Page 110 of Glow of the Everflame

“You’ve almost got it,” she chirped, her encouraging smile getting a little lost between grimaces of pain. “Let’s try it again.”

I frowned. “Maybe I should practice with Teller. I can injure him all I want without a diplomatic crisis.”

“Thanks,” he deadpanned. “But I don’t know how to dance, either.”

I sighed and placed my hand in Lily’s, setting the other on her shoulder as hers came to rest on my hip. She flashed me her usual bright smile, and for a blink I saw a glimmer of her brother in it—that sliver of joy he’d allowed me to see before our fight last night had cast him back into the shadows. My heart gave a painful lurch.

Lily counted off, and I followed her lead as we spun around the dungeon. We made an unusual sight, Lily playing the man’s role to perfection in her fine plum-hued gown while I tripped awkwardly through the woman’s steps wearing a tunic and breeches in preparation for my first training session.

“Keep reading your notes,” I told Teller as I stepped on Lily’s feet for the hundredth time. “I need the distraction.”

Teller rifled through his stacks of papers. Their classes had been canceled for the funeral and the ball, and despite my urging to stay away, Teller had talked Lily into sneaking him in this morning to pass along the information he’d gathered.

“As I was saying—among the Twenty Houses, five hold the most power. Houses Corbois, Benette, Hanoverre, Teniers, and Amraut. If those five are in agreement, the other Houses always fall in line.”

“Have any of them been friendly toward the mortals?”

“Yes, actually—House Corbois.”

I yelped, nearly colliding with a stone pillar. “Really?”

Lily nodded proudly and chimed in. “After the Blood War, several of the Houses wanted to ban mortals, but House Corbois wanted to declare amnesty and move forward. They compromised on the laws that are in place now.”

“Which House hates mortals the most?” I asked.

“Easy—House Hanoverre.” There was an acrid snap to his voice that suggested he had personal experience with their prejudice, further confirmed by the sympathetic look Lily threw his way.

“No wonder Iléana hated me at first sight,” I muttered.

A hint of devilishness corrupted Lily’s smile. “Luther said you put Iléana in her place at dinner.”

“Oh?” I tried to look indifferent, though my feeble attempts to stay upright stole my focus. “He told you about it already?”

“He came to my room last night to hide from her. She was chasing him all over the palace, as usual.”

So Luther hadn’t left the dinner with her after all.

I stared guiltily at my feet. “Did he say anything else?”

“He said he’s never seen anyone handle themselves so well with our family before. He said you were born to be Queen.”

My knees gave out on me, my feet tangling in Lily’s skirts as I crashed to the ground. My head cracked against the hard stone, and a bolt of pain splintered down my back.

Lily gasped and kneeled at my side. “Are you hurt?”

I stared up at the ceiling and groaned. “I’ve been wasting time worrying about the Challenging. It’s theballroom dancingthat’s going to kill me.”

Teller popped up and walked over, not bothering to hide his obscene amount of joy at watching me make a fool of myself.

And what respectable older sister would let her baby brother get away withthat?

They helped me back to my feet, and I gingerly rubbed the tender spot behind my head. “I need a break. Teller, take my place and dance with Lily.”

His smugness vanished. “Me? I... No. I can’t—I don’t—”

“Lily can teach you. And I learn better from watching. Besides, if I’m coronated, you’ll have to attend all kinds of fancy balls, so you better learn your steps now.” I grinned and gently smacked a hand against his reddening cheeks.

I took his seat on the steps and held his papers in front of my face to hide my prying eyes.

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