Page 98 of Spark of the Everflame

“No, Diem. When I ask the trainees to do those things, they beg me to give them another task.” Her face softened as she took my hand in hers. “You are like family to me. I want you to be happy. I want you to have a life that fulfills you. And if this isn’t it—”

“It is.”

“Diem—”

“It is, Maura. I’m happy. Really. And I’m sorry about today.” I squeezed her hand and gave what I hoped was a convincing smile.

Because Iwashappy. I had people who loved me, a profession I was good at, and a safe, comfortable future most mortals would kill for.

I was happy. Really.

Really...

* * *

“I’m herefor the card game.”

I forced my face into what must have been my twentieth sweet, innocent smile of the day. None of them had worked yet, but my string of failures had to end eventually.

The man on watch—who, just my luck, was the same brawny, obnoxious Guardian I’d tussled with the last time I stood outside this door—grunted. “No card game tonight.”

I rolled my eyes. “Do we have to do this again? You know I’m a member.Youplayed a crucial role in that, in case you’ve forgotten.”

“Oh, I haven’t forgotten.”

I looked between him and the door, tapping my foot expectantly. “So?”

He glanced around at the empty alley before leaning in closer. “Card games are for meetings. No meeting tonight.”

“Well, I had a mission today and Vanc—”

“TheFather.”

“Right. TheFatherasked me to meet him here to discuss how it went. So... let me in.” I smirked. “Please.”

He lounged back against the wall and gave me a slow, deliberate once-over. Like last time, he wore a wide-brimmed hat slung low to shadow his eyes. A grin I didn’t like the look of grew on his lips.

“Quiet night tonight,” he said.

Shit. I vaguely remembered this from my first night—some kind of coded message Henri had used to prove his membership—but I couldn’t remember the response. Henri and Brecke had been too busy teasing me over Henri’s “blood rite” prank to fill me in.

“I don’t know your cute little secret handshakes yet. I’m sure there’s something about a tree in there, and probably flames, or burning, or something with fire—”

“No code words, no entrance.”

“Oh, come on,” I groaned. “This must be a joke.”

“Do I look like a joke?”

“Have you seen the hat you’re wearing?”

His smile hardened into something colder. “You could always take off your shirt and show me your tattoo.”

“I don’t have a tattoo.”

“Maybe I’ll settle for you removing the shirt.” The gleam in his eyes was predatory but not aroused—he was toying with me, riling me up for his own amusement.

My fingers drummed against the hilts of my twin daggers. “Or I could stab you and go in anyway, hat-boy.”

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