Heat Of The Everflame Quotes

Show me your worst, my darling, and I’ll show you how far my love can go.

For all those caught in the flames, remember that the hottest fires forge the strongest swords.

Hate is easy—it’s mercy that requires the greater strength.

Don’t mistake the pain of change for failure.

Desire?” He gave a dark, throaty laugh. “Desire is a pathetic word for what I feel for you. I require you. I am sustained by you. You are the flame that fuels my fire. Don’t you dare question that—not for a second.

Satisfaction is the death of curiosity.

He was also dangerously skilled. It seemed all five of his brain cells had been devoted to the art of the fight.

I wonder where she picked up her habit of disappearing on the people who love her with no explanation,” Luther said flatly.

I used to play a game where I would change the subject and see how long it took him to bring you up. It never took more than three sentences. He had it bad.

an education is the most powerful weapon of them all.

When it seems like the world wants to crush your spirit and burn you alive, never forget my little flames, pressure and heat make diamonds.

Your Majesty... you are our Crown.

He threw his head back and laughed. “You’re very cocky for a woman. What is it you think you have that I don’t?” “Knuckles that don’t drag when I walk. The ability to breathe through my nose. A neck.

But we don’t always get to keep the people we love forever,

It takes being denied what you want to understand the power of wanting more. Satisfaction is the death of curiosity. And this group has been satisfied in abundance.

Don’t you dare mistake compassion for lack of courage,” he growled. “Anyone can slaughter their enemies. Hate is easy—it’s mercy that requires the greater strength.

You cannot solve a problem you refuse to look at,” I said.

All the nights I ever have—they all belong to you.

I am Diem Bellator.” I stared up through my lashes, the glow of the Crown casting ominous shadows down my face. “And I kneel for no one.” Fight.

I kept the scar as a symbol of that promise.” His focus rose to me. “But you are the woman I pledged myself to. And now, this scar is for you.” He laid his hand over mine to flatten it over the scar’s rippled edge. “Let all those who might try to tear us apart see this and know how far my devotion will go. I will suffer for you, bleed for you, but most of all, I will survive for you. My body can be carved in two, open and dying, and still I will crawl from the ruins of my flesh and fight my way back to your side. Death itself could not keep me away. “My oath to you is written on my skin. Once, that vow was just to serve you.” He brought my hand to his mouth and kissed my knuckles. “Now, it is everything.

you dare mistake compassion for lack of courage,” he growled. “Anyone can slaughter their enemies. Hate is easy—it’s mercy that requires the greater strength. I’ll be damned if I let you believe that beautiful heart of yours is a weakness. Trust your instincts, my Queen—above all else, trust yourself.

I want there to be no part of you that you hide from me because you fear it’s a part I will not love. I treasure your darkness as much as your light.” He dropped his mouth a breath away from mine, his words a whisper on my lips. “Show me your worst, my darling, and I’ll show you how far my love can go.

I wanted him inside me. Not just between my legs—I wanted his blood coursing through my veins, his bones fused to mine to make me strong. I wanted to tear myself open and keep a piece of him hidden away inside me from this vicious world that kept trying to tear us apart. My need for him burned in my lungs, hammered in my heart, slicked between my clenching thighs.

I barely made it to the parlor before my knees gave in. My hands clamped across my mouth to muffle the sound as sorrow tore out of me in great, heaving sobs. Not for me, but for the man in my bed, from whom so much had been taken and so little given in return. A man for whom something as simple as happiness had been a rare, fleeting gift. A gift the gods hadn’t even let him keep for more than a day.

I worked with patients in similar situations. Children hurt by parents, wives hurt by husbands. Sometimes their reactions didn’t make sense to me. Sometimes it even made me angry. Wounds take many forms, and not all of them are physical. Healing from a trauma like that can be...” I sighed sadly. “...complicated.

Blood.

You’re very cocky for a woman. What is it you think you have that I don’t?” “Knuckles that don’t drag when I walk. The ability to breathe through my nose. A neck.

Happy reading, dear,” she chirped, strolling away. “And don’t forget why they banned these books for mortals in the first place.” “Why is that?” “Because an education is the most powerful weapon of them all.

Show me your worst, my darling, and I'll show you how far my love can go.

Montios governs itself differently from the other realms. Here, it is our Council, not our Crown, that makes decisions for our realm. The Crown is a member of the Council, but the rest of us are chosen by the people of Montios. If we cannot come to an agreement, the Crown’s will is decisive. Otherwise, they have only one vote, the same as each of us here.

A bright light and a heavy pain at my temples—not an injury from the bomb’s blast, I realized now, but the onset of a new Crown. That’s why my Crown had looked different, felt different. The Arboros Guardians hadn’t been familiar enough with the Crown of Lumnos to know, but Luther and the others had.

