Kindred's Curse

These two chapters take place between Chapters 43 and 44 of Glow of the Everflame, after the Challenging but before Diem and Luther's boat ride to Coeurile for the Rite of Coronation. However, these bonus chapters contains spoilers, so it is not recommended to read them until you have finished reading Glow of the Everflame in full.

Happy reading!

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DIEM

"And then Diem was all, 'Do you think I'm unworthy?' and they were all 'No Your Majesty, we think you're the best Queen ever,' and she was all, 'House Hanoverre, what about you?' and Iléana started crying and Jean wet his pants and Marthe said-"

"Lil, you're stealing my lines," Taran huffed.

"And I think you skipped a few parts," Teller added with a grin.

Lily smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. I got excited. Where were we?"

"Diem had just chosen Rhon as her Challenger," Eleanor shouted from beside me at the table.

Lily lit up. "Oh, right!" She grabbed Teller's arm and dragged him from his seat. "Here, you come play Rhon."

My brother threw me a help me look as Lily positioned him across from Taran, who had conjured a coronet of shadows atop his head to mimic my Crown while he flung defiant middle fingers at the other six of us-Lily, Teller, Eleanor, Alixe, Luther, and myself. Though I'd tried my hardest to convince Perthe to join our post-Challenging victory dinner, he'd insisted on standing guard at the door to ward off the very long line of Corbois cousins who were anxious to worm their way into my inner circle now that my success at the Challenging had secured my place as Queen.

I shrugged in feigned helplessness at my brother, rubbing my mouth to hide my laughter. No one hated being in the spotlight more than Teller. If it wasn't for the fact that Lily was looking at him with the most egregiously adorable eyes, as if her very life depended on his cooperation, I was pretty sure he'd be halfway to Mortal City.

Teller sighed and feebly waved a hand toward Taran, who dove behind a chair to dodge the pretend attack, nearly taking out Alixe as he rolled under the table.

"You'll have to try harder than that, Limp Dick Ghislaine," he shouted in a mockingly feminine voice, clambering out from the other side. He grabbed a handful of food from the half-eaten platters and started flinging pieces across the room. "You can't beat me, I'm the great Diem Corbois!"

Teller flinched as an olive bounced off his temple. "Diem Bellator," he muttered.

On my other side, Luther grunted in agreement.

I glanced over, unsurprised to find him watching me rather than the spectacle playing out in front of him. He'd barely left my side since we'd returned to the palace-only once, just long enough for me to bathe and change into the glittery red dress I should have worn to the late King's funeral. It was my own middle finger-to the gods, to the Twenty Houses, to everyone in Lumnos who thought my funeral would be next. Though a part of me whispered warnings not to tempt fate, I was too high on my victory to pay them much heed.

And besides, I was sick of letting fate and gods decide my path. Whatever plans Lumnos and her Kindred siblings had in store for me, they would have to wait. I had my own plans now, and I intended to see them through.

"Over and over, Rhon Ghislaine attacked," Lily said in a hushed, dramatic voice. "He used all his sneakiest tricks and his strongest magic in an attempt to slay our beloved Queen."

Taran raised his shield. "What's taking so long, Rhon? I heard you always finished in thirty seconds or less."

Lily looked expectantly at Teller, waiting for him to play his part. He held out his palms with a frown. "But I don't have any magic."

"I can help with that," Luther offered. He smirked and flicked a finger toward Taran, whose eyes went wide as Luther's shadows sailed towards him in a swarm of tiny spikes, piercing easily through his shield.

Taran swore and took off running. "Betrayed by my own High General twice in one day!" he shrieked in that same high-pitched tone.

Luther's eyes narrowed. His fingers jerked again, and the magic picked up speed. Taran lunged behind Lily for cover, but Luther's magic sailed effortlessly around his sister, his dark thorns skewering Taran in the ass.

The others burst into laughter, though I frowned. "I thought our magic couldn't hurt the people we care about."

"It can't, Lu hates me," Taran wailed, rubbing his cheeks.

Luther's lip twitched with amusement. "It can, it's just more difficult. You have to focus on it much more than a normal attack. It can't happen accidentally-you have to convince your godhood that you truly want to do them harm." He threw his cousin a wry look. "And when it comes to Taran, that isn't hard to do."

I shivered at the idea of ever having to use my magic to hurt someone I loved. I silently prayed that was a skill I never had a reason to learn.

Lily cleared her throat and continued. "The battle raged on, with our brave Queen fighting tirelessly against her Challenger. She evaded his attacks with ease-" She paused and looked at Taran, who resumed his antics, upending chairs and knocking over side tables as he flung himself behind makeshift barriers. "-and our clever Queen even tricked him into believing she had no magic of her own." Her chest puffed out proudly. "But the Challenger's magic was no match for our fearsome Queen. Rhon's attacks-" She paused again, this time gesturing emphatically at Teller. He groaned and wiggled his fingers at Taran. "-Rhon's attacks were useless against our mighty Queen's invisible shield, a trick no one in Lumnos had ever seen before."

I felt the burn of Luther's stare return to me. This time, I avoided his gaze. We'd not yet had a chance to discuss what occurred during the Challenging, but I suspected he had the same questions as the ones running on a torturous loop in my head.

Had I really raised an invisible shield-and without even realizing it? It certainly hadn't felt like a shield. Rhon's attacks had seemed to refuel my magic rather than drain it. Was there something unique about Rhon's magic... or something unique about me?

I glanced down, frowning, and rubbed at my chest. I could still feel a sting of phantom pain from where Rhon's knife had nicked me just before I...

Before I killed him.

A sick feeling churned in my stomach. I hadn't let myself think too much on that part of what had happened-of the life I'd cut short. Of the family now grieving their son, slain at my hand.

I hadn't exactly intended to do that with my magic, either.

Another question I couldn't answer. The sparks and shadows came to me more easily now. I'd been playing with them off and on all day, slowly getting the hang of tapping into my emotions to conjure them at my palms.

