Page 231 of Heat of the Everflame

Our eyes met and we shared a smile, and my love for him felt as wide and deep as the Sacred Sea.

“Do you see how loved you are?” I asked. “Look at everyone who gathered at your side today. All those people who wouldhave been crushed by your loss. You mean so much to so many people.”

He tucked my hair back as his expression turned thoughtful. “It was you who brought us all together. With your support, Eleanor has become a true leader. She kept me sane while you were gone. She always stayed positive and reminded us you were too much of a fighter not to survive. She’s more confident than I’ve ever seen her. Alixe, too—you saw in her immediately what I should have seen years ago. And my sister, standing up to Father about her betrothal and showing interest in becoming a healer. She would never have done that without your encouragement. Even Taran... if you can believe it, he’s drinking less than he ever has.”

I blinked. “He used to drinkmore?”

Luther smiled ruefully. “He used to say his only days well-spent were the days he was too drunk to remember. Serving you is the first time I’ve ever seen him take his role seriously.”

His eyes dropped to the pendant at my neck. He took it in his hand, flipping it back and forth between the side marked by a phoenix, the House Corbois sigil, and the side with the Bellator initial he’d added just for me.

“You gave us something to believe in, a reason to feel like we’re not in this alone,” he said, “We were always related—but you made us family.”

Tears filled my eyes. He wrapped me in his arms, and we kissed until our lips were swollen and our hearts were full. We confessed our fears for what was to come, murmured between words of endearment and vows of loyalty. We reveled in our tiny pocket of peace, all the while knowing how brief it might be.

After hours of kissing and laughter and apologies, our eyes and words grew too heavy to hold. With my head on his chest and my hand on his heart, we fell together into sleep.

Until now, the war had been chasing us, pulling us into its battles unwilling. Tomorrow, we would finally fight back.

Tomorrow,ourwar would begin.

Part Three

Chapter

Forty-Six

“It’s good to have you home again,” Eleanor said as we walked through the palace.

“It’s good to be home.”

My own words took me by surprise. Did I just call the royal palace—the epicenter of the oppressive regime I’d hated all my life—myhome?

I couldn’t deny it now felt familiar. My brother was here, my friends, Luther. It would never mean to me what my family’s cottage had, but life here had become comfortable. Safe.

Safer than anywhere else, at least.

But a crucial element was missing: mortals. Except for my brother, there wasn’t a brown eye in sight. They were a mile away in Mortal City. Though I’d done what I could to improve conditions there, they were still suffering, still scraping to get by.

And as I strolled past opulent tapestries and art, clad in fine garments, belly full from the morning feast, I couldn’t help feeling like I was letting them all down.

“I’m surprised Luther let you out of his sight,” Eleanor teased. “Actually, I’m surprised you let him out of yours.”

“I have a secret weapon.” I grinned. “I left Lily in charge of tending his wounds. He tried to get up, and she started sobbingthat she was going to fail her first task as healer. When he got back in bed to calm her down, she looked at me andwinked.”

Eleanor burst into laughter. “I’m not surprised. Our sweet Princess has a secret wicked streak. Iléana used to lunch at the palace so she could hound Luther for attention, and Lily convinced the cooks to add their hottest peppers to all of Iléana’s meals. Every afternoon, she’d start sweating and turn bright red. I don’t know who was more pleased when she stopped coming—Lily or Luther.” We both laughed, and Eleanor’s expression turned thoughtful. “I’m glad she’s following in your steps as a healer. There’s so much more to Lily than anyone sees. She just needed someone to believe in her.”

I nudged her. “Sounds like someone else I know.” Her cheeks flushed. “How are things at court?”

“I’m finding allies for you, slowly but surely. Many of the younger Descended agree our system is unjust. Believe it or not, many respect what you did at the Challenging, trying to spare that man’s life.”

That was a surprise. At the time, my attempt at mercy had been met with bloodthirsty jeers—but when it came to the Descended, I was learning first impressions could be deceiving.

“Can I count on any of the Houses to support me?” I asked.

“Unfortunately, the older Descended hold the power, and they are stuck in their ways. Although...” She paused. “House Ghislaine has been quite sympathetic.”

“Even after I killed Rhon Ghislaine at the Challenging?”

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