Page 45 of The Devil May Care

“It didn’t.”

A beat of silence. Then, softly, “Shame.”

We walk for a moment in quiet. I can feel him watching me from the corner of his eye. Waiting for the crack. I won’t give it to him. Not yet.

“You’re troubled,” he says.

“I’m aware.”

“Would you like to know what troubles me?”

“No.”

He smiles anyway. “She stood in the circle.”

I stop walking. Just for a breath, a falter, nothing more.

“She didn’t do so intentionally. She had no idea what it meant.” She was led to the platform; the gold circle would have meant nothing to her. The protective magic might not apply. She’s human. She came through the wastes. It’s nothing. When I continue down the hall, Solonar matches me step for step.

“The others saw it too,” he says. “Varo.”

“She isn’t a contender,” I say tightly.

“Isn’t she?” he asks. “She wasn’t cast out.”

“She is unmarked and human.”

“So, the rules may shift. The Flame may react…accordingly.”

That stops me in my tracks. And I hate that it does.

Solonar stays quiet for a moment. He’s good at that—saying nothing until the silence hurts.

Then, gently, “You know… I’ve wondered something.”

I don’t answer. He takes that as permission.

“I wonder if she’s already been chosen.”

I stop walking.

“You’re reaching,” I say.

“Am I?” He steps in front of me; his hands loose at his sides. “She walked through the Wastes untouched. The flame rose when she entered the circle. She hasn’t been marked. Not visibly. But what if the flame has changed its rules?”

“It doesn’t change.”

“No?” His smile is slight. “Or does it bend when it wants something badly enough?”

I grit my teeth. He’s not wrong. That’s what makes this situation both infuriating and dangerous.

“She didn’t come to Crimson on purpose. She thought it was some sort of dream. A hallucination” I say.

Solonar shrugs. “Ignorance has never stopped the flame before.”

“She isn’t trained. She isn’t ready.”

“She wasn’t dead either, but she should be.” He lets that hang for a moment before continuing. “She’s alive. In the court. In the circle. And the Sovereigns are watching her.”