Page 69 of Heat of the Everflame

My heart stopped.

Unlike the cut on his ribs, this wound oozed with blood and a foul-smelling black liquid. The web of dark veins around it had thickened and grown, pulsing in time with his heartbeat.

The first signs of infection.

I quickly slammed the linen back down to conceal it. Taran winced and pull away. “I take it back, I believe you. You don’t have to take it out on my body.”

“Sorry,” I mumbled. I dipped my chin and pretended to rummage in my pile of fabric to conceal my face and the terror racing across it.

My breathing came faster and shallower. I needed to disinfect the cut, but water would only do so much—he needed medicine. All the supplies I’d found here were spoiled. I’d seen herbs in Arboros that might help, but...

“You were really one of them?” Taran asked me. “You were a Guardian?”

I looked up at him in surprise. “What? I... I—”

His dark blonde brows pulled in tight, his features lined with hurt. “Was it only before you met us?”

I looked away and grabbed my wet cloth. Though my hands were shaking, I carefully wiped the wound as clean as I could, using my other hand to shield it from his view.

“Some of it was after,” I admitted, too ashamed to look at him.

“The Guardians murder Descended.” Taran’s voice was angrier now, more accusing. “I’ve lost friends to their attacks.”

“I never supported any of that. I only helped them gather information.”

“But you still helped them. You got to know us, you became our friend, and you worked with them?”

“So did I,” Luther said.

All our eyes cut to him. His expression was dark. “I’ve been helping the Guardians for years. I knew what they were capable of, and I did far more for them than Diem ever did. I even helped them after the attack on Coeurîle.”

Alixe’s jaw went slack. “Luther, I knew you were surveilling them, but...helpingthem?”

“Yes. And while Diem might regret her decision, I do not. I’d do it again, so if you’re going to be mad at anyone, be mad at me, not her.” He slowly pushed to his feet with a low grunt, then stalked off toward the city.

We sat in silence for a long minute. I couldn’t take the awkward tension, so I reached for Taran’s wound again. He shoved my hands away, then started to stand.

“Wait,” I insisted. “At least let me put a fresh bandage on.”

He blew out a harsh breath and sat, fuming silently while I rushed to wrap the injury in fresh linen before he or Alixe noticed its condition.

“I was going to let it go,” he gritted out after a moment. “I didn’t want to die angry at you. But if you’re so convinced I’ll live, then I’m gonna go ahead and be mad. Atbothof you, I guess.”

A burning lump lodged in my throat. I raised my hands to show him I was finished, and he shot to his feet, but at the lastminute, he stumbled to the side, nearly collapsing into the sand. Alixe and I both jumped forward to help him.

“I’m fine,” he grumbled, though his eyes turned glassy as he hovered in place, swaying slightly on his feet. Alixe looked at me in alarm.

I avoided her stare. When Taran finally steadied, he yanked his arms back from us, then lurched off in Luther’s direction.

On the ground, I spotted the discarded bandage, the white fabric stained with black. I dropped to my knees and hurriedly stuffed it into my pile of linen strips.

Alixe ran a hand down her face. She walked back to the water and stripped off her clothes, then grabbed a cloth and began scrubbing at her skin. We stayed like that for a while, the uncomfortable silence growing thicker by the minute, until finally I tossed the fabric aside and rose to face her.

“If you no longer wish to serve me, I understand.” I forced my shoulders to straighten. “Of course, I don’t want to lose you, but if you don’t—”

“I gave you my vow, Your Majesty,” she cut in. “I have every intention of fulfilling it. Nothing has changed for me.”

I eyed her carefully. “Nothing?”

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