But that light-that deadly, silvery light that snuffed a person from existence in the blink of an eye...

Something about that magic felt different in a way that left me unsettled deep in my bones. I hadn't even tried to use it again, and I wasn't sure I ever wanted to.

"Maybe we could skip to the end," I called out, forcing down the heavy lump in my throat.

"Thank the gods," Teller breathed. I peered over to see him on the ground, laying on his side, hog-tied in ropes of Taran's shadows.

Taran pouted. "But we haven't even gotten to the part where you burnt him to a crisp."

I winced. "A man is dead, Taran."

He snorted. "Good riddance. Rhon was always a weasel. Your life is worth his a hundred times over."

The pit in my chest sank deeper. While I appreciated Taran's loyalty, his words reminded me too much of the Guardians and the ease with which they were willing to trade the lives they valued for the ones they didn't.

"My life is worth no more than any other," I said softly.

Taran put his hands on his hips and gave me a look. "Queenie, come on. You can't really be feeling bad about killing that slimy little-"

"Taran," Luther clipped. "You heard Your Queen's orders." Taran shot him a petulant look, and Luther dipped his chin, staring pointedly at his cousin. "Her Majesty is ready for the grand finale. So why don't you give her a show she'll never forget?"

Taran's mouth split into a wide grin. He released his magic's grip on my brother, who crawled away and collapsed back into his chair with a relieved huff just as Taran's shadows began to spill across the floor.

I shot Luther a grateful smile. His hand found mine beneath the table and gave it a squeeze. Warmth bloomed up my arm at his touch, spreading through my chest.

"You have to float like Diem did," Lily cried out, giggling as dark tendrils of Taran's magic tickled at her legs.

"How did you do that, anyway?" Taran asked me.

My lips parted, then hung open in silence as no answer came. Yet another piece of my magic I couldn't understand, let alone replicate.

"Here, stand on this," Alixe called out. She kicked an empty chair toward him. Taran climbed on, and with a twitch of Alixe's fingers, the chair disappeared beneath her illusions, leaving Taran appearing to hover in mid-air.

Taran whooped in triumph. "I need light magic," he shouted. "Lil, help me out. Ellie-you, too."

Eleanor scrunched her nose at the nickname, but she gave in, joining Lily in summoning a swarm of glimmering sparks to float around him.

Taran cackled maniacally and waved his fists in the air. "I'm the most powerful Queen in Emarion! Fear me, you pretentious Descended pricks!"

Luther tutted. "This won't do. If you're going to portray my Queen-" He raised both palms. "-you better do her justice."

His eyebrows drew in with sharp focus. Magic started to pour from his hands, flooding the hall in a near-blinding torrent of shadows and light. Within seconds, the room transformed into a pit of darkness-a tumultuous, inky sea. It crashed against walls coated in obsidian vines that stretched up to a canopy of coal-black clouds dotted with a thousand twinkling stars. Shimmering light formed a massive halo around Taran's body and cast a web of pale blue beams slicing through the smoky haze, while a glittery sheen coated his skin, making him appear to glow from within.

The room fell silent as everyone-including me-watched in awe at the ethereal scene Luther had constructed.

And he didn't stop there-more and more of his magic took form in increasingly jaw-dropping ways. A mammoth gryvern crafted of light swooped in arcs against the ceiling while silhouettes rose in every direction, taking the form of the arena crowd, all of them kneeling and bowing their faceless heads in reverence.

Luther's invisible aura danced against my skin. It brushed against my cheeks, my lips, my neck, twining excitedly around my body. I could almost feel his godhood's joy at finally having a reason to unleash-to show me all that it could do and prove itself worthy of a place at my side. When my own magic rose to meet it, I threw caution to the wind and surrendered, allowing my godhood to stretch its long-suppressed limbs and spill outward with a mind of its own.

Luther's eyes snapped to me in surprise, shifting quickly to delight, then darkening with a carnal glaze that left my cheeks burning. I wondered what he felt-if my aura teased him like his toyed with me.

"Who wants to fight me now?" Taran bellowed. He pointed a finger at Lily. "House Byrnum, you want a go?"

She grinned and shook her head. "Never, Your Majesty."

"Marthe, what about you?" Taran barked at Eleanor. "Do I need to kick your old, wrinkly ass?"

Eleanor made a theatrical show of bowing her head. "Have mercy, Your Majesty. My family has already been so thoroughly embarrassed for one day." She shot me a wink. "Especially my grandchildren."

Taran hopped off his chair and swayed his hips as he sauntered over to Luther. "What about you, Prince?" he teased, his voice dropping to a sultry rasp. He slid onto Luther's lap and curled an arm around his neck. "If House Corbois wants to show its gratitude, you and I can find a room upstairs, big boy."

Luther tried to shove Taran off, and Taran grabbed his face, planting a loud, smacking kiss on his cousin's cheek. Luther's light-made gryvern soared down from the ceiling to nip at Taran's thighs. He yelped and fell to the floor, a charred, smoking hole now visible on his trousers.

Lily climbed on the chair Taran had abandoned and spread her arms. "And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the story of how our valiant, fearless, unbeatable Queen Diem earned her rightful place as the Crown of Lumnos."

The room burst into cheers and applause, then a few sad moans as Luther withdrew his magic and returned the room back to its ordinary state.

I raised my glass to Lily. "If that's how you tell every story, I'm going to have to appoint you my official historian. That was far more entertaining than the real thing."

"I have a feeling you won't need Lily's help," Eleanor joked. "Your reign will be eventful enough as it is."

I joined the others in their laughter, though her words had my nerves on edge once more. In this world, eventful meant dangerous. The threats I would face had only just begun-and while I was willing to put my own life on the line to bring justice for the mortals and half-mortals, I now had people I cherished fighting at my side.

