Page 306 of Heat of the Everflame

I walked to the circle and stared up, slack-jawed. Snow fell in a steady flurry—onlyabove the circle. I reached out a hand into its perimeter and marveled at how countless glittering flakes settled softly onto my fingers, but not a single speck of white made it further than my wrist.

“This is where Rymari died, isn’t it?” I whispered, remembering the lore I’d heard about this place from the man in the Umbros market.

Sorae let out a mournful whine. I dropped to my knees at her side and laid a hand on her muzzle. We sat together for a long while, saying nothing, my gryvern grieving her lost friend while I lamented the death of a creature I’d never known.

I held out a palm. My brows pulled together in sharp concentration as I wrangled the small bit of magic that had restored overnight, and a shape began to take form.

At first, the best I could manage was a sharp, ragged spear of crystal-clear ice. I’d never used my magic in such an intricateway, and I was surprised at how much energy and focus it required.

I’d learned from my training with Alixe that the more familiar we were with an object, the easier it was to replicate with magic. That’s why crafting weapons had come naturally to me. Sharp points and blunt objects, I could handle with ease, but this... this required so much more than might alone.

Sorae watched curiously as the glassy shard thinned to a delicate strand, then sprouted with a pair of curling ovals that stretched to a point. A rough globe spun at the top, then shaved into a hundred paper-thin slices, ruffling and spreading like petals opening to the sun.

My hand sank to my side. At the circle’s center, sunlight gleamed off a single rose of pure ice.

I bowed my head and murmured the sacred Rite of Endings. When I finished, Sorae’s snout nuzzled against my side, and I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close.

Perhaps I should have conserved my magic in case we ran into trouble, but after Rymari saved my life from beyond the grave, I felt I owed hersomething. The last of my magic seemed a worthy trade for the last of her fire.

A cloud passed over the sun, casting us in a gloomy patch of shadow. A sudden weight pressed on my head, and light flickered across the snow.

I frowned in realization. My Crown had appeared, emerging entirely on its own. I quickly tucked it out of sight and shared a bemused glance with Sorae. “That was odd,” I mumbled. “I wonder wh—”

A skittering sounded behind us. Sorae was on her feet in an instant, teeth bared and growling. Blue dragonfyre glowed from the depths of her throat.

“Easy, girl,” I whispered, rising. “Let them attack. I need their magic.”

I crept forward, eyes narrowing. The barren rock was static and inhospitable—no sign of life, let alone movement.

“Hello?” I called out. “Is someone there?”

A slow creaking broke the silence, like old bones moving after a long rest—this time from our flank. We whipped back around. Sorae’s wing curled protectively around me, but again, we saw only infinite stone.

Sorae trilled and turned her head to the distance, where a column of dark shadow curled its way to the sky.

Luther’s magic.

I swore and swung myself onto her back, and she instantly launched into flight. My heart hammered—had they been found? Had they been attacked? Had my reckless choice put them in danger yet again?

But as the cave came nearer, my pulse raced for a different reason. Luther stood at its mouth, arms crossed over his chest, looking absolutelymurderous. My mother stood beside him, hands balled at her sides, her eyes dark.

They weren’t in danger.

ButIwas.

Sorae grumbled a warning at them both when we landed, her protective instincts prickling as she sensed their malice. Though neither of them would ever do me any real harm, ever since my father’s murder, my sweet gryvern had guarded my happiness as fiercely as my safety.

“You’re awake,” I said to Luther with false brightness. “I’d hoped to be back before you woke.” I lowered my lashes, offering my flirtiest smile. “Any good dreams?”

His glare was the stuff of nightmares. His normally pale eyes were now a swirling midnight, the shadow magic within him stirring thick in his gaze.

Something must have been deeply,deeplywrong with me, because as he stared at me looking like he wanted to uncage thefearsome monster that lived beneath his skin, warmth tingled between my legs.

I wet my lips, my eyes dropping to his mouth. His knuckles turned white where he gripped his arms.

“Where have you been?” my mother seethed.

I forced myself to tear my heady focus off Luther. “I found a stream with trees we can hide under and plenty of animals to hunt. It’s only a short walk. We should be safe there until we can leave.”

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