Page 124 of Heat of the Everflame

I turned on my side and laid my hand out, palm up. Not pushing him—I was determined to respect his boundaries, even if I didn’t understand them. Even if they were breaking my heart.

But offering.

Hoping.

The dim wash of the firelight painted his skin in soft amber and sienna. I watched the dance of colors over his handsome features until my eyelids grew heavy. Though I couldn’t be surewhether it was real or a dream, I swore I felt rough, warm skin close around my hand as my mind slipped away.

Chapter

Twenty-Eight

“The market in the main hall is mostly overpriced junk to make an easy coin off casual travelers,” Zalaric explained as we walked. “The real show is hidden in the lower levels like these.”

We were on hour three of Zalaric’s grand tour of Umbros City, having already spent the morning wandering through the luxurious gowns of the cloth market, the fragrant aromas of the spice market, and, to my delight, the book market. They nearly had to physically restrain me from buying every book on mortal history—which, I was relieved to discover, were plentiful. I’d reluctantly sulked away with a silent vow to establish a mortal library back home and enlist Zalaric’s help to fill it.

Though all the markets had been filled with treasures of the most unexpected sort, strolling into the gem market was like stepping into a different world.

My eyes bulged at the opulence on display—rubies as large as my fist, platinum filigree resembling shimmering lace, and brightly colored stones emanating with their own internal light. I thought I’d seen the ultimate extravagance on the Descended at my Ascension Ball, but the baubles here put even the Twenty Houses to shame.

“Who can afford this?” I asked breathlessly.

“Royals, mostly,” Zalaric answered. “Many of the dealers here work directly with the Crowns.”

Alixe nodded. “King Ulther sent guards to pick up shipments here often. I heard he practically emptied the market out in preparation for his mating ceremony.”

Zalaric gave me a probing glance. “I’m sure your new Queen has her fair share of shiny objects.”

I absently touched my throat, thinking of the only jewelry I owned—the pendant Luther had given me at my Challenging. I’d opted not to wear it to my Rite of Coronation, aiming to look humble for my first meeting with the other Crowns. Though that had been a fortuitous choice—it surely would have been stolen or destroyed by the Guardians—I longed to return home and secure it back on my neck.

“She has what she needs,” I answered.

Alixe nudged my arm. “We could take a gift back to her, if you see anything she would like.”

I tried to wrap my head around any of the pieces belonging to me. Growing up, even if I could have afforded jewelry, wearing it would have only made me a target in the alleys of Mortal City.

But now I was Queen of a realm. And not just any realm—Lumnos, where beauty and extravagance were currency. Soaking myself in rare stones and precious metals was practically in the job description.

My eyes hooked on a stunning collar of black pearls studded with pale sapphires. I reached for it, then hesitated, flushing and feeling oddly unworthy.

“Try it on,” Zalaric urged. “I know the vendor, she won’t mind.” He lifted it from its black velvet pillow. “Come, there’s a mirror over here.”

The breath tore from my lungs as I spied my reflection. Staring back at me was a wholly unfamiliar face, courtesy ofZalaric’s illusions. The woman in the mirror was much older, refined, with a voluptuous figure and a stick-straight emerald bob. A smoke-hued gown that matched my eyes—myrealeyes, not the navy ones he’d given her—draped over her curves and pooled at the floor.

I had to glance down at my body and my plain, rumpled clothes just to confirm I hadn’t actually transformed. Zalaric secured the collar at my neck, then took me by the waist and spun me around.

I looked over my shoulder and gasped. The rear of the necklace cascaded into a low point that dripped down my back. In the dim light of the caves, the pearls nearly disappeared against my gown’s dark fabric, making the scattered blue gemstones look like a cape of falling rain.

“It’s breathtaking,” I gushed. I moved and the strands swayed, setting off the fiery sparkle of the sapphires. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“It was made for you,” Zalaric said. “Would you like me to negotiate the price on your behalf?”

His face lit up with the prospect of whatever enormous commission I was sure he would tack on—but that wasn’t what held me back.

“I—I can’t. I’m not...” I shook my head. “Whatever it costs, I’m sure I don’t have enough.”

“Oh, I’m sure you do,” Taran deadpanned over his shoulder from a nearby booth, where he was admiring golden arm cuffs that looked suspiciously similar to the ones Zalaric had worn yesterday.

“You can always charge it to House Corbois’s account,” Alixe offered.

---