Page 201 of Heat of the Everflame

“Let him go,” she said again, harsher.

Our gazes met, horns locked. I loosened my magic from Symond’s chest, though I let it hover an inch away.

“I warned you an attack on my people would not go unanswered,” she said.

“This is your fault. You knew Luther was hurt, and you kept it from me.”

“It wasn’t my truth to tell. Here in Umbros, we know how to keep a secret.”

My scowl darkened. “If he dies, I’ll hold you responsible.”

“He was doomed long before he crossed my border.” She frowned. “I admit, I did believe he had a larger role to play. The visions I saw...” Some inscrutable emotion fluttered over her features, then she shrugged. “There’s no coming back from injuries like that. His fate is sealed. It’s time you accept it.”

“No fate is ever sealed.”

“Oh, how I wish that were true.” She looked equal parts sympathetic and annoyed. “You accomplished what you wanted. Your friends are free. Now come inside.”

She swept an arm toward the dining room. I looked at it, then looked at her, taking the smallest step backward.

“I’ll come back,” I offered. “Once Luther is healed and my mother is safe, I’ll come back to Umbros, and we can talk for as long as you want.”

Her lips pressed tight. “I can’t let you leave, Diem. My people’s lives are on the line.”

“Lives are at risk in Lumnos, too. Give me a few days, that’s all I ask.”

“We do not have the luxury of time. Every day, he grows stronger. Soon, even you will not be able to stop him—and if that happens, this entire world will fall, and so will everyone in it.”

“Who, Yrselle? Who is ‘he’?”

“Come inside, and I’ll tell you.”

Doubt swirled in my chest. I didn’t much trust Yrselle—she seemed to have a fondness for answering disobedience with death—yet there was a grave sincerity in her voice that gave me pause. If there was any chance she was telling the truth...

But Luther.

Luther...

Across the bond, Sorae felt my indecision. Even from this far distance, I could hear the soft rumble of her answering roar.

Soon,I soothed her.It’s only for a little while.

The Queen huffed. “This is boring me.” She looked at her Centenaries and flicked a hand in my direction. “Bring her inside. By force, if necessary.”

Immediately, a swarm of sharp-clawed fingers slammed against my mental shield. The impact punched the breath from my lungs. I staggered back and collided into one of the potted olive trees lining the balcony’s edge. It wobbled, then toppled to the side and disappeared over the rocky cliff. The ribbons tied to it pulled taut, and one by one, each of the other plants along the edge fell in a cascading wave, until there was nothing between me and the open canyon but a gust of winter wind.

A few Centenaries began to approach. I threw up my shield to keep them at bay, smirking as they smacked face-first into the shimmering dome. I was gloating so confidently I almost missed the rustling feathers of the Queen’s gryvern rearing on its hind legs. Rows of jagged fangs cracked wide with a bursting dam of black flames that surged in waves toward my feet.

Fight, my godhood snarled.

Panic shot through me, and instinct took over.

Magic spilled from my hands. Its angry energy seeped from my skin into the night air—air that suddenly felt unseasonably cold for a realm this far south, even in winter.

When I looked, I understood why. The half of my shield facing the gryvern was now coated in a blanket of glittering ice. Droplets of water slid in an arc to the ground as the dragonfyre heated the frozen barrier, but the shield held, each melted drop replaced by more ice, more frost, more snow.

I sucked in a gasp at the crust of shimmering ice crystals that tipped my fingers. My skin pebbled and my breath clouded in the impossibly frigid air.

Unable to get to me on foot, the Centenaries doubled their mental attacks. My own thoughts were crushed by the relentless hammering of voices in my head—Stop. Give in. Obey.I ground my teeth as I fought them off, my muscles twitching against the urge to do as they commanded. Though my vision spotted and my knees wobbled, I managed to hold them off.

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