While the Corbois cousins continued their teasing, I looked around the room at the people who had vowed to serve me, and my heart clenched. How had my father done it for all those years? He had led countless battalions of soldiers into war, knowing he could be sending them to their death. How had he managed the weight of their loyalty on his shoulders, the guilt of their sacrifices? What did it mean to be brave when the life you put at risk was no longer just your own?

There was not a day that went by that I didn't miss my father, but in this moment, when I needed his guidance more than ever, his loss felt nearly unbearable.

A burning tightness strangled my throat. A foot kicked mine beneath the table, and I looked up to see my brother watching me. Somehow, he seemed to sense where my thoughts had gone. His lips slid sideways as we shared a sad, heartbroken kind of smile, a bitter-sweet mutual understanding of all that we had lost amid the new family that we had gained.

"I'm proud of you," he mouthed silently.

I grinned and rolled my eyes-mostly to keep from bursting into tears at how much those words meant to me. When I tried to avoid his stare, his foot knocked into mine again, his expression turning solemn.

"Mother and Father would be, too," he added.

I was seconds away from becoming a sobbing, weepy mess when Taran unwittingly came to my rescue.

"Queenie, will you please tell him this is a celebration?" he whined, tugging at Luther's sleeve. "He refuses to drink, and you're the only one he won't say no to."

I blinked furiously to fight back my emotions and flashed Luther a small smile. "You're off duty tonight, Prince. Take pity on your poor cousin and have a drink."

His expression tightened as he studied my face, no doubt noticing the wetness still pooled in my eyes. Finally, he glanced at Taran, and his shoulders fell in a reluctant sigh. "One drink." Luther's gaze dragged back to me and twinkled with mirth. "And only because my beautiful Queen commands it."

Taran let out a hoot of victory and yanked Luther out of his seat, dragging him across the room to a nearby table stocked with an assortment of bottles and glasses. Teller froze as he watched Luther walk away, then he quietly shuffled over to Lily, the two of them falling into a whispered conversation.

Eleanor started to rise to join her two cousins, and I reached out to grab her hand. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you-a favor."

She flopped back into her chair, her dark curls bouncing on her shoulders. "Of course, anything you need."

"It's a small favor," I said. "Itty bitty, really. Almost insignificant. But you have to say yes before I tell you what it is."

Her brows rose. "If you insist," she said slowly.

"I do. So you accept?"

"Well, you are my Queen. I can't really say no."

"I was hoping you'd say that." I turned my chair to face her, then took her other hand and held them both in mine. "Eleanor Corbois, I hereby appoint you as my Regent."

The blood drained from her face. "Regent?" she squeaked. "No-I can't... I'm no... no!"

"Too late. You already agreed."

She shook her head vigorously. "I can't. I-I'm not qualified to be Regent."

I shrugged. "I'm not qualified to be Queen."

"But you ... you're-" She looked me up and down. "You're you. And I'm-" Her eyes fell to her lap, her shoulders sinking. "I'm me."

"Exactly," I said. "You're honest and trustworthy. You've always given me sound advice. You understand how things work here at court, and I know you have a good heart. I have faith you'll take care of the mortals, if I can't." I wove my fingers with hers and squeezed them until her gaze returned to mine. "There's very few people I'd trust running this realm in my absence Eleanor, and they're all in this room. I have to choose one of you, and you're my pick."

"It's a good choice," Alixe chimed in from down the table. She nodded her head at Eleanor. "You know everyone, and you've got good relationships within the family and in all the other Houses. You would know exactly who to ask for help, and you're humble enough to listen to them. You proved the other day that you're brave enough to stand up to our uncles." She nodded again, this time more decisively. "I agree with Her Majesty. You're the right person for the job."

I beamed at Alixe's show of support. The two women led very different lives that had previously prevented them from becoming close, but I knew how much Eleanor respected Alixe. Her vote of confidence would mean a great deal-perhaps even more than mine.

"What about Luther?" Eleanor asked, the words so desperate they were nearly a plea. "He was groomed to be King. Surely he would be-"

"If my Regent is in power," I cut in, "then I'm either in danger or dead. If it's the latter, then Luther will most likely be King. He'll need a Regent he can trust until his coronation."

"And if it's the former, he won't care about ruling Lumnos," Alixe added. "He won't care about anything until Her Majesty is safe."

Eleanor's hesitation lingered, and Alixe flashed her a wistful smile that spoke of a deeper understanding. "You will never feel worthy, cousin. The right people never do. I assure you, people who are far less deserving would happily take the role without a second thought. Perhaps you're an unconventional choice, but that doesn't make you the wrong one." She lifted her wine glass. "So take your opportunity, and do the best job with it that you can."

I watched as Eleanor slowly sat up straighter, seeming to inflate with confidence at Alixe's words. Her expression shifted from terror to a cautious hope as she mulled it over.

Though I'd never doubted Alixe was a good leader, seeing her so adeptly ease her cousin's fears-firmly, but with compassion-reminded me so much of my father, my chest began to ache. That ability to take a soldier quivering with nerves at a looming challenge and inspire them to face it head-on was exactly what had made him such an effective commander.

Alixe would be a fine High General.

The thought took me by surprise-though I couldn't deny it was true. And now that I knew I could trust her to protect the mortals, not crush them, it seemed like a role she was born to play. But my High General was Luther...

My eyes drifted to where he and Taran were standing by the makeshift bar. Luther's face twisted in disgust at the fizzing, bright purple concoction in his glass while Taran howled and egged him on.

As if sensing my attention, his eyes cut to mine. The corner of his lips lifted in one of those warm, secret smiles he saved only for me, and my heart fluttered around my ribs, as if yearning to break free and go get him.

I thought of what Alixe had implied-that Luther would abandon everything to come to my aid if I was in danger. There was a time when I might have denied it, but not anymore. Not after all we had been through and all he had done at the Challenging.

Luther had vowed himself to me. Not to the Crown or the realm or its people, but to me.

And as much as I cherished his devotion, I couldn't help but wonder whether that was where a High General's loyalty should rightfully lie.

