Page 150 of Heat of the Everflame

One of the attendants at her feet crawled forward and twirled a lock of my hair in her fingers. “I’d rather see her come than bleed.”

“So would I,” Symond said with a sly smile.

I raised my hands in surrender and took several steps back. The Queen nodded, and the Centenaries sheathed their swords.

“You said they need six votes to execute her—who else voted against it?”

“I am the only vote against it. Montios and Arboros have yet to respond, and your Regent has declined to vote until you return.”

I’d never been more grateful for Remis’s cowardice, though the news of the Arboros Queen’s silence left me uneasy. I had hoped she’d found a way to escape the Guardians. If they still had her...

Then again, if she did escape, her vote alone—or the Montios King’s—would be enough to sentence my mother to death.

I had to get my mother out of Fortos. Quickly.

“What is the favor you wish?” I asked.

Yrselle snapped, and the attendants around her pouted and moved away. She set down her goblet. “I want you to stay here as a guest in my palace. Only a few days—three at most.”

“No,” Luther gritted out.

The Queen looked at him, her expression flickering with something I didn’t understand. “I understand your objection, Prince, but it will have to wait. This is more important.”

“Why?” I asked, feeling like I was missing something vital.

“We have much to discuss, and I haven’t had a formal Crown visit in centuries.” She clasped her hands together on her knee. “We’ll make your visit official. I’ll even host a dinner tomorrow with all my Centenaries. You can return home on my personal boat the following day.”

“You’re not going to turn me over to the other Crowns? The Ignios King said I’ve been summoned—”

She made a disgusted sneer. “Thatedictisn’t worth the paper it’s written on. A Crown holds no authority over other Crowns. I don’t answer to them.” Her chin tipped down. “And neither doyou. Until you return home, you and your people will have my full protection.”

I frowned. It was a generous offer.Toogenerous. “Why? What do you gain from all this?”

She smiled slowly. “You’ll see.”

I made the mistake of looking at Luther. He was staring at me, brows pinched, eyes pulsing with a near-rabid insistence. The betrayal he’d accused me of earlier was written all over his face.

You promised.

“And if I decline,” I asked her, “will you execute me?”

“No. But I may reconsider my vote on your mother’s fate.”

Defeat flooded Luther’s expression. He knew that was one risk I would never take.

I sighed heavily. “Alright. We’ll stay.”

Chapter

Thirty-Three

True to her word, the Queen retroactively sanctioned my visit. We were now being treated as honored guests, though we were still very much unwilling captives.

We, it turned out, included Zalaric. She had insisted on including him in my delegation as an ambassador between our two realms. For the time being, he was as stuck here as we were.

She returned our weapons and bags and granted us a private wing of the palace for our own use. She had even unlocked the three Corbois’ magic—after warning that any attack on her or her Centenaries would mean a death sentence for us all.

She also gave her word that her Centenaries would not intrude on our thoughts any further. Notably, she made no such promise for herself.

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