Page 99 of The Spark that Ignites
Callias’s lips parted, and he inclined his head to marvel at the golden flowers blossoming on each branch, the petals unfurling in the moonlight. His eyes blinked as if he couldn’t believe what he was witnessing.
“Emmery,” Vesper whispered, his voice hoarse. “The Goddess Ellynne. I—” he stuttered, “I think she’s speaking to you.”
As the hushed voices rose to a chaotic hum, men and women staggered back from Emmery like she was a volcano set to erupt—a volatile force not to be tampered with. The worried faces looked between each other and back at her, seemingly deciding if they would celebrate or turn on her.
Emmery darted to Vesper in case the crowd chose the latter. “That’s not possible,” she breathed, panic rising in her chest.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Callias whispered. He turned to Emmery, a rare look on his face. It resembled wonder of all things. “The Goddess has heard you.”
Vesper pointed. “Look.”
Emmery turned back to the tree. The blooming flowers fell one by one, scattered by the tender breeze. The golden blossoms rained down, like the stars falling from the sky.
Her breath stalled, heart stumbling in her chest.
One fluttered into her open palm, still sticky with her blood. The flower seemed to speak to her as it yawned open, as if it had an important message to convey but no words to do so. It sang to her in a language once known, a story’s beginning and ending craving to be rewritten.
Those who hadn’t fled watched in wonder. Dozens of heads bowed, knees bent and touched their scars. At her side, both Vesper and Callias kneeled too, two fingers pressed to theirzvezda. But those who remained were not bowing to the Goddess.
No, they were bowing toher.
For summoning words from an absent goddess who abandoned them. For a sign that they were not alone even with thekhaosflame extinguished.
They bowed to hope.
Tears pricked her eyes as she looked around, her throat burning with emotion. Because she didn’t deserve this. To be bowed to when she’d donenothing. She’d tried and failed to relight thekhaosflame and was undeserving of their respect. And all she did was unintentionally produce some flimsy blossoms.
She wanted to scream at them all to get back up. To stop looking at her like that. Like she was worthy of anything.
But the goddess then spoke to her, the message clear. Emmery’s stomach twisted as the golden flower withered in her palm and turned to ash on the wind.
Chapter Thirty-Five
The elaborate pictures mocked her, depicting stories she couldn't piece together. Squinting at the stained-glass window, she begged it to give her answers. To show her something.Anything.
Emmery let her head fall back against the ballroom wall with a thump as she pulled her knees to her chest. What happened at the Tree of Eternal Blood jarred loose a feeling she had kept wound tight far too long. The unnerving stares from all those people needled under her skin like she was some sort of deity, a noble light in the lowly shadows. Not a shred of her wanted this burden of power or obligation of the prophecy, and she found herself lost, wandering in circles, no longer seeing the breadcrumbs guiding her back, nor seeing the path forward.
Aera nudged her face under Emmery’s hand, her horns scraping her palm. She stroked the velvety soft feathers of her injured wing, sadness cinching her gut. Each day Emmery worked on it but even with Callias’s balm successfully extracting the vile magic like an infectious weed, Aera still hadn’t taken flight. Maybe it was more of a mental block for the fox. Emmery knew that feeling well.
“What am I going to do, Aera?” she whispered. The fox nudged her hand again and gave a gentle yip. Emmery reached beside her to the plate of berries Marlys had prepared and popped one into her mouth. The sweet-tart flavour sang on her tongue. Aera nibbled on a berry, spat it onto the blue carpetand batted it like a toy before finally swallowing it. Subjecting Emmery to those big, round amber eyes, she begged for more.
Briar entered the ballroom, her booted footsteps soft on the carpet. She sank down the wall beside Emmery, mirroring her posture and Emmery wordlessly offered her the fruit plate.
She popped a raspberry into her mouth and Aera stared at Briar, jealousy hot in her watery eyes. When she yipped in protest, Emmery shot her a stern look.
“You’ve already had half the plate, little piggy.” Emmery tousled Aera’s furry head, and the fox gave her an unsavoury sneer, garnished with her fangs hanging over her lips, before hopping from her lap and sashaying out the door.
“She has quite the attitude,” Briar said, the corners of her mouth twitching. “I wonder where she learned that from.”
“Probably, Vesper. He’s a bad influence.”
Briar chuckled. “You can say that again.”
“If you’re here to tell me that what happened at the tree is no big deal, you should save your breath, Briar. Ves already gave me the whole spiel.”
She laughed, a bright feather light sound. “Just Bri. Please.”
“Bri.” Emmery tested out the nickname. “I noticed Ves and Callias call you that.”