My gaze rose slowly to the Councilors. “I will help you however I can, but I have to ask... why are you telling me this?” Hepta’s head cocked, the creased lines of her aging face becoming more prominent with her frown. “I don’t understand what you mean.” “Why save me and bring me here? What is it your Crown wants from me?” “Your Majesty... you are our Crown.

The light at the center dimmed, then took the form of a man, his back turned to me. He stiffened, his shoulders rolling. His head turned slightly, revealing the hint of a cold smile. Slowly, he turned, and I sucked in a gasp. I’d only ever seen him from afar in my visions, but now, it was as if he was right before me, standing in my presence and staring directly into my eyes. My dark grey eyes—just like his.

Second, a message from the Blessed Mother. I know not what it means, only that it is essential you heed these lines: Eleven must fall for one to rise. Share the gift to pay the cost. A dying star will rekindle the spark. What is forgotten is not lost. Remember my sister’s words. Beware my brother’s wrath. Good luck, Daughter of the Forgotten. May you strive to seek virtue in all things.

Using your magic in tandem like that is a very rare skill. Are you family?

But for now...” She reached across me to grab a trio of bottles by their necks, then tapped me on the nose. “I’m going to enjoy this evening like it’s my last.

If it was Blessed Lumnos, maybe her Crown is the gift,” Taran said. “More like a curse,” I muttered. “And if she wants me to give it away, I apparently have to die first. Whoever her faithful heir is, he can wait his turn. I didn’t survive the Challenging just to give my life up for some prophecy.

I’d never met any other Descended whose power could match mine, but with her, it wasn’t even close. If my magic was a spark, hers was the gods-damned sun.

He finally let his guard down with me that day. He showed me his smile, his laugh, his doubts, his trust. I hadn’t realized it then—and I would have fervently denied it for weeks that followed—but that was the moment the spark between us became a flame, the beginnings of our inevitable blaze.

Stay with my mother, I said into his thoughts with the last tiny shreds of my magic. Get her to Teller.

I did not know what it was to need until I met you. One look from you—just the fucking sound of your voice—and my cock gets hard. One touch of your skin, and I can barely think beyond dragging you into the nearest bed. Every second I’m not inside you is another wasted moment of my miserable life.

She blew out a sigh. “The Arboros Queen is with us—with the Guardians, I mean. She has let us operate freely in her realm for years. She helped the rebels get on and off the island the day of the attack.

Godstone.

Because life is cruel,” he snapped. “And we don’t always get what we desire.

Taran looked over from where he was pinned to the ground with Zalaric straddling him. He set his jaw and shoved Zalaric off, jumping to his feet and striding toward us. At the last moment he paused, let out a quiet grunt, and doubled back. He grabbed Zalaric’s wrist and dragged him along.

You,” she said simply. “My successor will be your most difficult adversary. They will stand in the way of what you need to do. They will drive a wedge between you and those you love, they will cost you a terrible price, and there’s a strong chance they’ll put you in a premature grave. I fear telling you now will only make it worse.

Guard my people well,” the King said. “Blessed Kindred,” Luther murmured. “I think that’s—” My legs trembled and gave way. I fell forward, the stone blissfully cold against my scorching skin. Luther rushed to grab me, but on some buried instinct, I raised my shield to keep him away. The King’s back arched unnaturally toward the sky. “Remember my sister’s words. Beware my brother’s wrath.

That doesn’t look like any gryvern I’ve ever seen,” Luther murmured. The dot became a silhouette: A horned reptilian head. Sprawling, red-tipped wings. A hulking leonine body with fur so dark, it was nearly black. And on its back, a grey-eyed man whose skin gleamed like moonlight. With a Crown in the shape of a ten-pointed star hovering over his head. “Blessed Kindred,” Doriel breathed. “The lost realm. The stories are true.

He walked over and kneeled to bring himself to their eye level, then pulled several gold coins from his pouch. “May I buy two more of them from you?

The King’s back arched unnaturally toward the sky. “Remember my sister’s words. Beware my brother’s wrath.

He strolled to Taran, who stiffened bodily, and hovered a hand just above the wound at his shoulder. “May I, Terry?” “It’s Taran,” he grumbled. Zalaric shrugged. “Whatever.” Taran’s mouth popped open. I bit my lip to hide my smile. A speechless Taran was something I never thought I’d see.

Being stuck between two worlds is not easy, is it?” I asked softly. He sighed. “No. Especially when neither of those worlds really wants you.” I laid my palm on his cheek. “I suspect there are a great many people who want you in their world, Zalaric Hanoverre. And you can count me as one of them.” He flashed a smile, though there was no joy in it—only a wistful resignation. “Luther was right. You are a Queen worth fighting for. In another life, I wish we could have been allies.

