Page 319 of Heat of the Everflame

“We’ve waited too long already. I’m not going to risk another attack happening while I rest. The Montios Descended gave me as much magic as they could spare.”

“And itstillwasn’t enough to replenish you,” he grumbled, though a touch of awe lay in his tone.

Nearly every Descended in Montios City had exhausted their power into me in exchange for my reluctant agreement to stay for an extra day in case an attack occurred while they recovered.

Frustrated as I was, it was a lesson I’d needed to learn. Being new to magic made me inefficient and sloppy, too quickly burning through my reserves. Luther assured me that I could eventually train to pace myself and make my magic last longer. Until then, I’d have to choose my battles with more care.

“All the more reason we don’t need reinforcements,” I said. “If I have the power of all those people, surely we can handle oneDescended man.”

“I think we both know this is not as simple asone Descended man.”

I shifted restlessly in my saddle. We hadn’t even reached the Forgotten Lands, and I could already sense the man’s potent aura. If it was this strong already, he was more powerful than any Descended I’d met before.

Luther looked up from the letter. “‘What’s Forgotten is not lost.’ If you’re the Daughter of the Forgotten, perhaps that confirms your birth father is alive.”

I glanced at my mother. “Anything to add?”

Her eyes briefly touched on Luther as her expression turned hard. “Not here.”

I sighed wearily. “Mother, say what you have to say. I trust Luther to hear it.”

“Well I do not,” she clipped. “I have known him far longer than you, and trust me, your openness is not reciprocated. The Prince keeps many secrets.”

“Not from my Queen,” Luther snapped.

“Oh? So you’ve told her that you—”

“Yes.Whatever you’re about to say, the answer is yes, but considering who lurks in these woods, I’d prefer you not shout it aloud. Diem knows everything you know and much more you don’t.” His voice dropped to an irritated murmur. “And she knows because I told her willingly, not because she betrayed my trust and spied on me.”

I held my tongue, awkwardly riding between their volley of hostile glares.

My mother turned her focus to the road. “Your birth father is dead, Diem. Whoever told you otherwise was mistaken.”

“What if you’re wrong? If he’s out there and he knows something about why all of this is happening to me—”

“I’m not wrong.”

“Mother, if there’s any chance—”

“There isn’t.”

“But the Orb said—”

“He’sdead, Diem.”

“How can you be so certain?”

“Because I killed him myself.”

I pulled hard on my reins. “You...what?”

She stopped as well, struggling to meet my eyes. “He was unwell. Lost to mad delusions. The day you were born, he tried to stab you. There was a struggle, and...” She didn’t finish, her expression grim.

I stared down at my hands as my head began to spin. Though I’d insisted I didn’t need him, a tiny part of me had hoped he really was looking for me, wanting to know me.

It shouldn’t have hurt so badly to lose something I’d never had.

She drew her horse close and took my hand. “I never wanted you to know this, my darling girl. I knew it would only bring you pain.”

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