Page 29 of Spark of the Everflame

Henri hated the Descended more than anyone I knew, and for good reason.

When Henri was an infant, his mother had fallen ill with a rare disease treatable only by an herb native to Montios. Since mortals were forbidden, his father had requested permission to visit the reclusive mountain realm. He’d even risked his position as royal courier to beg the King for diplomatic assistance.

The request was denied without explanation, leaving Henri’s mother to a preventable death and Henri’s hatred forever engraved on his bones.

How could I tell him that Auralie, who had been like his surrogate mother, had signed away her life to those monsters?

How could I tell him she’d likely gone missing to do the King’s bidding, or perhaps Prince Luther had killed her to keep his secret safe, or perhaps she’d fled to avoid the bargain, leaving me to take her place?

I wasn’t even sure which outcome to hope for.

“Your mother is going to come home, D. I know she will.”

I forced a grateful smile, but my heart wasn’t in it.

If she did come home—what then? Be a lifelong slave to the Crown? Be executed for evading the agreement? If shewasalive, she might be better off staying out of Lumnos for good.

No, I definitely couldn’t tell him that.

Henri brought his horse up beside mine and reached over, taking my hand. “I can’t explain it, but... I just know it. I know she’s alive and safe and she’ll be back. I’ve prayed to the Old Gods, and they told me to have faith.”

I glanced nervously over my shoulder at his forbidden mention of the Old Gods. “Be careful Henri, if someone overhears you—”

“Really?” He gave me a sidelong grin. “This, from the girl who’s broken every law in Lumnos?”

“Not every law.” A smirk broke through at last. “Only the fun ones.”

“Blaspheming our conquering invaders isn’t fun enough for you?”

“Not fun enough to be worth execution. And keep your voice down, will you?”

“I seem to recall you thinking it was worth it when we made certainimprovementsto that statue of Lumnos they put up near the market.”

I chuckled at the reminder. At thirteen, we’d snuck out in the dead of night to consecrate an effigy of the realm’s patron goddess in the absurd way only two irreverent teenagers could manage.

“What can I say?” I drawled. “The moustache we painted really brought out her eyes.”

Henri dropped his head back and roared with laughter, and my lips curved higher. It had been so long since the two of us had had such a carefree moment.

“You’re a menace, Bellator.”

“Wasa menace. Now I’m a professional, serious adult.”

“Oh, you’re still a menace. Don’t think I haven’t heard all about the trouble you caused at the palace yesterday.”

My smile vanished instantly. I pulled my hand back and settled it on the pommel of my saddle. “What did you hear?”

“If the rumors are to be believed—and we know town rumors are never wrong,” he quipped with a wink, “a royal princess keeled over dead, and you resurrected her with herbs and a handful of bandages.”

A knot twisted in my stomach. “She lost a little blood and got lightheaded. It wasn’t that serious.”

Another lie, but this time I had no good excuse. My palms throbbed at the memory of the strange, tingling light.

“Really? The Descended seemed to think it was serious.”

My head snapped in his direction. “Who said that?”

“That’s just the rumor.” He shot me a curious look. “Why were you at the palace? I thought all things Descended were off-limits.”

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