Page 136 of Heat of the Everflame

“Ever?” Taran asked uneasily. “You’re telling us thisnow?”

“You’re not going to outwit them. You’re going to avoid them entirely.” I expected a smirk or some teasing banter, but Zalaric’s expression was somber. “My contact knows a hidden way out. I don’t know any more than that—I can’t, or else it would be compromised the next time I report to the Centenaries to pay my tariffs.”

“Does that mean the Queen will eventually know we were here?” Luther asked. He walked close at my side, one hand on my back and the other on his weapon.

Zalaric’s eyes darted to me before he answered. “She will. I cannot hide it forever.”

There was a deliberate tone in his voice that set the hair on my nape prickling.

“Will you be in trouble when they discover you helped us?” I asked.

He looked away. “Don’t worry about me. A jaguar always lands on its feet.”

Although the hallways were pitch-black save for a handful of glowing orbs at our feet, the shining prospect of home was drawing me forward.

Until now, I hadn’t allowed myself to dwell on what awaited me back in Lumnos. It was too easy to succumb to the anxiety ofwhat horrible things might have happened in the weeks I’d been gone.

My brother. My mother. Henri. Eleanor. Vance and the Guardians. Maura and the mortals.

But soon, so soon, I could finally take my throne and oust Remis as Regent. The flameroot was nearly gone from my system, and by the time our boat arrived, my magic would be restored in full. I would have the authority—and the might—to put my plans in action.

Luther was right. Wasting any more time here would have been a folly. The Queen of Umbros, and whatever answers she held, would have to wait.

Luther slowed our pace until we were out of earshot of the others, then leaned in close. “Are you having any more hunches?”

“No, why?”

He didn’t answer. His pale eyes were on high alert, jumping warily around the shadows.

“Areyouhaving any?” I asked.

He shook his head, but it was far from convincing.

“We’ll be home soon. That will put us all in higher spirits.” I tugged on his cloak until his gaze dropped to mine, then offered a hopeful smile. “Then we can get to work saving the realm. Together.”

His features turned stony. “Youwill save our people. You don’t need me or anyone else.”

“Of course I need you. I can’t do this without every one of my advisors, but you most of all.”

He stopped walking and set a hand on my shoulder. “This is war, Diem. People are going to die—people you care about—and when they do, you must keep going. You cannot lose yourself to grief like...” He hesitated.

“Like I did with my father?” I said, my voice cutting like a blade. Hurt bloomed as Luther stared at me without answering. “Is that why you’re pushing me away, because you think I’ll let my heart get in the way of my duty?”

“The world needs you. That is more important than anything else.”

My tone turned to ice. “Who are you really trying to convince, Luther? Me—or yourself?” I pushed his hand off my shoulder and briskly stalked forward to join the others.

“Everything alright?” Taran asked.

“Fine,” I snapped.

He looked back at Luther, then at me. “You two really need to just fuck this out of your system already.”

I scowled at him. He raised his hands in surrender, though his grin was poorly hidden.

We walked in silence the rest of the way. The air turned humid and musty, and the walls glistened with a buildup of moisture. Scattered archways, locked with gates and marked with lit torches, led to stairs that descended into darkness as the faint sounds of sloshing water echoed down the corridor.

After a time, the archways ended, and the caves took on a rougher, unfinished appearance. We squeezed around large boulders and carefully maneuvered slippery, uneven terrain. I studied the jagged ceiling with apprehension. If we were discovered and I was forced to use my magic, I wasn’t confident its precarious structure would hold.

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