Page 181 of Burn of the Everflame

“You said we wanted Diem to join us,” I rasped, nearly choking on the lump in my throat.

“What better way to convince her?” Vance said, gesturing to Andrei. “She’ll blame the Descended. She’ll want them all dead, just as we do. It will bring her back to our side for good.”

I realized just how stupid I had been. How had I not seen this coming? When the Umbros magic wore off this morning, I’d been furious at Diem, but I’d been even more scared that Vance would order her execution. I’d been fucking relieved when he’d suggested this instead.

Gods, I was in so far over my head.

Vance motioned to the others, and they hauled Andrei to his feet. He was barely moving, and his lips had gone grey.

“You brought us here,” Vance told me, “so you have to be the one to do it. Prove to everyone that your loyalty is to the Guardians, and finish what you started.”

I shook my head. “I can’t.”

“You’re not leaving this house without spilling blood, boy. It’s either his or yours.”

Francis’s face appeared in the doorway. “The guards got off a warning flare before we killed them, we need to g—” He froze, staring at the knife in my hand, then at Andrei. His body seemed to deflate.

“Make your choice fast, Brother Henri,” Vance warned. “Are you with us or against us?”

Andrei’s eyes were fighting to stay on me, but I was too ashamed to meet them. I’d never killed anyone before. I’d begged Vance to let me join the armory attack, itching for a chance to shed Descended blood, but at the last minute, I’d lost my nerve and asked to serve as lookout instead.

I was a gods-damned hypocrite. I’d lectured Diem about the cost of war, but when my turn came, I wasn’t willing to pay.

Andrei’s lips moved, though with his throat cut, all that came out was a gurgle.

“Do it for your poor dead mother,” Vance growled in my ear. “She suffered because of laws this man spent his career enforcing. He’d let her die all over again, if some prick with a Crown ordered him to do it.”

My grip tightened on the knife to keep it from rattling out of my shaking hands. Maybe Vance had a point. Andrei proudly served the Crowns. He’d killed plenty of rebels just like us. And if his death convinced Diem to help the mortals, wasn’t that a fair trade? The freedom of our people was worth more than one man’s life, no matter who he was.

But she would never forgive me.

“Kill him,” Vance snapped, his paternal kindness firmly gone.

“P . . .” Andrei’s mouth gave its final, dying gasp. “Promise.”

“Do it!” Vance roared.

My hand jerked forward. The blade slid through flesh, through heart.

Through friendships and love and lifelong bonds.

Through a future I wanted but didn’t deserve.

Through the life of a complicated man. A war hero and a traitor. A husband. A father.

Andrei’s eyes went wide . . . then they didn’t move again.

The Guardians let out a cheer. Vance grinned and clapped a hand on my back. “Good job, Brother Henri. Now you’re truly one of us.”

42

DIEM

Iripped free of Henri’s memories, and I found the world in flames. Not the orange ones of Ignios magic or the mortal world, but a dancing wall of scorching silver-white. Without thinking, I’d released the crowd from my mental hold, sending them all stumbling back and shouting.

All except for Teller, who was standing in the heart of the fire, unburnt.

“What did you see in his mind?” he demanded.