Page 112 of Spark of the Everflame

Oh gods,Lily.

Bile rose in my throat. I clamped my hand over my mouth and forced a long inhale of air through my nose.

One of the trainees clutched my arm and jerked me from my dark thoughts. “Diem, what do we do? Should we go with you?”

“Stay here in case someone in town needs help,” I ordered. “If any of the others come, send them to Lumnos City. Tell them to go to the explosion and come find me.”

Without waiting for their response, I hauled my overloaded bag across my shoulder and darted out the door. The second my boots hit the soil, I ran.

I ran, and I ran, and I ran.

* * *

The wind whippedthrough my hair as I sprinted down the long road connecting the mortal and Descended cities.

My thighs burned with the effort, my lungs going tight with a need for air, but I didn’t dare slow even for a second. The same two thoughts blared through my mind again and again, a relentless metronome keeping time with my pounding steps.

I did this.

This is my fault.

I did this.

This is my fault.

The longer I ran, the taller the flames grew and the hazier the smoke-filled air became. If I stopped, maybe I could tell whether the column of fire was coming from the palace or the city beyond, but my body refused to slow its pace.

Ahead, a line of six figures walked toward me towing two large carts. The figures were masculine, wide-shouldered, and strong. Any other night, my instincts would have warned me to hide in the trees and let them pass. A woman alone on a dark path with a group of strange men rarely ended well.

But tonight, my own safety was the furthest thing from my mind. Other than a slight shift in my path to take me around their left flank, I barely regarded the men as they came into sight.

“Diem?”

It took me a moment to register.

The voice was familiar—veryfamiliar.

But I couldn’t stop, couldn’t slow down, not even for—

“Diem? Stop running, it’s me!”

One of the men jogged forward and into my path. Under the thick darkness of the waxing moon, I couldn’t make out the details of his face. But that voice...

“Can’t stop,” I forced out through wheezing breaths. “Please—move!”

“Diem—it’s me, Henri.”

My steps faltered, then slowed, but I didn’t stop. Couldn’t. I had to keep going, get to the fire, help them—

Henri reached out and seized my arms, hauling me to a stop against my will. “What are you doing out here?”

I pointed a trembling hand toward the distant inferno. “Explosion. Fire. Going to help.” My chest shuddered as I gasped for air.

He gave me a strange look, then glanced over his shoulder at the group assembled behind him, their faces still shrouded by the darkness.

Henri’s hands felt too heavy on my shoulders. His voice dropped low. “Diem, go home. Don’t worry about the fire.”

“You don’t understand. There might be people hurt. I need to go—”

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