Eleanor let out a loud sigh, pulling my focus back to the table. "I was supposed to advise you on what to wear and who to get gossip from, not run an entire realm."

I grabbed a bottle of wine from the table and refilled her goblet, then my own. "You know, a very wise woman once told me that we're not reborn in the flames, we're revealed." I picked up her glass and offered it to her. "I have seen the powerful woman inside you, Eleanor Corbois. It's time the rest of the realm saw her, too."

She knocked her glass back, downing its contents in a single gulp, then pushed to her feet. "If I'm going to replace Uncle Remis, I'm going to need something stiffer than wine." She wobbled off unsteadily toward Luther and Taran.

"How did Remis take the news?" Alixe asked once we were alone.

I smiled warily. "I haven't told him. I thought it best to wait until after my coronation to break the news, or else my boat might mysteriously sink to the bottom of the Sacred Sea on its way back."

"Another wise decision," she said, laughing. She grabbed the bottle of wine to refill our glasses. "Do you intend to keep him on as an advisor?"

I balked in surprise. "You think I should?"

She shrugged lightly. "I don't blame you for not trusting him. In your place, I wouldn't, either. But..." She glanced around the room. "Your current Council is young. Very young. And, save for Luther, inexperienced with leadership."

I frowned. "You know what my plans are, Alixe. You really think Remis will be willing to help with that?"

"Perhaps. Remis is very dedicated to protecting those he cares for."

"Indeed," I said, snorting. "Unfortunately, the only person he cares for is himself."

She glanced over at Luther, keeping silent for a long time, then murmured softly, "Perhaps." She took a sip of her wine and shrugged again. "If so, all the better, I suppose. If you can convince him you'll protect his interests, whatever they may be, he could still be an asset."

I sank back into my chair, chewing my lip in thought. I'd already warned the others of my promise not to tell anyone that the broken bonded bargain had left Remis magicless, and they had vowed to stay silent, as well. As reluctant as I was to keep my word to a snake like Remis, I also knew it would motivate him to keep my brother safe, and that was worth keeping any secret.

But did that mean he had any place on my Crown Council? He had kept his promise not to work against me before the Challenging-the bonded bargain would have broken earlier, if he had. I begrudgingly had to admit that, until everything had gone south due to Lily's failed betrothal, he had been a useful ally. And with his magic gone, he needed someone powerful to protect him.

Perhaps I could give him a second chance-and a choice: accept my vision for a new and improved Lumnos, or pack your bags and retire into irrelevance.

I sighed. "I suppose I could try to make it work. But only as an advisor, not as Regent. Ally or not, Remis's days of running this realm are over."

Alixe nodded. "Have you given thought to who your Wardens will be?"

My brows drew inward. The Warden of the Light and Warden of the Shadows were powerful titles, their words carrying the full authority of the Crown-and unlike the Regent, who only stepped in on the rarest of occasions, the Wardens' reign ran concurrent with my own. I wasn't sure how I could be expected to bestow that kind of power on anyone else when I still didn't feel worthy to wield it myself.

I swirled the wine in my glass, hesitating on my next words. Outside of my magic training, Alixe and I hadn't spent much time together. I knew enough of her character to trust her loyalty, but we were still learning each other, still feeling out the boundaries of this unexpected new friendship.

"Does it not seem odd to you that the mortals make up half of this realm, yet have no place in its leadership and no say in its governance?" I asked carefully.

"It does," she said, equally as slowly. "You plan to make a mortal your Warden, then?"

"Perhaps," I hedged. I shifted in my seat. "Or perhaps I won't appoint any Wardens at all."

Her eyebrows rose in silent question.

"Perhaps," I went on, sitting up straighter, "the Descended way of running this realm has proven itself a failure. Perhaps if I really want to see things change, I need to start at the top."

Alixe frowned and opened her mouth to respond, but her answer was interrupted by a bottle of dark liquid slamming down in front of me.

"Taran says this is the strongest bottle we have," Eleanor chirped as she flopped back into her chair, the half-full bottle and her slurred words suggesting she'd already taste-tested his claim.

"Only the best for our new Regent," Taran announced, perching on the table beside her.

"I can't believe I'm agreeing to this," she moaned.

Luther slid into the chair beside me, holding a handful of tiny, gold-rimmed liquor glasses cut from glittering blue crystal. He laid them out in front of me and grabbed the bottle, yanking its cork free with a loud pop.

"I guess you heard the news," I said to him quietly.

"I did," he murmured back.

I watched him add a splash to each glass, my nerves growing as I waited for him to say more-to warn me of the consequences, diplomatically urge me down a different path, or worst of all, to clench his jaw in that way of his that screamed I detest this without saying a word.

But when he offered me a glass and finally met my gaze, his blue-grey eyes shone with such radiant pride, all my worries melted away.

Henri had looked at me like this once, after I'd completed my first Guardians mission at House Benette. At the time, I'd been spell-bound by his newfound reverence-at the idea that anyone could see me as someone capable of greatness, a leader worthy of following, deserving of being admired.

It wasn't until now that I realized Luther had always looked at me like this.

He handed over the rest of the glasses to the others, then raised his toward Eleanor. "To my formidable cousin, as deserving of this honor as she is capable. I only hope she won't hold it against me when I say I pray her services as Regent are never needed."

Eleanor snorted. "I'll drink to that."

"Cheers to the new Regent of Lumnos," Alixe declared. The others echoed and leaned forward to clink their glasses.

"And," I cut in, "to my Crown Council." I glanced at Luther and Taran. "Including its two newest members."

Taran's eyes bulged as round as saucers. "You... you mean it? I get to be an advisor?"

"Well, you gave me such good advice before the Challenging." I grinned wide and winked at him. "Advice I've decided to take."

He looked at Luther, then at me, hope sparking alight in his features. I nodded in silent confirmation, and he let out a piercing squeal that could only be described as a swoon.

