Page 3 of Burn of the Everflame

The Luther of a month ago would have obeyed without a second thought. I’d always been a devoted servant, ready to offer up my life for the Blessed Mother’s divine will. But ever since losing Diem to that fucking island, knowing she was alone, after all she’d already been through . . .

For the first time in my life, when called on by my patron goddess, I said no.

“I’ll think about it.” I shoved the cork in the jar and started to hand it back to Auralie, then thought better of it. Our mutual trust was growing, but it had a long way to go.

I tucked it into my pocket instead. “I’m going to check on Sorae.”

“You can bring her closer to camp, you know. I won’t let anyone hurt her.”

“Are you going to dismantle your ballista and burn the godstone bolt so no one can use it against her?”

No response came.

“Then Sorae will stay where she is.”

“Luther . . .”

“I said no, Auralie. Diem would have my head if she knew Sorae was this close to them as it is.”

“It’s not that. A messenger hawk arrived this morning.” She held out a scrap of rolled-up paper, her expression grave. “Vance is in Lumnos.”

My blood went cold. Visions of a burning, crumbling palace filled my mind, the imagined screams of my sister Lily ringing in my ears.

“Is Ophiucae with him?” I asked. “Did they attack?”

She shook her head. “He only brought Francis, his third-in-command. They’re recruiting for Ophiucae’s army.”

Her answer brought little relief. Vance and Ophiucae had formed an unlikely alliance, bonded by their shared wish to see all Descended dead. Where one went, the other might not be far behind.

“And if they do more than recruit?” I asked.

“We talked about this, Luther. We agreed it was a risk we had to take. Lumnos is well fortified against an attack.”

“So was Fortos. Now half the city is a pile of rubble.”

Her expression softened with a maternal concern I wasn’t sure what to do with. I hadn’t seen a look like that since my mortal mother was alive. “My offer still stands,” she said. “I can have my people get your sister and bring her here⁠—”

“No,” I cut in. “Keep your people away from her.” Though I’d allied myself with the Guardians, I saw the way their hands tightened on their blades when I passed. Lily was no safer here than in Lumnos.

“Very well. If there’s anything else I can do . . .”

I turned away, unsettled by her compassion. “Tell me if you hear more. If Ophiucae gets anywhere near Lumnos, I want to know.”

I found Sorae in her usual spot. Though I was unwilling to let her come near camp, she was equally unwilling to let me too far out of sight. We’d compromised on the trees by the Arboros coast, out of range of the Guardians’ ballista but close enough that if Diem got free, we could be airborne in minutes.

Today, though, she wasn’t alone. She was sprawled on the shore with Teller, who sat nearby on a boulder, holding a fishing rod he’d crafted from wood and horsehair.

Sorae lifted her head and let out a whir of greeting. Her golden eyes shone with the same concern as Auralie’s, though I knew her spirits were as low as mine.

Teller cast me a glance. “Your magic’s back again,” he said flatly.

Again—so he knew I’d been keeping it a secret.

I schooled my reaction. “What makes you think that?”

“Your eyes get brighter. The same thing happened to Diem when she stopped taking the flameroot. Every time it happens, you disappear, and you don’t come back until they’re dark again.”

I stood on Sorae’s other side and stroked a hand down the obsidian scales of her neck. She leaned into me with a restless whine.