Page 323 of Heat of the Everflame

“Don’t change the subject.”

“Leave it be, Diem.” Her features were carved in a gentle scold, her tone maternal but firm.

“I could take the answer from your mind myself.”

She had the nerve to shrug. “You won’t. I know you better than that.”

I ground my teeth, knowing and hating that she was right.

“If he is from Arboros, his magic shouldn’t work here,” Luther cut in. “And those buildings look made from Montios magic.”

“He’s not a Montios Descended.” The words fell from my lips without thinking, like that was some fact I’d innately known.

“Maybe he’s not the only Descended here,” my mother said.

Luther and I exchanged a look. In our current state, fighting one powerful Descended would be hard enough. If there were more...

“Is thatVance?” she gasped. My focus snapped to see my old foe gathering the mortals into a crowd. “What happened to his arm?”

“I did,” I said, ignoring her appalled stare. “I should have known he’d be here.”

“He’s got my sword,” Luther grumbled. Sure enough, a familiar jeweled hilt glittered on a scabbard at Vance’s hip.

“That thieving ass.” I launched forward. “I’m stealing it back.”

“No,” Luther and my mother said in unison, both of them reaching for my arms.

“Let him have it,” Luther said. “That sword means nothing to me now. Besides, you teased me ruthlessly for it. What did you call it? A ‘garish piece of tin’?”

A sudden laugh burst from my mother, and I smirked. Luther shot us both an unamused look.

“It must have meant something if my teasing bothered you so much,” I said.

“Whatbotheredme was you thinking I was a spoiled royal who didn’t know how to fight.” He leaned in closer, his voicegoing dark and rough. “Hopefully I’ve proven by now that whatever sword I’m working with, I can get the job done.”

My eyes briefly dropped below his waist. “Not yet, you haven’t.”

His nostrils flared.

“Besides, I’m Diem Corbois now.” I shrugged. “That’s my family heirloom, and I want it back.”

My mother’s back snapped so straight I worried she might have cracked a bone. “What do you mean you’re DiemCorbois?”

“I made a deal to claim House Corbois. In exchange, Remis promised no Corbois would rise against me at the Challenging.” I snorted. “So much for that.”

“Remis Challenged you?”

“No, Luther did.”

She whipped to him. “You tried to kill my daughter for the Crown?”

“It’s not what it sounds like,” I interrupted. I winced and rubbed my throat, which had begun to ache. “It’s a long story—one we don’t have time for.”

Vance’s voice carried to us as he addressed the crowd of mortals with an impassioned monologue. I caught enough to recognize it as his standard drivel—all Descended are bad, all Descended must die, Guardians must be willing to die for the cause, blah blah blah.

I threw my mother a sour look. “Is this what you believe? Is this what the Guardians stand for?”

Her lips pressed, though she gave no response.

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