He crawled down the top of the table, sending countless dishes clattering to the floor and Alixe and Eleanor lunging to avoid the mess, then flung his arms around my neck. "Take care of him, Queenie," he mumbled, his voice rough and too low for anyone but me to hear. "You'll never find a better partner. And neither will he."

"I will," I promised. When he pulled back, there were tears in his eyes and a smile of pure, unfiltered joy on his face.

I looked over at Luther. "Well, Prince? Will you do me the honor of serving as my advisor?"

"Does this mean I've finally earned your favor?" he asked.

"I think that's safe to say," Eleanor joked.

I nodded my agreement, my look of amusement matching his own.

"Good," he said, a twinkle in his eyes. "Because there's a few other parts of you I've decided to win over, too."

Heat filled my blood at the promise in his tone.

"I don't think he just means your heart, Queenie," Taran whispered loudly. "I think he means what's between your l-"

I grabbed a roll and stuffed it into Taran's mouth before he could finish.

"To my Crown Council," I announced, lifting my glass.

"And to our Queen," Eleanor cheered.

"To our Queen," Alixe echoed.

"Tthh hhrrr Kwnnn," Taran slurred, his mouth full of bread.

Luther smiled. "To my Queen. Long may she reign."

____________________

LUTHER

"Gather round, good folks, take heed

Of the scourge of Lumnos, an immoral breed:

The blue-eyed Dessies, with skin so fair,

Their hearts full of ash and their skulls full of air."

Taran's voice reverberated through the dining hall, echoing all the way to the palace rafters. After draining an alarming-yet-impressive number of bottles, he'd begged Diem to teach him one of the drinking songs the mortals sang in their taverns. To his delight, she'd chosen one about the Descended, and the two of them, along with Eleanor and Lily, were now dancing up and down the long wooden dining table and bellowing the words at the top of their lungs.

Teller paced on the floor beside them, lunging forward with arms out every time Lily stepped too close to the edge. Alixe, meanwhile, had persuaded Perthe to end his shift early, and the two of them were having an animated conversation near the bar.

As for me, I was lounging in a chair at the head of the table, nursing my drink and indulging in my favorite sight in the world-my Queen's jubilant laughter.

A sight that, for awhile, I wasn't sure I would ever get to see again.

"Oh Dessies, Dessies, a loathsome crew,

Cruel and vicious, untrustworthy too.

Beware their charms, stay out of their beds

(If only their dicks were as big as their heads)."

Diem glanced at me over her shoulder with a grin that was pure mischief, and I was smiling back at her before I even realized I was doing it. I'd smiled so much tonight, my face was genuinely beginning to ache. I couldn't seem to resist it whenever she was around.

I'd spent my entire life learning how to control my face, my voice, my posture, smothering every sign of emotion to keep my true thoughts hidden from the world.

Then she walked into my life, and all those years of careful practice went right out the window.

It wasn't just joy her presence provoked. Jealousy, possessiveness, rage, vulnerability, fear, desperation, desire. When it came to Diem- and especially how others treated her-all my darkest emotions seemed to slip their leash.

It was exhilarating, but it was also terrifying. The walls I'd built were there for a reason. The last time I'd let them fall, another woman I cared for had ended up dead, my body scarred and my life forever changed.

I forced my features to harden, erasing the happiness from my face. I couldn't risk that happening again. Diem was too important.

To the realm-and to me.

It didn't matter that I trusted everyone in this room. I'd learned a long time ago that protecting my loved ones meant keeping them at a distance. It was the only way to keep them safe. I could share parts of myself with each of them, but never would I show it all.

Except to her.

Only for her.

I couldn't keep it from her if I tried. She had always seen right through me. Even now, she perched her hands on her hips and scowled at my shift in expression like she knew exactly what I was doing, and she hated it.

She started to storm toward me, then jerked backward as Taran slung an arm around her neck and continued crooning.

"They'll stab your back, then cut your throat,

Then steal your wife and defile your goat.

They rob, they cheat, not a true word they say.

And worst of all, they're a lousy lay!"

The two of them locked arms and began skipping in a circle as they sang, her temper forgotten.

I took a slow sip of my drink, knowing it wasn't just the strong alcohol sending a burst of warmth through my chest. The way Taran had embraced her, the way she had embraced him, meant more to me than either of them could imagine.

Despite his carefree persona, Taran had faced too much pain in his life. Like me, he kept it hidden, though he smothered his with grins and laughter. I suspected Diem saw through his mask, too. She may have walked away from her life as a healer, but it was woven within her as surely as the Crown. She was drawn to those who were suffering, and her innate ability to mend a wounded soul went far beyond what any salve or magic could ever do.

Taran valued two things above all else-loyalty and love-and Diem had offered him both without hesitation. I wasn't sure if she fully understood how much that had meant to him. How much he had needed it. How close he had been to giving in to the darkness before she arrived.

And she had needed him, too. In those terrible weeks after her father's murder, when she hadn't even been able to look me in the eyes, it was Taran and Eleanor who pulled her through. They had worked together to keep her surrounded by laughter and light no matter how hard she tried to push them away, their devotion to her nothing short of relentless.

I would owe them forever for that-though I didn't think either of them had done it for me.

As they twirled each other around the tabletop, true happiness on their faces, my chest tightened with a swell of gratitude.

I held my hand out in front of me and summoned a spark of pale blue light and a wisp of midnight shadow to the center of my palm. I watched as both floated higher and dissolved into mist, two drops of magic gone forever from my reserves as an offering to the Blessed Mother.

"Thank you," I whispered, staring up toward the heavens. "I will serve her with everything I have."

"Shouldn't you be up here dancing with me, Prince?" Diem teased.

I looked down to see her striding toward me across the tabletop. Shimmering red fabric bunched at her hips as they swayed, the hem of her dress riding higher up her thighs. I let my eyes linger there, drinking in her warm-toned skin and the long, graceful lines of her perfect legs.

"I think I prefer the view from down here," I rumbled.

