Page 292 of Heat of the Everflame

Rage smoldered through me. I wasn’t the least bit surprised at the lengths Remis would go to see me off the throne, but throwing his son’s life away for temporary power was low, even for him.

I feigned a casual shrug. “My Regent can’t bear it when I’m away. He’ll sayanythingto get me home.” I gave a long, exaggerated sigh. “Perhaps he has a crush, too.”

A quiet snort rose from underground.

The High General was not so amused. “I saw the column of light. I know what it signifies. Whoever our new King is, he was right there when the old King died.”

“Well whenever you find him, send him my thanks for the easy exit.” I took the excuse to glance down at the hole, my nostrils flaring wide at what I saw.

I quickly looked back at the High General. “The Kingwaslooking quite sickly earlier.” I pouted. “If only he’d seen a healer in time.”

He strode closer. My hands curled at my side, and a dome shimmered over me, wide enough to encircle the opening, as Sorae’s growl rolled through the air.

“Turn yourself in now, and you won’t be killed,” he said. “We’ll designate you a prisoner of the Crowns. You can beg them for your life.”

I tapped my chin in mock consideration. “A generous offer. There’s just one tiny problem.”

He sneered. “And what’s that?”

“A Crown holds no authority over other Crowns.”

My hand flew out toward the north. A wave of writhing shadow sliced through the air like a blade, carving through the ranks and sending soldiers diving across the rocky soil to flee its bite.

Around the clearing, battalions advanced. With a flick of my finger, magic spread across the perimeter in a wall of dancing darkness that cracked its whip at any who came near.

“Now!” I shouted.

The escaping prisoners tumbled out in a mad dash, streaming from the opening like an anthill overturned. An onslaught of magic slammed against my shield, and the wall of shadows wavered as my power diverted to fortify the dome.

With a pulse of devotion and a howl of wrath, Sorae swooped low, unleashing a stream of dragonfyre that sent soldiers scrambling and a wide berth forming in their lines.

My eyes locked with Luther, who kneeled along the edge, helping mortals to the top. “Get them out of here,” I ordered. “Keep the shield strong.”

He thrust a spear of light whizzing over my shoulder. Splinters and shrapnel exploded behind me, remnants of a spiked bolt that had been on a collision course with my head.

“Watch your back,” he snapped. “If something happens to you, I’ll suffocate this entire fucking realm in darkness.”

A shiver prickled my skin. His vicious tenor left no question that was a promise he would keep.

“Diem,” my mother shouted. She had a mortal child cradled on her hip, another cowering at her side, their tiny hand clutched in hers. Her expression was resolute, but I saw the glint of fear in her eyes at the mass of soldiers closing in. “Be careful, my little warrior. Remember everything Andrei taught you.”

My throat burned. I managed a stiff nod. “Stay close to Luther. He’ll keep you safe.”

Luther scooped up the child at her feet and led the others toward the break in the ranks. My shield strained to stay with them, though its glittering canopy faded with every step.

The earth shook as Sorae slammed to the ground at their backs amid a tempest of sapphire flame. My skin stung with the painful echoes of the spears that sliced across her hide.

I fled in the opposite direction, chased by a hailstorm of arrows and an encroaching ring of men. I threw out a pulse of magic with as much power as I could muster, and my heart sank—the soldiers stumbled, but held their ground.

The abyss in my chest spread at a startling rate. My godhood felt darker, heavier, itsvoicetoo far away.

Time for a change of course, I thought.Flash over substance.

With a crook of my finger, glittering sparks exploded across the field. A harmless illusion, but the soldiers scrambled toget away, buying me precious time while commanders barked orders to reform the lines.

Luther and the others hit the edge of my magic’s reach. Making a careful gamble, I dissolved my shield and the barrier of shadows I’d built across the clearing.

“Oh, no!” I held up my hands, wiggling my fingers. “I’m out of magic. Whateverwill I do now?”

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