Page 2 of Heat of the Everflame

You are not the Queen of Lumnos, the Sophos Crown had accused.You are animposter.

Before I’d been able to defend myself, my mother—the woman whose disappearance eight months ago had unlocked a coffer of secrets that forever changed my life—had emerged from the bushes, screaming my name and warning me to run.

And then everything had detonated into darkness.

“Where is she?” With my jaw still clamped, the words came out as a hiss. “Is Auralie here?”

The woman held my gaze as she slid a weapon from her side and dangled it precariously over my face. The blade was black, and it glittered under the patchy sunlight trickling through the trees.

My eyes went wide.

Godstone.Having been raised as a mortal, I knew very little about the rare material. Until visiting the Kindred’s Temple, which was made entirely of the shimmering dark rock, I wasn’t sure I’d ever even seen it.

But the one thing I did know was that the godstone’s cut was toxic, usually fatal, to those with Descended blood.

“If you know what this is,” the woman said, “then you know what I’m capable of doing to you if you get any wild ideas about trying to escape.”

The arm around my jaw loosened, and I gave a slight nod. She studied me, her stern expression reinforcing the sincerity of her threat.

“Let her go,” she said finally.

The pressure holding my body in place loosened, then disappeared. As I sat up, a ring of burly men scurried backward in a rush to get away. The woman remained at my side, though she took a wide step back and kept her blade tilted toward my chest.

I looked around. I was in some kind of forest, though these trees were not the familiar oak and pine of Lumnos. The thick trunks were as wide as a horse, covered in ropey vines, and stretched mile-high into the sky. Lush ferns and rainbow-hued flowers dotted the landscape.

This was nothing like the tall grass and wild-grown brush I’d seen on the island of Coeurîle. This looked more like Emarion’s mainland—one of the southernmost realms, judging by the verdant vegetation.

A crowd stood in a circle around me with weapons drawn. Though a few other blades were also carved from godstone, most were forged from the telltale dark grey metal of Fortosian steel, which—unlike most mortal weapons—would slice easily through my fortified Descended skin.

Their expressions ranged from curiosity to wariness to outright hatred, but they all shared one common trait: brown eyes.

Mortal eyes.

The woman lowered her blade slightly. “My name is Cordellia. I’m the leader of our group.”

“I’m Diem Bellator,” I said. “I wish I could say it’s nice to meet you, but I presume I’m not exactly an honored guest.”

She shook her head. “Your presence here is notwelcome,nor are you aguest.”

My defensive instincts kicked in. I assessed the threats around me as my father had trained me to do. The reminder of him had a stab of grief needling at my heart, his recent murder still too fresh, but I quickly locked it away. I’d already learned how despair could consume me, if allowed to fester. I could not afford to make the same mistake twice.

There were at least forty mortals gathered around me, all armed. The faint sound of voices suggested more were nearby, and whispers drew my eyes to archers tucked high into the trees.

I had no weapons of my own. I tried to pull magic to my palms, but the effort was futile. My chest had hollowed out and my emotions had dulled to a blunt edge, signs that the flameroot had already taken effect.

I was trapped—and unnervingly vulnerable.

“Where is Auralie?” I asked again.

Cordellia’s features pinched. “She’s unavailable.” I couldn’t tell if the disapproval radiating from her expression was meant for me or my mother.

“I have no desire to hurt you,” I said truthfully. “I’m not like the other Crowns. If I can just speak with Auralie, she’ll explain. She’s my—”

“Your mother. We know. That’s why you’re still alive.”

Even with the flameroot dampening my emotions, my blood chilled.

I chose my next words carefully. “You must be close friends. My mother would not share the details of the flameroot if she did not trust you.”

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