When my eyes returned to hers, a rosy flush had colored her cheeks. I fucking adored that I could have this effect on her. She was the boldest woman I'd ever met, perfectly willing to provoke a room of the realm's most intimidating warriors into all-out war by teasing them about their failures in bed, and yet one compliment from me, and she was practically shy.

She bit her lip-another thing I couldn't keep my eyes off of. "Were you having a chat with Grandma Lumnos?" she asked.

The edge in her voice took me by surprise. "You still haven't made peace with the Blessed Mother, even after what happened at the Challenging?"

She shrugged. "Why should I? I asked her for guidance today, and she didn't answer."

"I very much doubt that."

I could see the ways the Blessed Mother was moving in Diem's life, helping her, preparing her for what was to come, as clearly as if her divine hand had taken solid form.

Diem stopped at the end of the table, towering over me. She raised her hands high and stared at the ceiling. "Oh great goddess Lumnos, if you truly believe in me, then here's your chance to win me over. Give me a sign."

When nothing happened, she stared down at me with a withering I-told-you-so smirk that had hot blood rushing straight to my groin. Her ruthless snark never failed to turn me on.

"Perhaps you need to submit first," I said, layering my tone with insinuation. I leaned forward and pressed my ice-chilled glass to the inside of her ankle. "Down here. On your knees."

She shivered and crossed her arms. "With all due respect to Grandma Lumnos, the only person I'm getting down on my knees for is you, my Prince."

Instantly, my cock went hard as granite, and I was certain she knew it. Her eyes lit with triumph at turning my own words back on me. If my little sister-and her little brother-weren't hovering ten feet away, I'd be laying her out on the table here and now.

"Go ahead then," I growled in challenge. "Kneel for me."

I lined a trace of dominance into my voice, curious how she would respond. Diem was not a woman who often ceded control. She was an alpha, a natural-born leader, more likely to rip someone's head off than bend to their will.

But so was I. And I knew my Queen's heart. Behind all her confidence and swagger, there was a vulnerability she fiercely guarded-a desire to share this burden, to not have to walk this path alone.

I wanted to be that person for her. I wanted it more than I'd ever wanted anything in my life. It might have been the only thing I'd ever truly wanted.

And if I could convince her to set her heavy Crown aside, just for one night, and let me take care of her as she took care of so many others, I would show her just how rewarding submission could be.

I lifted my chin. "Kneel, Your Majesty. Your Prince is waiting."

She swallowed. Slowly, deliciously slowly, she sank down until her knees hit the table. I kept my hand between her legs, sliding the cool crystal of my glass up her parted thighs. I rumbled with satisfaction as goosebumps rose along her skin.

Her pupils dilated, her chest rising and falling more heavily as her breathing quickened. I set my glass aside and laid my hands flat on the table.

"Ask her again," I ordered.

Diem rolled her eyes. I shot her a disapproving glare, even though, secretly, I loved every second of her insolence.

She looked up and huffed out a long sigh. "Blessed Mother Lumnos, give me a si-"

Her words transformed into a squeal as I cupped my hands beneath her ass and hauled her off the table and into my lap, her legs straddled around me.

"There," I said gruffly. "That's your sign."

"Not fair," she protested, laughing, the sound of it sending fire through my blood. "You interfered."

I leaned in and dragged my teeth down her neck. "The gods help those who help themselves. So I helped myself to you."

She melted against me, her body soft in all the most enticing ways, though I knew the awe-inspiring strength that lay beneath those swells and curves. My palms pressed into the dip at the base of her spine and tugged her closer.

It wasn't close enough. It was never close enough.

When I imagined being inside her-which I often did-I suspected it still wouldn't feel close enough.

I wondered... if I were her mate, and she were mine, our souls forever entwined and our hearts beating inside each other's chests, would even that feel close enough?

Or was I doomed to spend eternity pining for more of this incredible woman than I would ever get to have?

For her, I would. I would cherish whatever piece of her I could get.

She leaned back to look at me as her arms hooked in a circle around my neck. A crease formed between her furrowed brows. "Does it bother you that I'm not as devout as you are?"

"No," I said honestly. "You may not have faith in the Blessed Mother, but-" I cut a glance at her Crown. "-she most certainly has faith in you." One hand trailed up her spine, cupping the back of her neck. "And so do I."

The sound of my sister's laughter caught my ear. I glanced over Diem's shoulder, but Lily was no longer on the table-nor anywhere else in sight.

Her giggles struck up again, then abruptly cut off with a soft noise, as if something had clamped over her mouth. Diem's lips popped open, her eyes growing wide at something behind my back.

I started to swivel around, and Diem gripped the sides of my face, forcing it back to hers. "It's nothing," she said quickly.

My eyes narrowed at her guilty expression. I glanced again at the table. Taran and Eleanor were still dancing, the wood groaning precariously beneath Taran's weight, but Teller, too, had disappeared.

"What is your brother doing to my sister?" I said darkly, again attempting to turn.

Diem grabbed my collar and yanked me into a slow, passionate kiss. "You really don't want to know," she whispered against my mouth.

"You're trying to distract me."

She rolled her hips into mine, instantly wiping every thought from my head. "Is it working?"

It was all I could do to grunt my defeat. I moved my hands to her legs, needing to feel her warm flesh beneath my touch. Needing this room empty, and this dress discarded on the floor.

My fingers slid beneath its hem, squeezing at her thighs as I nipped at her shoulder. I trailed my lips over the small scar on her collarbone-my favorite part of her body, despite the incredibly high competition.

I'd caught a glimpse of it that first day I'd met her in the palace. It was the first time I'd ever seen another Descended with a scar. I'd laid in bed that night, cock in hand, thinking of how she'd threatened to slice my arm off and wondering how that scar might taste.

Wondering how every part of her might taste.

"There's something I need to tell you," she said softly.

Something in her voice had my muscles tensing. I drew back to see her forehead wrinkled, her eyes downcast.

"Last night," she began, then paused. "I went to see Henri."

