Page 61 of Heat of the Everflame

“You can stick me with all the godstone you have,” Luther snarled. He was quivering with coiled fury, scorching wrath oozing from his every pore. “I’m still going to rip your lungs from your chest before I die.”

Vance chuckled—though he subtly leaned a step back.

The mortal jerked his spear free, and Taran grunted and sank to his knees. My heart shattered at the trickles of red flowing through his fingers where he clutched his side.

“Put pressure on the wound, Taran,” I said hoarsely, hot tears brimming in my eyes. “You’re going to be fine.”

“Is he?” Vance mocked. “I hear that godstone toxin is a nasty death. Slow and painful.”

Sorrow overtook me, turning my legs weak and my vision watery. Taran had been an unexpected blessing, a rare source of joy even in the bleakest moments. He’d survived a hard life of his own under his father’s cruelty, yet he’d found a way to come out smiling. I’d never told him how much that had inspired me. How much the gift of his friendship had meant.

“Cousin,” Luther said softly, and their eyes met again.

I looked away, unable to bear the devastation carved on Luther’s face. Taran was his dearest friend, loyal without exception and fiercely protective of Luther’s happiness. Luther trusted so few and loved even fewer—to lose Taran would be unendurable.

“Why are you doing this, Vance?” I asked, my voice broken and defeated.

“I tried to work with you, Diem. I gave you chance after chance to prove yourself. You chose to protect them every time. For that, you have to pay.”

He whispered something to the man with the crossbow, who suddenly turned his weapon on Luther.

Vance sighed. “Unfortunately, I can’t kill you. Your blood is too valuable. So I’m taking you with me, and I’m making these two pay instead.” He waved his hand at the other men. “Kill them both.”

I didn’t even have time to scream before the crossbow fired. Its metallic twang was an ominous chime, a death knell for my heart.

At the last second, the crossbow tipped up as if knocked from below. The arrow sliced through the air toward Luther—and missed him by inches.

“Diem,run,” he growled.

I did run—but not away.

I lowered my shoulder and launched myself into Vance’s wounded arm. He screamed in pain, staggering back into the men surrounding Taran.

Bedlam broke out as the crowd jumped into action. Men were moving, blades swinging, arrows flying. A hand gripped my arm and jerked me out of the way seconds before a godstone dagger swung at my face, but when I looked to see who had saved me, no one was there.

“If I’m dying anyway, let’s make it fun, boys,” Taran said, hurling himself into the wall of men. He moved like an animal, cracking skulls and snapping spears like twigs, completely uncaring of the godstone flying at him from every angle. Another black blade lodged into his shoulder and stopped my heart still. Taran simply laughed and yanked it free, then stabbed it back into its owner’s eye.

My despair hardened to rage as a trio of men stalked toward me. Though I was without weapons or magic, I didn’t care—my wrath was sharper than any blade. I launched off my heels to meet them, but an invisible hand looped around my waist and jerked me back.

“Get her out of here,” Luther snarled, looking past me. “I’ll get Taran.” Seconds later, he was surrounded by men with swords and spears, swinging the tiny dagger I’d given him in a brutally outnumbered fight for his life.

The faceless force dragged me away. I screamed my protest and thrashed like a mindless, rabid creature.

“Let me go,” I screeched.

“Forgive me, Your Majesty,” Alixe’s tense voice whispered in my ear. “We have to go now. I don’t know how much longer my magic can hide us.”

I froze in shock, then looked down at my feet—or where my feetshouldhave been. In their place was empty air and fallen leaves.

Understanding hit me like a brick wall. I’d seen Alixe create illusions before, when she and my father had seemingly disappeared into thin air so he could sneak out of the palace unseen.

“We have to go back,” I roared, still fighting her hold. “Taran, he’s—”

“I know. I was too slow to stop it.” Her tone was anguished and hollow. “But I can save you.”

“No Alixe, we can help them, you can slip back in and—”

Her face flickered in front of me, then appeared in full. We both looked down at our bodies, once again visible.

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