Page 86 of Heat of the Everflame

I had never heard that command.

Thevoicehad told me to do a lot of things—tofight, todestroy, even tokill. It had talked to me, taunted me, pushed me, challenged me.

But it had never told me toburn.

The others’ voices grew behind me. I could barely hear them over the crackle of a roaring fire building in my ears.

Burn.

“No,” I whispered. “Not here. Not yet.”

My sweat boiled away as quickly as it fell. I needed air, water, ice, relief,somethingto stop this torturous, inescapable heat.

The border was close, but still too far. Maybe if we ran—the guards would be suspicious, they might pursue us, but if we were faster...

I looked over my shoulder to gauge the distance.

“Shit,Queenie,” Taran swore.

“You’re glowing,” Alixe gasped.

“My eyes, I know.”

“No, Diem, your hands,” Luther said.

I held up my palms and choked out a surprised cry. Every inch of my skin was bright red. Not just flushed or irritated—glowing, moltenred.

I looked at the border, then the guards, then the border. The roaring grew in my ears, my vision tinging orange.

Burn.

“It’s too far,” I mumbled. “I... I can’t make it.” I shoved off my rucksack and fumbled with the clasp on my cloak.

Luther’s face filled with alarm. “What are you doing?”

“I need to cool off. It can’t wait.”

“The guards will see you,” Alixe hissed.

Burn.

With a frustrated cry, I yanked a dagger from my hip to slice through the cloak’s fastening. The heavy fabric fell from my shoulders, giving a flicker of sweet relief as the sea breeze gusted over my skin.

It lasted only a second as the suffocating, consuming heat roared back to life. I ripped off my weapons and staggered toward the shore, desperate to cool the inferno inside me.

Burn.

The moment I hit the sea, I collapsed to my knees. The water bubbled and steamed where it pooled around my skin.

Luther ran to my side and reached for me, and I scrambled to get away. “Stop—I don’t want to hurt you.”

He moved closer, undeterred. “Let me help you.”

“No! Luther, I—”

BURN.

I couldn’t take it anymore.

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