I stilled. When she'd told me she wanted to visit Mortal City alone, I had suspected he might have something to do with it, but I hadn't let myself dwell on the reason why.

Her hands fell from my shoulders, wringing in her lap. She was pulling inward, closing herself off the way she always did when his name came up. "I went there intending to end our betrothal." Still, she wouldn't meet my eyes.

My stomach dropped. "But you changed your mind?"

"No," she said firmly, and it took every bit of my self-control to keep from sighing with relief. "I do care about Henri. He's been my closest friend for as long as I can remember. He's been with me through so much. He was my friend when no one else would be. For years, we did everything together. We had the same dreams, and we had all these plans..."

Jealousy rose like a hissing viper in my chest. Instinctively, my godhood curled around her, wrapping her possessively in my aura. I hated the idea that someone knew her better than me. I hated that he, and not I, had held her close and soothed her fears for all those years. I wanted to make her forget that there had ever been a time when her vision of the future didn't have me in it.

But that was impossible. Distasteful as I found him, the Albanon boy was important to her. If I wanted to be in her life, I had to make peace with his presence in it, too.

"Maybe there was a time when he and I could have been something more." She winced. "But not now. Not after..."

Again, her voice fell quiet. I tried to tip her chin up, but she resisted. "Diem," I said gently. "What happened? Did he take it poorly?"

"He... he wasn't there. His father said he left a few days ago to go to Arboros with-" She tensed. "-with some friends." When she finally looked up at me, her eyes were full of tears. "He knew I was fighting for my life, and he just... left. He didn't even tell me. I could have died, and he-" Her voice broke as a tear slipped free and fell from her cheek.

My vision went red. I'd never wanted to kill another man more than I did in that moment. Violent thoughts of him bleeding and bruised at my hand played out in my mind.

"I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head. "I suppose I shouldn't be talking to you about this."

I clenched my jaw and seized her face in my hands. "You can talk to me about anything. Anything. And the only person who should be apologizing is him. You deserve better than that."

Her smile was grateful, but tainted with sadness. "Yes, I do." She placed her palm on the left side of my chest. "And I think I've found it."

My heart hurled itself against my ribs, roaring to break free and bury itself inside her, never to leave.

As did... other parts of my body.

"I just thought you should know that I made my decision," she said. She took in a long breath and sat up straighter. "The betrothal never should have happened in the first place. I didn't want it, not really, and I'm not sure Henri did, either. I hope he and I can find a way to be friends, but as for anything else, that door is closed. Permanently."

I studied her features, sifting through the complex web of her emotions. She was my polar opposite in that regard-everything she felt was always written all over her face. She was getting better at learning to hide it, and though I knew it would make her safer, seeing her fire dim always made something twist painfully in my gut.

"And what about this door?" I asked.

Her smile turned a little more genuine, and a lot more sinful. She glanced around the room, then her hand slid down my torso and hooked around my belt as she leaned in closer. "I think this dinner has run its course, don't you?"

I didn't even bother answering before scooping her into my arms and rising from the chair.

"Say goodnight to your Queen," I barked at the others as I beelined for the door. A round of cheers and scattered farewells rose behind us.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Taran shouted.

Eleanor snorted. "There's nothing you wouldn't do."

I grumbled in agreement, then shot a glare at Teller, who was cozying up to Lily in a sitting area near a large stone fireplace. "And keep your hands off my sister, Bellator."

Diem laughed and wrapped her arms around my shoulders. "Don't listen to him, Tel," she yelled. "Now's your chance. I'll distract him while you corrupt her!"

"Oh, you're going to pay for that," I growled at her.

"Is that a promise?" she asked, her voice dropping low and husky.

I squeezed her thigh and shot her a stare simmering with sinful threat, relishing the color that bloomed across her cheeks in response. She twined her fingers into my hair, then buried her face in my neck, her eyelashes tickling my skin as they fluttered closed with a soft, contented sigh.

Blessed Kindred, this felt right.

So fucking right.

I'd never imagined myself in love. Never even allowed myself to hope that it might happen. Since the day my mother died and my life was spared, my only focus was to fulfill my vow to Blessed Lumnos to serve the grey-eyed Queen. I had assumed that oath meant giving up my own wants and needs, and that was a sacrifice I was willing to make.

Even if I wasn't-who could I have loved? Every person I'd ever met had looked at me and seen only a future King. How could I tell them that it was all a lie, that the Crown would never be mine to wear? And they would always come second in my life, my loyalty already sworn to a mysterious woman I'd yet to meet.

Accepting Father's plans for a betrothal to Iléana had almost been a relief. Countless Corbois had turned up dead over the years after crossing the wrong Hanoverre. If love was out of my reach, at least I could do something useful with my hand by selling it off to protect my family from House Hanoverre's ruthless scheming.

Then Diem had walked through the door with those captivating grey eyes, not giving a shit about my title, my power, or my House. In fact, she'd hated me for it.

For the first time, I'd understood what it meant to truly want. To dream. To crave something so desperately that you would do the unthinkable to keep it safe.

And now, my wants and dreams were curled in a ball in my arms, snoring softly against my chest. Apparently, my heart's sole desire had had more to drink than I thought.

I took advantage of the empty halls and let my smile free as I watched her sleep. She looked so peaceful. So content, so unburdened by the guilt and self-doubt that had plagued her these recent weeks.

There was nothing-nothing-I would not do to keep that look on her face.

I shuttered my expression as I turned down the hallway toward her suite. I trusted the guards I'd placed on her detail, but when it came to her, I wasn't taking any unnecessary risks.

I gave them a scorching glare to cut them off when one stepped forward to speak, then jerked my chin at them to open the door. They didn't put up an argument or insist I wake her to get her consent, and for once, I was in too good a mood to care that they should have.

Sorae peeked her scaly head through an archway as I carried Diem into her bedchamber. I walked over, allowing the gryvern to sniff at Diem and confirm she was alive and well. Sorae's golden eyes thinned on me, searching my soul and its intentions like she always did, even after the decades we'd spent together.

