Page 171 of Heat of the Everflame

“You can hardly expect us to reveal our tricks toyou,” a Centenary said snidely. I recognized her as one of the women I’d seen leaving Luther’s room. We shot each other mirrored glares.

“The Lumnos Queen is our new friend,” Yrselle said. “Surely we can trust her to keep our secrets.” Her piercing gaze challenged me to deny it.

I shrugged. “If you doubt my motives, you can always look in my head and see them for yourself.”

Yrselle’s mouth tightened.

I sat straighter in my chair.

She recovered quickly with an unbothered smile. “We hire Lumnos Descended to craft the illusion of Centenaries throughout the city.” She tipped her glass to Zalaric. “Usually you’re the one who collects my tariffs at the port.”

He stilled, his fork frozen in midair. “I am?”

Laughter rippled among the Centenaries.

Symond smiled nastily. “You don’t remember because we erased it from your memory.”

Blood drained from Zalaric’s face. He looked like he was wondering whatelsehe might have done on Yrselle’s command he now had no knowledge of.

“You can do that?” I asked. “Erase pieces of someone’s memory?”

More laughter rose around the room.

“Oh, we can doanything,” the Luther-admiring female Centenary said with an arrogant sniff.

Hagface. I decided to name her Hagface.

“We can erase memories. Create them. Replace your emotions with pain.” Hagface smiled at Luther and bit her lip. “Or replace them with pleasure.”

Yrselle sipped her wine. “When you control someone’s mind, you control everything about them. You can make them say or do anything. Believe they’re someone else. Turn them against the people they love.” She ran a finger along the stem of her glass, her gaze hard on mine. “I could make your Luther put a sword through your heart, if I desired.”

Luther’s hand fisted on the table. “I wouldnever,” he growled.

“Would you like me to prove it?” she snapped, slamming her glass down.

The room went silent.

“No need,” I said quietly. “I believe you.”

Her glare cut to me. “Good. Because that’s not even the worst of what our magic can do.” She rose, planting her palms on the table and leaning forward. “I could remove every thought from your head and turn you into a walking corpse. Everything you love, everything you are, goneforever.”

Goosebumps prickled my skin. I offered a small smile. “Then let us all be glad we are allies.”

Nervous chuckles rose from both our groups, but they were quickly silenced by the clattering of plates and glasses falling to the floor as Yrselle swiped her arm across the table and cleared the space between us.

I jumped to my feet in surprise. She crawled across the table and snatched my wrist, yanking me closer until we were nose to nose.

“Are you listening?” she hissed. “Once a mind is crushed, there is no saving it. Memories cannot be rewritten. Even Blessed Father Umbros cannot restore what no longer exists.”

To anyone else, it surely looked like a threat. The Corbois had drawn their magic in my defense, though the Centenaries had frozen them still.

But there was something else in the crazed darkness of Yrselle’s eyes. A message. A warning of a different kind.

“Do you understand?” she demanded. Her nails dug into my flesh. “The soul is gone.Gone. Death is the only salvation you can give them.”

I nodded. “I understand.”

“You don’t.” Her eyes narrowed. “But you will.”

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