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Mortals could only bear brown eyes, another consequence of the Forging spell.
Adult Descended had steel-strong skin, impervious to mortal weapons.
“I can’t tell you his name. It’s one of the rules: never reveal the identity of any member, even to those we trust completely. It’s a group for mortals who refuse to accept the Descended as the rulers of Emarion. We fight back in whatever ways we can. We call ourselves the Guardians of the Everflame.”
Don’t choose a mediocre life for a mediocre man. Go be exceptional. If he’s worth it, he won’t judge you. And if he’s really the one, he’ll come along for the ride.”
“Who are those three men?” I whispered. “The one in the center, the man who let you in—his name is Vance. We call him the Father because he leads the Lumnos cell of the Guardians. The one on the left is Brant, the one on the right is Francis. They’re Vance’s second- and third-in-command.”
“Fine. Back to protocol. To please Prince Luther, I’m to stay down on my knees until His Future Majesty is fully and completely satisfied.”
“Don’t end up like your mother. She betrayed me and lost my trust. You should learn from her mistakes.”
“They told me you would come for me.” “What? Who?” “They told me your blood would shatter our stone and lay waste to our borders.”
“I am not afraid, Devourer of Crowns. Ravager of Realms. Herald of Vengeance.”
“Give him our gift, Daughter of the Forgotten. When the end has come, and the blood has spilled, give our gift to my faithful heir, and tell him this is my command.”
“Touch her, and I’ll rip off your fucking arms.”
“You think I fear my own death?” he whispered in my ear. “Every day I draw breath is as much a curse as a gift. I’ve been living on borrowed time for longer than you can imagine. If you’re the way my fate finally catches up to me, I can’t fathom a more beautiful end.”
“Goodbye, Prince,” I murmured. He smiled, and it was the saddest smile I’d ever seen. “Goodbye, Miss Bellator.” I turned and walked away. When I was almost out of sight, his voice called out again. “You saw it too, didn’t you?” I stopped, but I didn’t look back. “Last night,” he said, “right before the roof collapsed. The vision. The battlefield.” I couldn’t move, my body paralyzed, my thoughts stunned to stillness. “What if our story isn’t over, Diem Bellator? What if it’s only beginning?”
“When the mortals have outlived their usefulness doing the research, they... become the research.” A sickening lump formed in my gut. “I don’t understand.” “The Descended experiment on them. They put them in cages and run tests on them. Sometimes with medicine, and sometimes with magic or weapons.”
“For nearly two decades, I’ve worked with the King and his advisors to keep the peace here in Lumnos. I’ve helped him stop many uprisings with the rebels, and I spoke in his favor when there was discontent in Mortal City.”
“Diem—you’re wearing the Crown. You’ve been selected. You are the new Queen of Lumnos.”
