hint of the Commander slipped into Father’s voice. “Look at me right now.”

I groaned but relented, my hand dropping from my face.

“Did the Albanon boy propose to you?”

I nodded.

“And did you say yes?”

I hesitated, then shook my head.

His eyes narrowed slightly, as if my response hadn’t surprised him, but interested him.

“You said no?”

“She hasn’t answered him,” Teller said. “And it’s been three weeks.”

“I told him it’s a big decision, and I need some time to think it over. And Henriagreed,” I added, flinging a piece of food across the table at my brother.

Father watched me carefully, his fingertips drumming on the tabletop. I chewed on my lip and became immensely fascinated with one of the many scratches that formed a dull patina over our old, worn dining table.

He took off his glasses, then pushed his chair out and shuffled to a nearby cabinet. He grabbed a bulbous bottle filled with an amber-colored liquid and three small tumblers, then returned to the table. Without a word, he filled two of the glasses, sliding one to me, then added the barest splash to the third before setting it in front of an annoyed-looking Teller.

“Alright, let’s hear it,” he ordered.

I took a slow, deliberate sip and savored the warmth that spread down my throat. I briefly debated whether I could stall long enough for Father to lose interest—or get too drunk to remember this conversation.

“Let’s hear what?” I asked.

“Whatever reason you’ve got for making that boy suffer waiting for an answer.”

My eyebrows lifted. “You don’t think I should take my time making this decision?”

“Of course I do. But you two have been inseparable for years. If there’s anyone you should already know if you want to marry, it’s him.”

I chipped away at the gash in the table, scraping flecks of wood away with my nail. Across from me, Teller gulped his drink in a single swallow and immediately erupted into a fit of coughs. When I opened my mouth to tease him, Father cleared his throat, pulling my attention back. One look at his expression had my lips snapping closed.

I swirled the liquor in my glass and took another measured sip, hoping for some liquid courage.

“How did you know?” I asked. “When you met Mother... how did you know she was the one?”

He studied me for a moment, then reached forward and picked up the decanter, refilling my glass. “You’re not going to like the answer.”

“You hadn’t known her for very long, right?” Teller said. “She told me you had only been courting for a month when you were married.”

A gentle smile curved his lips. “I’d knownofher long before we courted. Auralie was well respected in the army, and I often heard of her being invited on important missions. People spoke highly of her bravery and intelligence. Even the Descended were impressed by her.”

Though I was unsurprised to hear that my formidable mother had captivated everyone she met, it struck me as odd that anyone would notice these qualities in a healer, even one in the Emarion Army. I’d always imagined that healers only came in when the glory of battle had faded and only the harsh reality of bloodshed was left behind.

“I had only met her a few times. I thought she was beautiful, of course—the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on. But she had this presence...” His eyes went glassy, lost in the memory. “Even in the army, surrounded by soldiers with dangerous weapons and even more dangerous egos, she commanded every room she walked into. She’s a force of nature, my Auralie.”

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