Firestorm

I’d done all of it?

Fiametta looked to me. “Then I will give you something in return. The truth.” She let out a slow breath. “I know the Enders were not killed by your hand, Larkspur. I’ve known all along that Blackbird did it. He told me himself in one of his forays into my bedroom. But I needed you. Finley told me how you saved her people when you didn’t have to and I . . . I wanted to believe you could do the same here. And while I perhaps went about it the wrong way, I was right. You did save us.”

If I thought my jaw had dropped before it was nothing to what it did then.

“You knew.”

Two bright spots of color emerged on her pale cheeks. “I did. I am . . .sorry.”

Peta bumped her head against mine. “Take it, Lark. You will never hear those words again from her.”

Swallowing the remnants of my anger at the Pit’s queen, I held out my hand in the gesture of greeting. Fiametta brushed her palm over mine.

“I have no guarantee that Blackbird won’t come back. He stole something of mine. A powerful tool.” The queen said.

Damn, she meant the emerald. Sweating, I could feel the stone against my skin. Was that why I’d been able to pull so much power and create the oasis? I had no doubt it was the stone that allowed the user to connect with the earth.

Fiametta continued. “ . . . I will work with the firewyrms. Perhaps between our two people, we can find a way to protect ourselves against the power of Spirit. But if we don’t . . .” her blue eyes all but nailed me to the spot, “I will call on you again. And because we are friends now, you will come.”

Damn. Friends? There was nothing for me to do but nod until Peta piped up.

“And she can do the same. Call on you for help if she needs it.”

Fiametta surprised me by smiling. “Of course.”

Cactus touched my arm. “I think we should go.”

The ruby ring. I closed my eyes for a moment and slipped my hand under my vest pulling the ring out. “I took this off Keeda. Blackbird gave it to her.”

Fiametta gasped and with a trembling hand took the ring. “Do you know what this is?”

“Yes.”

“And you would give it to me?”

Peta purred softly, obviously pleased with my decision. “Who better to care for it than the one who carries the same element?”

Surprising me, she swept me into a hug. “I am so sorry I misjudged you, Larkspur.”

Goddess, I didn’t want to like her. “I saw it in your eyes when you lashed me.”

She pulled back. “I did not want to do it, but I saw no other way out. I have to uphold the law. Always.”

There was a soft cough and we turned to see her black panther walking toward us. “Fia,” he said, “there is such a thing as the spirit of the law, and the letter of the law. You have yet to learn both have power.”

She looked away from him and I put a hand on her. “You should listen to him. The only reason I survived is because I took Peta’s advice. Your familiar . . . if he cares for you even half as much as Peta cares for me, you are in good hands.”

Peta tucked her head against my neck, hiding her face. “Larkspur, how can you know that?”

Fiametta’s face tightened and I thought for a moment she would ignore me. She held a hand out to Jag. “Come, be at my side, pet.” He butted his head into her outstretched hand, a deep rumble of contentment slipping out of him.

The queen gave me one last nod. “Cactus is right, it is time for you to go.”

We backed away, each giving her a bow before we turned and headed to the Traveling room.

No words were spoken, too much had happened in those last minutes.

The Traveling room was still intact, whatever magic that kept the globe spinning and moving in time with the real world had kept it from collapsing under the heat.

Ash handed me an armband as Brand, Smoke, and their three boys entered the room. Smoke gathered me into her arms.

“Bless you, Larkspur. You saved my boy. I know Peta helped, but she wouldn’t have if you hadn’t been there.” She kissed me on both cheeks and then the lips. “You are always welcome in our home.” She put a hand on Peta’s head. “Both of you.”

Peta fairly glowed with pride. Tinder scooped her up and hugged her against his body and she licked his nose. Stryker and Cano tapped their fingers across my hand before backing away.

Brand hugged me with one arm. “Thank you.” Just two words, but they held the weight of what almost happened. If he’d gone into the lava, Smoke would still have lost one of her men.

I gave him a tight nod. “Anytime.”

Keeda stood beside me, and Tinder handed me Peta who curled up on my shoulder.

“I can’t Travel with more than one person,” I said. Peta snorted.

“I’m a part of you, I don’t count as a separate being.”

That was news to me, but I didn’t question her. Brand, Smoke, and their boys waved to us from the doorway as we engaged the armbands and the world of the Pit slid into nothing.

My hand was clamped around Keeda and for a moment, I thought I would see nothing, that her memories would be gone along with her soul.

Yet, that wasn’t the case in the least.

CHAPTER 26

The throne room was everything she ever wanted: a golden throne, golden floors and ceiling, gemstones everywhere. This was where she would be queen. A smile lifted her lips as she checked the spell that held her cloaking ability in place.