Page 396 of Heat of the Everflame

Doriel pulled the ritual dagger from their coat. “Since Umbros has voted no, Diem and her mother are hereby charged as enemies of the Crowns. We’ll complete the coronation ritual to restore the Forging spell, then Diem will be arrested and imprisoned.”

My focus snapped to them. “What? That’s not what we agreed.”

“What weagreedis that I would give you my vote and speak in your favor. I fulfilled my side of our bargain. If you can’t fulfill yours...” They trailed off, and I realized with horror just how badly I’d been duped. If the Crowns imprisoned me and killed Ophiucae before I could, the bargain would become impossible for me to fulfill, and my magic would be gone.

Both threats neutralized—permanently.

My pulse surged with mounting panic. “You can’t hold me. Only Fortos has prison cells strong enough to contain a Crown, and I’m its Queen.”

Doriel’s lips pursed. “There are othercells we can use.” Their eyes swept across the island—to a heavy godstone door laying wide open in the brush.

I stumbled backward, fighting for air. “You... you’re going to do to me what they did tohim.”

“My guards told me you let his people go. You may not have planned the attack, but you clearly have sympathies for his cause. I cannot risk you killing him only to step right into his shoes.” They had the gall to look mildly rueful. “I’m sorry, Diem. I have to protect my people.”

Doriel stuck their fingers in their mouth and let out a loud whistle. Seconds later, a bright red flare shot into the pre-dusk sky. Clumps of soldiers appeared on the horizon near every port.

“We’ve been betrayed,” a Guardian shouted from outside the Temple.

“Kill the Crowns,” another yelled. “If we go down, they go down with us.”

They raised their weapons, but just as they ran for the dais, two gryverns dove from the clouds with matching shrieks. The smaller, slower one I recognized as Vexes, the Sophos gryvern. The second I’d never seen, but from the blue-green glow building in its jaws—and the grim look on Meros’s face—I could guess where it belonged.

The creatures banked into a loop over our heads and unleashed plumes of pink and turquoise dragonfyre at every mortal who came near.

Fear and fury rose in equal measures. On the island, our bonds with our gryverns went dark alongside our magic, meaning Doriel had to have coordinated this long before we left the Sophos shores.

Allowing Luther and I to stay in the library hadn’t been a token of appreciation—it had been a distraction to keep us out of the way.

“What have you done?” I screamed at Doriel. “My mother swore to the Guardians that they’d be safe. They’ll never trust her now. You’re going to run the rebels right into his arms.”

“We can handle them. Now we know where his camp is, and after the successful battle in my realm, we know how to defeat him.”

“You didn’tdefeathim, you idiot, he left because of me. I told him your people were under my protection. If I hadn’t, he would have wiped your realm from the gods-damned continent.”

Doriel’s face went a shade paler, but they raised their chin, stubbornly burying themselves in the quicksand of their choice.

I whipped around to the others. “Don’t you see this is a coup? You’re happy to let Sophos single-handedly take control of the army?”

Their apprehensive looks said they very muchwere not, but at least for now, none was willing to speak up on my behalf.

“An enemy of the Crowns is unfit to rule,” Doriel interjected. “The Fortos Regent has stepped in to lead the Emarion Army.”

“How convenient that they’re answering only to you,” I shot back.

The sudden sound of laughter sliced through the tension, and my furious gaze flicked to its owner. Yrselle was watching with blatant amusement, no doubt savoring my demise.

“Clever, as always, Sophos,” she said between husky chuckles. “You thought of everything. Shame you showed your hand a bit too early.” Her smile spread wide. “I have not yet cast my vote.”

“But you said—”

“I said she doesn’t deserve my vote.” Her gaze cut to me. “I didn’t say I wouldn’t give it to her.”

“You’ve got to be kidding,” Ignios muttered. “You would pardon her after what was done to your realm?”

A storm settled over her features as she ignored him to stare me down. “There is much I could have told you, Daughter of the Forgotten. About your father and your magic. Your fate. About Omnos.”

Doriel’s head snapped toward her.

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