Page 82 of Spark of the Everflame

“Really?” My eyebrows lifted. “You said only ‘someone that matters’ can make that call. But when I do finally speak with the Father—”Whoever the hell that is, I thought flatly. “—I’ll be sure to ask him if he got your permission first.”

A moment later, the door swung open. A group of three men strode into the alley and formed a semi-circle around me, Henri following close behind. The air was so rich with violent energy, my hands flexed with an urge to fly to my weapons.

The man who’d positioned himself directly in front of me stepped forward. He was older, near my father’s age, skin rough and marked with the scars and wrinkles of a hard-worn life. Something about him was distantly familiar, though I couldn’t place his face in my memory.

“You’re the healer that went into House Benette?” he asked.

“I am.”

“And you were able to get documents from Evrim Benette’s office?”

“Only a few.”

“Show me.”

I shot a glance at Henri, who nodded and gestured to my satchel. I pulled out the documents and, hesitating for a heartbeat, held my breath as I handed them over.

The three men huddled close, mumbling comments too quiet to hear. I watched the other two men react with shock, their lips parting and nostrils flaring wide, but the man who had initially addressed me gave no reaction.

Again, my insecurity surfaced. I hated,despised, that I so deeply needed the approval of these men. I’d grown accustomed to the confidence that my proficiency as a healer had earned me, the sureness of self that came with being an expert in my field and experienced beyond my years.

But here, I was nothing and no one, a woman they did not know raised by a man they did not trust. To these three strangers, my only worth lay in the scraps of paper in their hands—and if that wasn’t enough to impress them, my time as a Guardian could be over before it began.

The longer their whispered deliberations stretched on, the higher my anxiety rose, and I found myself rambling before I could stop the words from coming out. “The names—they were from his customer ledger, I think. It was a large book, but those were the most recent entries.”

The man in the center glanced at me, then back down. “Is this all?”

I stiffened. “I... I also overheard a discussion. I’m not sure who it was with, but they were discussing shipments and purchases from other realms. And research—something about explosives.”

All three men stilled at that.

“Tell me,” he demanded. “I want to hear everything—every detail, no matter how small.”

I recounted all that had happened and all that I’d seen and heard, leaving out only the details of the two children I’d met and the things they’d shared. Though I’d already betrayed my healer’s vow, there were some boundaries too sacred to cross—even for me.

When I finished, the man folded up my documents and handed them to the others. He crossed his arms over his chest and gave me a long, indecipherable stare. “Did anyone there recognize you?”

“No.”

“And no one saw you go in or out of his office?”

I shook my head.

One of the men turned toward him. “You can’t really be considering letting her in. Do you realize who she is?”

He continued to watch me, his dark eyes drilling into my own. “I know exactly who she is.”

“Then you know why she’s off-limits.”

He narrowed his gaze. “How old are you, girl?”

“Twenty.”

“An adult, then. Capable of making your own choices and deciding for yourself where your loyalties lie.”

It didn’t feel like a question, but I nodded nonetheless. “I know what you’re fighting for. And I know the risks. I’m not afraid. I want to help.”

Something tingled against my skin. A chill from the evening cold, perhaps, or my conscience warning me of the dangerous line I was about to cross. Or...

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