Page 47 of Iris of the Crowned Flame

While waiting here, I used my gift to lift all the ash covering everyone, helping to clean them as best as I could.

“Juniper?” I asked, as I stood by the windows, watching the ash swirl out through the cracks in the glass. “Egan accused me of causing that… whatever that is. I don’t know what even happened. Do you think I did it?”

Juniper’s face told me everything I feared, but I still waited for her answer. She took a moment before talking.

“Yes, I felt the magic gathering and surging, and it came from you. You caused a fiery eruption, made the earth tremble, and causedrivers of firethat reshape the ocean. You are the Queen foretold, and Spencer is the King.”

I looked around. Every time my eyes landed on a priestess, she thumped her chest and knelt before us. I looked at Father and saw pride as he lowered his gaze to offer me that same respect. I looked back out to the pillar of fire and ash spewing from Scoria Bay. “She shall cause the land’s heart to bleed flames into the sky and will herald a change in the realm itself.” I whisper.

What do I do now? What change is coming?

CHAPTER 30

Ash fell from the sky for a full week. Since Zoya was the only other brown-eyed priestess in the city, she joined me, and we worked with the merchants and farmers to clear the ash from the fields and the open-air market every day. During these times, especially while out on the field, Zoya taught me everything she could about the prophecy. People commonly believed that our gods slept, but nobody ever shared the prophecy of their awakening. The history of the war was also incredibly vague and unhelpful, for being something that altered our way of life.

Spencer was busy too, learning from Emberly how to use his gifts to navigate diplomatic situations without people being aware. I learned only women received magical abilities before the war. Gods had told people that magic was an equalizer, to allow us a fighting chance when they tried to subjugate us. Anyone who knew that much wouldn’t expect Spencer to have his gift. He learned how to hide it from those who know about magic and practiced using it without suspicion. The priestesses didn’t know if his gifts meant that everyone in Elthas would have access to magic now.

I felt no small amount of satisfaction at the knowledge that the gods and goddesses wanted to avoid exactly the oppressiveways I secretly rebelled against. It helped me to feel more connected to them, and that, in turn, strengthened my ability to use magic.

Once the ash slowed to a level that Zoya could handle on her own, Father urged me to attend the following day’s council meeting. He had been trying to navigate relations with the Council after making such an announcement without their input, but couldn’t keep Lord Denenbaum and Lord Luther from demanding my presence. Until the coronation, they had the right to order me to attend their meetings when they wanted. Father was only just barely able to prevent them from sending royal guards after me, only because I was doing so much work to help preserve the crops and goods that our kingdom desperately needed.

So, I attended the Council meeting a week after I created that volcano. I took Spencer with me, too. I hoped Spencer could help me expect problems; it would be his first meeting with Lord Denenbaum, which might provide important insight into his connection to the God of Death and Prince Egan. He wouldn’t pry into his mind. That’s too risky. He can still find important information by reading his haze.

The morning of the meeting, I first headed to my mother’s old office. The room remained as she had decorated it, and I almost regretted choosing it. It still smelled like her, and the pain from the grief almost felt too much. But no one knew I was using it, and Juniper has taught me the spell to check for ears, so we knew it was secure. I made a mental note to get Amyra and Ivy to help me redecorate the room. They’d handle the process with care and help me feel more comfortable in here.

Spencer was to meet me here, and he knocked on the door just as I wrapped up the spell to search for ears. Technically, we are supposed to have a chaperone, but I didn’t much care about these traditions in the volcano's wake, as they protected archaic notions of a woman’s value related to men. I may not have the same connection to the gods the priestesses did, but Ifelt it in my heart of hearts that they found this tradition useless, at least at this stage of betrothal.

As the door opened, I put the burning twigs out and tucked them into the box Juniper gave me. I glanced to the door to ensure it’s just Spencer and offered him a smile as he closed it behind him.

“Are you ready for this?” He asked me. He quickly crossed the room to join me by the desk. I leaned into a hug from him, and as he released me, his hands naturally fell to my waist to keep me close.

“Zoya and I spent many hours talking about it all while we were alone in the fields, clearing them. I don’t know how it will go, but I know what needs to be done.”

I looked up at him. “The question is, are you ready? This won’t be a polite, calm meeting. I need you to promise that you won’t speak up or react unless I signal to you. I also need you to share with me if you sense any sign of alliance with Egan.”

I hadn’t talked to anyone about my plans for this meeting. I wouldn’t be making friends and may even leave the meeting with enemies.

I felt Spencer inside my mind, looking for what’s left unsaid. I didn’t guard against his search, just stared up at him, waiting for his reaction. After a moment, he smiled.

“My Queen, I love you more every time I see how your beautiful mind works.”

My breath hitched. He’s never said he loved me before. I hadn’t even had the time to stop and consider such a feeling. My mind raced, not sure how to respond. Spencer leaned down for a kiss. ‘Don’t worry about words with me. I will always have your back, even if you never match my feelings. I’m here to serve you, Lyla.’

With his reassurance, I leaned into the kiss, the warmth of his lips sending a slow, melting heat through me. A hint of nutmeg and cinnamon lingered on his breath, rich and intoxicating, as if he had been savoring something forbidden.

Another knock on the door signaled our guards were ready to escort us down. I refused to navigate anywhere without themat this point. With Egan missing and no way of knowing whether Lord Denenbaum knew his whereabouts, the risk was too great.

Spencer and I ended our kiss, and he offered a smile with the same reassurance that his thoughts provided. I leaned into one more hug before saying, “Let’s go start a fight.”

CHAPTER 31

Just walking into the meeting room was enough to start chaos before I even spoke. Besides the Council, I saw Father and Ethan present already and was grateful for their silent support as they sat in their respective seats. The rest of the Council struggled with this, choosing instead to shout at me. Spencer’s apprehension was palpable, since this was his first invited meeting. I tried to offer the same mental reassurance he just provided me as I took my seat at the head of the table. I motioned to Spencer to take the one to my right hand, the one reserved for the King.

Then I sat quietly, waiting for the Councilors to stop their shouting, ignoring them until they calmed down. I knew they had a lot of issues to hash out with me right now, but that didn’t mean I had to listen on any terms but mine. I fully intended to set the tone for how they would address their grievances with me going forward, among other things.

Eventually, they settled down, but most remained standing. I made a note that Juniper was sitting in her usual seat, with a smirk on her face, avoiding eye contact with me. I wondered briefly if she and Spencer were talking.

“Thank you for calming down.” I started while still sitting. “Today’s discussion will cover many issues, but I’d like to startby explaining my stance. I expect you will extend me the grace of listening without interruption.”

---