Yes, Taran, you can enjoy yourself tonight,” I said. He fist-pumped the air, and my smile finally broke free. “You too, Alixe.” She looked uneasy. “Are you certain? We’re going to be heavily outnumbered.” I shrugged. “The Queen had a clear chance to kill me at lunch. If she didn’t strike then, I doubt she’ll try now. As long as we keep playing her game, I don’t think we’re in danger.” Taran pounced and threw his arms around my ribs, crushing me against him. “Of all the Queens I know, you’re my favorite.

Above my head, my Crown had changed. A new peak had formed, and woven among the thorny, star-dotted vines and glittering crystal was a ring of throbbing, tangled veins. I pulled my magic back, and our gazes met. “My Crown,” I rasped. Luther tenderly cupped my face. “Your Majesty... you just became the Queen of Fortos.

This man’s aura was violence incarnate, pure apex predator, the kind accustomed to never losing a fight.

Because an education is the most powerful weapon of them all.

I must insist, Your Majesty. Only Montios Descended may go beyond this point.” “But I’m not a Montios Descended.

Everything slotted into its proper place, a cruel puzzle whose image was forming before my eyes. There were so many signs. So many. His moodiness, his fatigue. His pale, hot skin. His inability to sleep. I was supposed to be a healer—how could I miss what was right under my nose?

Emotions cycled across Taran’s face—grief, fear, uncertainty, hope—before landing solidly on rage. He turned his glare on Luther. “I do take it back. Fuck my oath. My loyalty to her dies with you. You want her safe? Then live.

Diem,” my mother shouted. She had a mortal child cradled on her hip, another cowering at her side, their tiny hand clutched in hers. Her expression was resolute, but I saw the glint of fear in her eyes at the mass of soldiers closing in. “Be careful, my little warrior. Remember everything Andrei taught you.

Not siblings, then. Friends?” I cocked my head. “More than friends?” She arched her head to the sky and let loose a low, mournful howl so thick with emotion it brought tears to my eyes. “Oh, Sorae,” I whispered. “The Kindred separated you thousands of years ago, and you still care for him, even after all this time?” Sorrow soaked the bond in answer. She slumped her head on the ground, her wings falling limp at her sides. I squeezed my arms around her and stroked a hand down her back. “No wonder Tybold’s so cranky. He must miss you, too.” I sat up and looked at her. “He saved me in Ignios, you know. He worked around his King’s orders to protect me and Luther.

I mounted her back and turned my glare on the Fortos commander. “Know this—I am not afraid of the Emarion Army, and I am not afraid of the Crowns. If I hear of one more mortal going missing from my realm, every last one of you will repay their loss in blood. I am the gods-damned Queen of Lumnos. If my people suffer, so will you.

As we soared for the clouds, a ripple of movement drew my focus back to the ground. In the dirty, downtrodden square of my beloved Mortal City, one by one, the mortals lowered to their knees.

My mother smiled. “You’re not the only half-mortal Crown. She and her mortal father were very close. She promised him on his deathbed she would do everything she could to help his kind.” Luther nudged my leg. “Looks like we might have just found our first ally.” Our

Out of nowhere, my mother launched forward. Her arms wrapped around his waist, her face buried in his chest, her petite form swallowed up by his towering, muscular build. He stiffened, his eyes shooting to me in alarm as he awkwardly patted her upper back.

Taran grunted and started to shuffle away, then stopped and looked back. “You know, if you ever come to Lumnos... and if you ever learn to say my name correctly... maybe you could teach me some of your tricks.” Zalaric’s grin widened, and Taran’s cheeks turned pink. “With your magic.” “I’d love to, but I’m afraid I can’t visit a realm with no hairstylists.” Taran frowned at Zalaric’s short, tight curls. “Lumnos has hairstylists.” “Really?” Zalaric took a strand of Taran’s messy dark blonde waves and twirled it in his fingers. “Are they just too expensive for you, then? I can loan you some gold if—

Perthe crashed to the soil, somehow managing to stay on his feet. He staggered forward with the momentum, then slowed to a walk, then stopped. His shoulders slowly rose and fell. He turned to face me. Lifted his chin. Placed his fist over his chest, then sank to one knee. Tears flowed down my face in rapids. I pressed my fist to my chest and lowered my head in a final salute to my faithful guard.

Perhaps the Umbros Queen was planning to have a feast over our executions. “Don’t fight back,” Zalaric warned. “She’s ruthless about protecting her reputation. Don’t insult or threaten her, Diem. Be quiet and polite and—” Taran groaned. “We’re all gonna die.

