Page 82 of Heat of the Everflame

When I touched Taran’s magic, I could feel the hum of his power over my skin—not the vast, dominant aria Luther’s had been, but formidable nonetheless. I could also sense its friendly intentions, so much like its bearer.

I wondered what Taran’s godhood demanded of him. Did it insist that hefight, like mine usually did? Or did it tell him totease?Togrin?Todrink?

“It’s coming back more frequently,” Alixe said to Luther as he returned. Hers had appeared earlier as well, providing temporary safety while we walked under the cloak of her illusions. “Any sign of yours?”

“Not since the other day,” he answered.

He looked at me in question, and I shook my head. I’d been waiting all day for some whisper of thevoice’s call. With my luck,the flameroot would wear off the very moment the danger had ended.

We resumed our trek, our pace brisker thanks to our new confidence in Taran’s health. He kept Alixe and I entertained with shadow magic creations that grew increasingly obscene, while Luther fell further and further behind.

The storm continued its foreboding approach to land, bringing stronger winds and a darker sky. With the sun obscured by the clouds, it was nearly impossible to know how close we were to nightfall—and, thus, how close we were to Umbros.

Every turn along the coast had us stretching our necks for a glimpse of the realm’s infamous black rock canyons, only to be greeted with more Ignios sand.

I second-guessed everything about my plan. What if the King flew overhead on his gryvern or his guard came riding over the dunes? What if they were already waiting for us at the border?

Worse—what if Taran’s fear had been right, and Umbros brought even more danger than Ignios?

We’d been safe enough in the abandoned Mortal City, but I, in my infinite wisdom, had thrown around the weight of my Crown and forced us to go, all on some hunch thatonwardlay our salvation.

I looked back at Luther. He’d been staring at the ground, his hood pulled low, but his eyes rose to mine in an instant.

Trust your instincts, my Queen, he’d told me.Above all else, trust yourself.

After what I’d done last night, did he still believe those words? Did he still believe inme?

I laid a palm across my chest. Seconds later, I got my answer: with a slow nod, he did the same.

“Wait,” Alixe hissed from up ahead.

We’d approached a rocky outcrop where she crouched at the point, peering down the beach.

“Three guards,” she whispered. “They don’t look like they’re searching.”

“Might be a watchpoint to look for anyone crossing the border off the Ring Road,” Taran said.

“Can they kill us just for that?” I asked.

“Not unless they realize who you are,” Luther said.

“We could wait here and hope my magic returns to hide us,” Alixe suggested. “But the longer we wait, the more we risk being caught.”

Taran pushed his shirt up his forearms, an excited gleam in his eyes. “There are three of them and four of us. If we strike first and I use my shield to stop their flames, we can take them down.”

“An unprovoked attack on Ignios soil might start an entirely different war,” Alixe warned.

Luther nodded. “There’s no good option.” He turned to me. “It’s your decision, my Queen.”

I stiffened.

Right... Authority. Control. Deference.

This was what I’d demanded from them.

Though the Crown was hidden away inside me, I felt its weight on my head more than I ever had.

I looked at Taran. “Do you still have your magic?” He conjured a shadow spear in response, and my insides knotted. “Then we go now—but we don’t attack. Not unless we have no other choice.”

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