Page 314 of Heat of the Everflame

Hepta nodded. “During the Blood War, the Crowns disagreed on how far the army should go to stop the rebellion. It was nearly impossible for them to come to any unanimous agreement, so a decision was made that the army could act on a vote of six Crowns, instead of nine.”

“Some concessions were given in exchange,” another said. “The use of godstone, as your Prince pointed out.”

“Concessions the Fortos King apparently does not intend to honor,” one man grumbled.

A soft clink drew my attention as the shackles on my wrists popped open, even though I’d barely heard or felt a thing. Nector cringed, seeming embarrassed I’d noticed.

“That’s very impressive,” I said to him.

The flush on his cheeks spread across his face, and he seemed to be fighting the urge to smile.

“Humility is a virtue, Nector,” one of the Councilors said in a scolding tone.

Nector looked ashamed and quickly lowered his eyes, turning to the shackles at my feet.

I frowned. “Surely there’s nothing wrong with taking pride in a job well done.”

“Pride is not a virtue,” the Councilor said. “A job well done is its own reward.”

Nector adeptly removed the last of the irons from my ankles, then painstakingly wrapped them in cloth to keep from making any noise—a task I promptly ruined by loudly and effusively praising his work. By the time he finally scurried out, he was beet red from head to toe, but there was a spring in his step I hadn’t seen before.

“You disagree with our methods,” Hepta noted. “You do not believe that we should seek to be virtuous in all that we do?”

“Who decides what it is to be virtuous? Where I come from, what’s considered virtuous for a man is called scandalous for a woman. The virtues a Descended is encouraged toward are punished in a mortal. Acts that harm no one are labeled vices, while the loudest purveyors of virtue do the most harm of all. All this to keep some groups in power and others subservient. I admit, I find no honor in that.”

Another Councilor bristled. “We do not do such things here. All our people are equal.”

A bitter snort broke through before I could stop it. “The mortals you exiled might disagree.”

“That was done to protect them. They cannot survive the climate here as we can. We were finding their corpses on the mountain, dead from hunger or the cold. We did not wish to see any more lives lost.”

“So you cast them out instead of helping them.”

“We did offer to help them,” Hepta cut in. “Many times. They did not trust our Council.”

“Were there any mortals on this Council?” She didn’t answer, and I arched an eyebrow. “Were they even allowed to vote on its members?”

The male Councilor scoffed. “We hardly enforce the exile. We’ve always turned a blind eye to the mortals hiding in the Forgotten Lands. Including that damn rebel camp. And look what’s come of it. Our King—”

“Peace, Councilor,” Hepta interrupted. “Anger is not a virtue.”

He sank back in his chair and closed his eyes as he swallowed his irritation.

My back straightened. “You know about the Guardian camp?”

“So do you, it seems,” someone murmured.

I internally swore.

“The rumors are true, then?” Hepta asked. “You and your mother are Guardians?”

These were dangerous waters, but for some reason, I didn’t want to lie to these people. They’d saved my life, freed me from my shackles, and welcomed me into their home. My plan to win over allies in Umbros had imploded—perhaps fate was offering me a second chance.

I drew in a deep breath. “I will not speak for my mother, but... yes, I was a Guardian once. I was raised as a mortal, and I joined because I, too, want to end the violence and prejudice that has gone on for so long.” I sighed. “And I left for the samereason. There were some—not all, but some—who wished to see every Descended killed. I couldn’t agree to that, so I walked away.” I hesitated for a moment. “But I would be lying if I claimed to no longer believe in their cause. I only hope to achieve it with as little bloodshed as possible.”

The room was quiet for a long time. The Councilors looked at each other, their expressions conveying messages I couldn’t interpret. I shifted uneasily in my seat.

“You could be executed for admitting that,” Hepta said quietly. “Even as the Crown.”

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