Page 11 of Glow of the Everflame

I took another step forward, my hands cradling her massive jaw as she towered above me. My fingers skimmed over her dark scales, down her long, spike-tipped neck, until they faded into the fur-coated steel of her powerful body. Her dense muscles twitched under my touch.

As if in response, she nudged her head against my hip, tucking me in close at her side. She turned her stare toward Luther and the guards with a deep, rumbling growl.

A warning, to any of them foolish enough to threaten her Queen.

“Incredible,” I laughed breathily, unable to keep the grin off my face. “You are...extraordinary.”

I felt the fierceness of her devotion to me, earned only by the Crown atop my head. I wondered how deep her loyalty might run. Would she defend me from the entirety of the Descended? From the other Crowns—from their own gryverns?

Would she do even more—would she go to war to defend the mortals, if I asked?

She must have been able to sense my thoughts as readily as I could sense hers. She threw a razor-sharp talon into the air with a piercing cry.Yes, she would defend.Yes, she would attack. I need only call, and Sorae would answer.

I shivered at the sobering reality.

I glanced at Luther, surprised to see a look of curious wonder on his face. He had grown up with the gryvern at his uncle’s side, and he’d once spoken of her like a quirky pet. It must be strange for him to see her cleave so quickly to the next monarch.

Perhaps he was wishing he’d killed me at the lodge, when I was easier prey. With Sorae as my guardian, ending my life had just become a far trickier task.

She snorted in response.

I smiled and stroked her chin, then turned to the palace. I strolled toward the entrance with my chin high, eyes fixed on the crowd of silhouettes tracking my every move. Luther fell into step a pace behind as he trailed me into the foyer.

The guards who had once assaulted me for daring to wear weapons in the palace now gave me a wide berth. They avoided my eyes as they beat their fists against their chests in formal salute.

I made my way deep into the chamber before I was forced to admit I had nowhere to go. Luther had asked me to come, and I’d relented. Now what?

I spun to face him, hands perched on my hips. “Well, I’m here,” I said plainly.

A hint of amusement warmed his typically cold stare. “That was quite an entrance.”

I smirked. “I think Sorae and I are going to be great friends.”

“Be careful there. Gryverns are loyal to their Crown, but they can act of their own will. If you fear someone, or even dislike them strongly, she might take their life in an effort to please you.”

I sauntered up to him and leaned in close. “Sounds like I’m not the one that should be careful.”

His eyes sparked at my threat. “I asked Lily to gather the family upstairs. I presumed you’d rather meet them all at once, but if you’d prefer to spend the next few days making private introductions...”

I’d rather sink to the bottom of the Sacred Sea than do either of those things. “A single introduction is fine.”

He nodded, then hesitated as he looked me over. “This meeting is very important, for both you and my family. If you wish, I can tell them we will reconvene tomorrow, and I can offer you my counsel on how to proc—”

“Your counsel is unnecessary.”

His jaw tightened. “Very well, but perhaps some sleep and a change of cl—”

“I’m fine,” I snapped.

I knew I was being rash. If anyone in the nine realms could properly advise me, it was Luther. This was his family, and he’d surely spent years planning the maneuvers a new Crown would need to take.

But I couldn’t trust him.

Not with this, not with anything.

“As you wish,” he said coolly. “Follow me.”

We walked in silence through the palace until we came to an arched doorway. The massive oak doors were carved in Sorae’s image, depicting the gryvern’s elegant body twisting and turning across the ripples of wood. Her talons and wings were outstretched, fangs bared as her mouth opened in a silent roar.

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