Page 232 of Heat of the Everflame

“They blame House Hanoverre. In fact, many of the Houses do. They never wanted to Challenge you, but Marthe Hanoverre forced their hand with threats. Now they’re worried they’ll pay the price for her plan going wrong.”

I smirked. “Did you let them know I can beveryforgiving to my allies?”

She grinned back. “As a matter of fact, I did.” After a moment, her smile faltered. “Diem, if I may speak honestly, I have won a good deal of ground for you. But I fear if you go to Fortos—”

“—they’ll no longer support a Queen who frees a rebel leader?” She cringed through her nod, and I sighed. “She’s my mother, Eleanor. I can’t abandon her.”

“I know,” she said, her voice softening. “But you should know what it might cost you.”

My stomach twisted. I’d been agonizing over what it would take to get my mother out—how many lives I might have to trade for hers.

Now it seemed that was just the beginning of the price I would pay.

“Is there any chance the younger Descended will break from their Houses to support me?”

“Normally, I would say no, but there’s never been a Crown like you. Descended are drawn to power, and you’ve got no shortage of that.”

We turned a corner and nearly collided with Alixe. She cut an imposing figure in her Royal Guard uniform, adorned with the insignia of her new status as High General. Even her myriad silver piercings had been replaced with styles in a more intimidating black.

She bowed. “Your Majesty, I was just looking for you. I hoped we could discuss the project I mentioned back in Umbros.”

I nodded and embraced Eleanor. “Thank you for everything. You’ve planted the seed that things need changing. That’s work worth doing, whatever the result.”

As she left, I fell in step beside Alixe. “I’m dying to know, what is this mysterious advantage you think might help us win the war?”

She tensed, seeming hesitant to start. “The day of your father’s funeral, I noticed unusual black rocks covering the ground where you...exploded.”

Pain flashed through me at the memory of the cottage I’d unintentionally destroyed after my father’s death. Another thing I’d taken from Teller. Another loss I’d have to break to my mother.

“I had a suspicion about what they were,” she went on. “I gathered them all and brought them to the palace, just in case.”

I stiffened. “You collected the remains of my father without telling me?”

“I apologize, Your Majesty, but it was too dangerous to leave, and at the time...” She grimaced. “You weren’t much interested in speaking to me.”

I couldn’t deny it. In my grief, I’d unfairly accused her and Luther of scheming to get on my Crown Council. Now, such an accusation seemed inconceivable.

“What do you mean, ‘too dangerous to leave’?”

“It’s not just rock. It’s godstone.”

I stopped. “Godstone?At my family’s home?”

She nodded. “In its raw, unmolded form. I’ve only read about it in books. We were told only the Kindred could make it, and the supply they left was all used up. No one thought we’d ever see any more.”

“Then where did this come from?”

“From you. The rocks were only present in the places your magic touched.”

I started to deny it, to claim it was impossible—but these days, that word had lost its meaning.

“In Umbros, Zalaric introduced me to a woman whose ancestors had worked with raw godstone and recorded the process. For a small fortune, she taught me the technique.” Her eyes lit up. “If it works...”

I held up my palms. “Alixe, I’m not sure I’m comfortable bringing new godstone weapons into the world. Perhaps I’m a fool for it, but after what almost happened to Taran and Luther...”

She gave a wry smile. “I thought you might say that. But we could use it for shields. Nothing can pierce godstone once it’s forged, so even if our enemies have godstone weapons—”

“—we could protect our own from getting hurt,” I finished excitedly. “Alixe, that’s brilliant.”

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