Page 83 of Flame and Sparrow

“No,” I answered honestly. “Though in my defense, I’ve lived a very curious life.”

“Most people would be unconscious from all of thecuriousthings you’ve been through tonight.”

“Not everyone processes pain the same way,” I pointed out.

His hand hesitated against my back at these words. I focused all of my energy on trying to breathe normally despite the heat radiating from his fingertips and shooting straight toward what felt like all the most sensitive parts of me.

He silently scooped several handfuls of warm water up and dripped them down my back, washing away the salve he’d spread across it, before he quietly asked, “Are you still in pain?”

I realized I wasn’t. The itching was growing fainter by the moment, too. I shook my head slowly, still not quite believing how quickly it had disappeared.

“Good.”

I glanced over my shoulder, watching him as he stood and turned his back to me.

“Our crowd of visitors downstairs doesn’t seem ready to move on, unfortunately,” he said. “Some of them likely won’t want to leave the palace until they’ve spoken with you. So prepare yourself. I’ll have Rieta bring up some proper clothing for you.”

I nodded, fighting the urge to sink beneath the water.

“You did well to solve the goddess’s trial, by the way. They all thought you were going to fail.” He started to leave.

“Didyouthink I was going to fail?” The question escaped before I could stop it. I didn’t want to care about his answer. Or any of his thoughts.

But I couldn’t deny that I did.

He paused in the doorway but took a long time answering—so long I assumed the answer wasyes. Of course he’d expected me to fail. He’d probablyhopedI would fail.

Rapping his knuckles against the door frame, he said, “I told you before that I knew a wildfire when I saw one, didn’t I?”

I nodded.

“Wildfires are sometimes hard to predict,” he concluded, shrugging, before disappearing into his room.

Chapter24

The clothing Rietabrought was perhaps the most beautiful outfit I’d donned since my arrival in this realm—or in any realm, for that matter. A peace offering, maybe. It was a delicate, ivory suit with trailing sleeves of gossamer fabric that made me think of the wings the Star Goddess had sprouted as we fell through the sky during her trial. They billowed gently, elegantly behind me as I walked, so although I didn’tfeelethereal or worthy of walking among gods, at least I looked the part.

Several heads turned when I entered the room, though my steps made no sound in the soft golden slippers I’d been given to wear. Only two of the Marr from the other courts nodded in greeting—the God of the Ocean, and a goddess I didn’t recognize with silver hair and white, shimmering freckles upon her dark brown skin.

I made a point to make eye contact even with the Marr who regarded me with nothing but disdainful looks, doing my best to move through the space as if I belonged in it. This was one of the first things Andrel and Cillian had taught me when they started to bring me along for rebel missions and demonstrations: act natural regardless of how I truly felt.

Not an easy feat in a room full of some of the most powerful beings in the known world.

I was still determined to try. I kept my head up and spoke when I was spoken to. I made sure to stare at them as if I wasn’t afraid, and I comforted myself by thinking of later, when I could be alone in my room, sketching these divine beings and all their strange, fascinating features.

Very few of them actually spoke to me, but I could tell they were all observing me as much as I was observing them. Even those who couldn’t be bothered to look my way clearly noticed every sound I made, every step I took; their bodies gave them away whenever their eyes didn’t, subtly angling toward me or even mirroring my movements.

After what felt like nearly an hour of this mingling, I felt cracks in my fearless facade starting to form. I needed familiar company, I thought—Valas, or Mairu, maybe—and I had just started to search for one of them when a strange, heavy chill overtook me, wrapping like a damp towel around my body.

“Hello, Mortal.” The cold, familiar voice of the Death Marr slid over me, stopping me in my tracks.

Perhaps I should have walked away. I’d been told to stay away from him, after all…but what was I supposed to do if he came tome? I couldn’t exactly run away.

Surely I was safe within this tower, anyway. In fact, there likely would never be an opportunity to more safely converse with him than this—and there were still so many questions I needed to ask him.

I turned and faced him. He looked a bit less intimidating here in the brighter, golden halls of the Fire God’s palace. The shadows surrounding him were subdued; his complexion warmer, less corpse-like. His eyes looked more human in the firelight illuminating the room, too, the wide orbs more deep blue than black.

“Hello, Zachar,” I said.

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