I don’t think we should be calling for any Flames when we’re in fucking Ignios,” he grumbled. “And isn’t that saying forbidden?” I smirked. “I’m the Queen. I’m un-forbidding it. The Everflame was here long before Lumnos was. If the Descended and the mortals have to learn to play nice, the Old Gods and the Kindred do, too.” He groaned and squinted up at the morning sky. “Blessed Mother Lumnos, I am your devoted servant. Please don’t punish me for her blasphemy.

But... there’s never been a Queen of Fortos.” Luther’s face glowed with affection. “You never were very good at following the rules.” My confidence shuddered beneath this new burden. “I don’t want this,” I whispered. “I can’t even be a good Queen to Lumnos, and that’s my home.

Don’t test me today, Taran,” Luther growled. Taran shot me a look and pointed a thumb behind us. “This is your fault,” he mouthed. “Sorae’s getting that thumb,” I mouthed back.

Remember my sister’s words. Beware my brother’s wrath.

Sometimes there are no good choices. We do the best we can, and we hope we find forgiveness along the way.

It is not just my body that craves you, Diem. It is my heart.

I am the gods-damned Queen of Lumnos. If my people suffer, so will you.

For you, my love, I’ll sink to any low.

Would you really do that for me? Leave everything behind?” “I would do anything for you. As long as I can do it with you.

Anyone can slaughter their enemies. Hate is easy—it’s mercy that requires the greater strength.

But I was the Queen of Lumnos. And I would be controlled by no man.

Let all those who might try to tear us apart see this and know how far my devotion will go. I will suffer for you, bleed for you, but most of all, I will survive for you. My body can be carved in two, open and dying, and still I will crawl from the ruins of my flesh and fight my way back to your side. Death itself could not keep me away.

The books—” “Fuck the books.

In the midst of the chaos, my ears caught on a very different noise. A soft, rhythmic beat—far away, but quickly approaching. Familiar in a way that went deeper than memory. Thump, thump, thump. Wings. My heart sang. “Oh gods,” one of the men at my side breathed. “Is that a...?” “Incoming,” the archers screamed. “Gryvern incoming!

I treasure your darkness as much as your light.

I was a creature of the embers, fire incarnate, a living flame. If this was what it meant to burn, I wanted to burn forever.

Alixe!” I gasped. Taran pulled the flap open wider and waved at her, then pointed excitedly at me and grinned. Alixe rolled her eyes at her cousin’s antics, but she flashed me a smile and a deferential nod. My tension eased enormously.

Diem Bellator, you are everything I’ve ever wanted. You are my joy and my salvation. You are perfect. And I promise you this—I will love you for as long as love exists.

And don’t forget why they banned these books for mortals in the first place.” “Why is that?” “Because an education is the most powerful weapon of them all.

I heard Taran’s low grumbles. “Why do you get to decide?” “When the Queen is asleep, Luther’s in charge. When they’re both asleep, I’m in charge. When all three of us are asleep, you’re in charge.” “If the three of you are asleep, then there’s no one left for me to be in charge of.” “Exactly.

who believed in me and my dream and was willing to sacrifice everything for it, who would walk to the ends of the continent and back just to put the briefest smile on my face—I didn’t just envision a future with him. I wanted it.

Desire is a pathetic word for what I feel for you. I require you. I am sustained by you. You are the flame that fuels my fire. Don’t you dare question that—not for a second.

I gave myself to her the moment I met her, and I have not regretted it for a second. I have laid my life at her feet, and I would do it again and again, a thousand times over. She has my faith, my loyalty, my vow... I believe in her with everything that I am. There is nothing I would not do to see her fulfill her destiny. No matter the cost.

She laughed. “If it were anyone but you, Luther would commend them for being so selfless in battle. You’re a credit to your father.

I could look at you forever, and it wouldn’t be nearly long enough.

My heart desires you too, Luther Corbois.

Don’t you dare mistake compassion for lack of courage,” he growled. “Anyone can slaughter their enemies.

I would do anything for you. As long as I can do it with you.

But I had almost given up once before, and it had nearly cost me everything. Since then, I’d sworn to never be weak again.

Happy reading, dear,” she chirped, strolling away. “And don’t forget why they banned these books for mortals in the first place.” “Why is that?” “Because an education is the most powerful weapon of them all.” Chapter Thirty-Five The next few hours were some of the most enjoyable I’d ever had.

don’t forget why they banned these books for mortals in the first place.” “Why is that?” “Because an education is the most powerful weapon of them all.

Had I held myself back all these years because I didn’t want to give my heart away, or had I simply never found someone worthy of giving it to?