Spark of the Everflame

Riddled with pain, Diem drifts in and out of consciousness. She hears Luther’s voice and feels safe, but she cannot stay awake. During one of her lucid moments, she hears voices around her that demand to know who she is. Luther stutters over his response. Diem loses consciousness once more, and when she wakes up again later, she is comfortable and warm and is surrounded by a familiar, masculine scent. Someone is holding her hand and talking to her. She falls asleep again.

Diem wakes up in a lavish, sunlit room. Remembering the armory, she momentarily panics, and then she realizes that she is safe. She looks around the room and is surprised to discover Luther sitting in a chair near her bed and holding her hand. She begs to know if the others are safe. He commends her for saving the men’s lives and explains that he tended to her injuries and had a woman help her change her clothes. She makes a joke and is surprised when Luther laughs. He then asks how she is feeling, and she discovers that she isn’t in pain and that there are no signs of wounds on her body. She suggests that his magic must have saved her. Luther protests, insisting that she is not mortal. Diem dismisses the idea and asks after her family. Luther reveals that he sent them a note about her whereabouts.

Worried, Diem gets up and encounters Luther’s dragon. Curious, she reaches toward her. Luther panics and warns her not to touch the dragon, as the dragon will attack and only “the King can call her off” (332). Diem reaches out anyway, shocking Luther with her fearlessness. He then suggests that she check on King Ulther, as his health is waning. Before entering the king’s chambers, Luther explains their complex relationship, stating that although Ulther treated Luther like a son after Luther’s father died, the two of them do not always agree on political matters. Diem asks what kind of leader Luther will be when he inherits the throne. Luther suggests that he might not become king, as Ulther’s heir will not be named until after he dies. He then shows her into Ulther’s chambers and leaves her alone to attend to him. The Descended healers cannot do anything else for Ulther, and those involved in his care want him to have the mortal healers’ comfort.

Diem stares at the door after Luther leaves, trying to decide what she is feeling and what she believes. Her future feels suddenly bleak. She is overcome by longing for Auralie until she remembers that she must attend to Ulther. She sits by his bed, takes his hand, and whispers the Rite of Endings. Suddenly, he jerks awake. His eyes bulge when he sees Diem, as if he recognizes her and has been expecting her. When he calls her the Devourer of Crowns, she is convinced that he is hallucinating. She tries reassuring him, but his body starts convulsing, and a female voice emanates from his mouth and calls Diem the Daughter of the Forgotten, insisting that she is the faithful heir. Diem’s heart races as the king’s body jerks off the bed. A guard’s voice startles her, and she whips out her blade. Upon seeing the dead king and Diem’s blade, the guard accuses her of killing him. Luther bursts in, demanding to know what happened. The guard insists that there was a struggle and that Diem murdered Ulther. Diem protests, and Luther seizes her with his magic. Heat races through her body, and she demands to be released.

Diem races down the corridor with Luther chasing after her. He grabs her wrist, insisting that she wait. She holds her dagger to his neck, threatening to kill him if he doesn’t let her go. He gives in, admitting that he would be happy to die by her hand. He asks to kiss her before she kills him, and they share a passionate kiss unlike any that Diem has ever experienced. When they pull away from each other, Luther insists again that Diem is a Descended and that he can feel her magic when they are together. Diem protests this idea and insists on going home. Luther calls out to her, revealing that he saw the vision she had in the armory. He insists that the vision is a sign that this moment is the start of their relationship. Unsure of how to respond, Diem tells Luther to close the secret passageway in the garden to avoid more rebel attacks and then leaves.

Back in the village, Diem checks in with Maura at the center and informs her that she no longer wishes to be a healer. Afterward, she finds Henri and confronts him about the armory. He is glad that she is safe but scolds her for threatening the Guardians’ mission. Diem argues that the attack killed innocent men and declares that she doesn’t want to be a part of it anymore. They continue arguing until Henri professes his love yet again and reiterates his desire to marry her. Unsure of what to do, Diem suggests that she and Henri run away together. He hesitates, afraid to leave his family, home, and the Guardians. He insists that they have a cause to fight, as war is coming and Andrei is returning to the front with the Descended army. Diem scoffs, but Henri tells her to ask Andrei about this herself.

Diem is lost in thought on her way home. Once she arrives, she confronts Andrei, demanding to know what’s happening with the war and if he really supports the Descended. His response unnerves her, and she realizes that Henri might be right. Andrei’s allusions to Auralie also imply that he knows where she is. Diem demands answers, but Andrei refuses to provide them. The conversation turns to Luther and Lily, and Diem reveals that Teller is romantically involved with Lily. Furious, Andrei demands to speak with Teller. Both Diem and Teller stand up for themselves and confront Andrei about his decision to abandon them and go to war. Andrei insists that Diem will provide for Teller with her work at the center. When she reveals that she just quit, Andrei demands that she marry Henri. With the encouragement of the mysterious inner voice, Diem says that Andrei cannot make her marry Henri because she doesn’t want to and because Andrei is not her father. Andrei demands that she leave the house.

Diem storms outside, ignoring Teller’s calls for her to come back home. Overcome by anger, she feels like her body is on fire, and the inner voice continues talking to her. Desperate to give in to her rage, she reaches skyward, and a giant column of light shoots out of her hands. Relieved, she turns to see a stunned Teller, who says that she is “wearing the Crown” (383). This means that she has been selected as “the new Queen of Lumnos” (383).

The narrative shifts to Auralie, who has been waiting in hiding for months in anticipation of the king’s death. Finally, she sees a telltale column of light in the distance and knows that the king died and that Diem is the heir. Auralie also knows that she can now return home.