Page 8 of Glow of the Everflame

I thought of the stunning creature I’d seen on my prior visits to the palace—the legendary beast with the head of a sea dragon, the wings and talons of an eagle, and the body of a lion. To have such an incredible animal at my beck and call...

“If you come now,” he said, “you at least come on your own terms. You can reveal only what you wish to reveal. In our world, there is no greater advantage.”

I had to admit, begrudgingly, that he had a point. And I had just been scolding myself about facing my issues head-on.

With a sigh that was almost a groan, I secured my blade belt around my waist, then slipped my feet back into my boots, wrinkling my nose at the squelch of water that had pooled inside.

I walked back into Luther’s line of sight and crossed my arms. “I presume Lily told you I was here?”

He met my gaze but didn’t respond.

I arched an eyebrow. “She was meant to return here. I won’t leave if there’s a chance a young girl will arrive to an empty lodge in the dead of night.”

His jaw tightened. “She won’t be returning.”

“So shedidbetray me,” I grumbled.

“Don’t be angry with her. She believed she was helping you.”

“Why, because you promised her you would?” I snorted. “And then you showed up waving a sword and accusing me of murder.Again.”

If I wasn’t certain he was incapable of such an emotion, I might have believed I saw a hint of guilt behind the Prince’s frozen stare.

I grabbed my things and motioned for him to put out the fire. With a flick of his wrist, a dark fog formed around the hearth and began to hiss. When the shadows dissolved, only a curl of smoke remained.

I couldn’t help it—Igawked. I’d seen the terrifying violence Descended magic could cause, but to see it tossed around so simply, so casually... I wasn’t sure I would ever get used to it.

“You could do that,” he said, noticing my awe. He nodded his head toward the smoking embers. “If the Crown chose you, the strength of your magic exceeds mine.”

“I don’t have any magic.”

“Still lying to yourself, I see.”

My glare could have incinerated him alive.

“Idon’t.”

“Impossible. And you’d be very wise not to say that to anyone at the palace.”

I rolled my eyes and brushed past him, striding outside into the crisp evening air, where a horse was fastened to a nearby tree.

One horse.

Onlyone horse.

I jerked to a halt. “Absolutely not,” I said, shaking my head. “I am not sharing a horse with you.”

“It’s only a brief ride.”

“Then I’ll walk. Actually, I’m the Crown.Youcan walk.”

“You’ve taken to authority quickly for someone who swears she doesn’t want it.”

I shot him my nastiest scowl and caught the corner of his mouth twitch upward. Was that—was he—smirkingat me?

“You couldn’t have brought two horses?”

“I didn’t expect to need more than one.”

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