Sorae's watchful guard never slipped, and I was grateful for it. I knew how family and friends could turn on you in a heartbeat. No matter how much Diem believed in someone's good nature, Sorae's trust had to be earned again and again-every single day, every single interaction.

Content that Diem was in good hands, Sorae huffed and shrank back to her perch, disappearing behind the gauzy curtains that billowed in the evening breeze.

I carefully laid Diem on her bed and removed her shoes, then strode to the balcony to close the archway doors, leaving one slightly ajar to keep Sorae content. I set to work building a fire, and once the flames were high and the chilly room began to heat, I walked over to Diem's wardrobe. I'd hoped to find her something warmer to wear than that scrap of fabric she called a dress-much as I'd enjoyed watching it cling to her curves as she danced-but all I found were tiny, lacy things that were useless for anything beyond sending my mind to despicable places.

Finally, I gave up and shrugged off my doublet, tossing it aside, then yanked off the thick woolen sweater I wore beneath. I perched beside her and gently pulled her upright, smirking at her groggy whimpers of protest as I slipped the sweater over her head and threaded her arms through the sleeves.

"Go back to sleep," I murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead before laying her back down and pulling a heavy blanket over her legs. I brushed away the strands of white hair that had fallen over her lovely face, then reluctantly rose to leave.

Her hand caught mine. "Stay," she whispered.

I shot her a look. "You're just trying to keep me here so your brother can take advantage of my sister."

Her sleepy smile was painfully adorable. "That's not my only reason." I grumbled, and she squeezed my hand. "And what better way to get your revenge than to take advantage of his sister?"

I eyed her, not wanting to admit how close I was to giving in to that proposition. "You're tired, and you have a big day tomorrow. And you're very drunk. You should get some rest."

I expected a protest or a witty quip, but Diem was uncharacteristically silent. Her eyes fell to our linked hands, a tiny wrinkle forming along her brow.

"I never really thought I was going to survive it," she admitted finally, her voice barely audible. "I tried to be confident so no one would worry, but deep down, I thought..." She swallowed and squeezed her eyes shut.

I already knew. Of course I knew. I wasn't sure if the others had bought into her act, but I saw through my Queen's mask as easily as she saw through mine.

"But you did." I kissed the back of her hand. "You kept fighting, and you survived."

"I survived," she repeated, sounding as if those words were only now beginning to sink in, as if she still didn't quite believe them. "You told me once that if I needed you, nothing would keep you from my side." Her gaze lifted back to mine. "Tonight, I need you."

Those words were my undoing.

Without even taking a breath, I was slipping off my boots and unbuckling my weapons, sliding onto the bed beside her and tucking her into my side. She nestled against me, humming with contentment as my arm snaked around her waist and pulled her close.

She tipped her chin up and looked at me with those stunning smoke-grey eyes and her sleep-mussed hair, the collar of my sweater hanging loosely off her shoulder. The sight of her-in my clothes, in my arms, in her bed-nearly did me in.

Just one taste, I bargained with myself. Let yourself have one taste of her, then you can be a gentleman.

But there was no taking one taste of her. I needed all of her. I needed her pinned beneath me, bare and panting, clenching around me as she cried my name. I needed to know every inch of her body, first with my hands, then with my tongue, and I needed her nails gouging down my back, marking me as hers. I needed to feel her trembling in my arms as I carried her over the edge again and again in increasingly filthy and scandalous ways.

Once I truly began to taste her, I wasn't sure I'd ever be strong enough to stop.

Soon, very soon, I planned to find out.

But not tonight.

I gently nudged her head down to my shoulder, stroking her back with one hand while I wove our fingers together with the other, laying our twined hands atop my heart. I turned my head toward hers and buried my nose in her hair. I drew in a deep inhale, savoring her sweet, familiar scent.

"Did you just... smell me?" she mumbled.

Her head bounced on my chest as I let out a guilty chuckle. "You smell nice." I paused, hesitating. "It reminds me of something."

"Reminds you of what?"

"Flowers."

She looked up at me and scowled as if that was the worst answer I could have given. "I smell like flowers?"

"Not just any flowers. A specific kind that someone gave me once. I'd never seen them before-nor since." My eyes wandered to the ceiling as the bittersweet memory replayed in my mind. "It was an important moment, so everything about it stuck with me, including that smell."

"Was it at least a happy day?" she asked.

I smiled. "My happiest-until today."

I could see her watching me from the corner of my eye, and I knew she was dying to ask for more. I'd never told anyone the story, not even Taran or Lily, though I suspected my sister had pieced some parts of it together. It was my deepest, most closely-held secret, and its details were more precious to me than any jewel. The thought of sharing it with anyone else made me feel like a dragon hoarding my gold-like even the touch of another person would leave it tainted and ruined forever.

But Diem was different. She wasn't just a family member or friend. And she wasn't just my Queen.

For the first time, I wanted to tell the story. Even if doing so meant risking everything, even though it felt like ripping myself wide open and leaving my heart vulnerable and raw.

For her, I would. Only for her.

Tomorrow, I decided. Telling her that story meant telling her everything, and neither of us was in the right state for that tonight. Tomorrow, on the boat ride to Coeurile, we would be alone, and I would finally tell Diem the truth.

She sighed and wiggled closer, then nuzzled her nose into my neck. "Well, you smell like the forest."

Strange. I spent very little time in the Lumnos woods.

"Is that a good thing?" I asked.

She took a deep inhale, then let out a blissful hum. "It's my favorite smell in the world. It smells like coming home."

My arms tightened around her as her breathing slowed into the steady rhythm of sleep, though her words kept lingering in my thoughts.

Those flowers, that memory ... that day had felt like coming home, too.

And when I thought of this gorgeous, incredible woman I now held in my arms, I realized she made me feel the exact same way-like finding a place in the world where I belonged, a home I had never even known I was missing.

And now that I had found her, I was never letting go.