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As if his words had roused it, the anchor in my chest tugged hard. I swallowed a gasp as I started forward. “Just a quick detour, Sir Markos.” I gathered my skirts as Helios zipped to my side. “Lead the way,” I told the knight.

We returned to the corridor and the crowd, eventually making our way to the palace’s main entrance. Tall, gleaming doors etched with a pair of blazing suns stood open, allowing sunlight to splash over the marble floor.

Outside, Lum Laras spread before me, its golden streets and gleaming spires reflecting the morning sunlight.

Merchants and other townspeople lined the streets.

The golden banners of House Kasreneth fluttered against buildings.

Flowers in a riot of colors burst from window boxes.

The city stretched to the horizon, its walls a blurry barrier in the distance.

But even just one short week after my father’s death, the city’s sparkle had dimmed.

The shadows between the buildings stretched a little longer.

The golden streets were duller than usual.

Without the sunstone, the eternal summer that nourished the kingdom had already begun to fade.

In another week or two, the flowers wouldn’t bloom as brightly.

Eventually, the harvest would suffer. Time was not on my side.

I looked at Helios. He gave a subtle nod, encouragement gleaming in his eyes. Squaring my shoulders, I stepped into the sunlight.

A cheer went up as people spotted me. Banners waved among the sea of excited faces.

“It’s the princess!” someone cried. “She’s off to save the sunstone!”

The crowd roared. Banners jumped up and down as their owners vied for a better look at me. Children darted between adults’ legs with bunches of flowers clutched in their hands.

My heart thundered in my chest. All of Lum Laras had showed up to see me off. Everyone was counting on me. Oh gods, what if I couldn’t find the stone?

Helios spoke out of the corner of his mouth. “Wave.”

I lifted a hand, and the cheering continued. Several children tossed their flowers into the street.

My pack seemed heavier as I started down the steps.

Although, maybe that was just the weight of my responsibilities.

The heady perfume of roses wafted to my nose as citizens continued tossing flowers into my path.

Music drifted on the air, the notes of a lute threaded among the shouts and cheers of the townspeople.

Children sat on their parents’ shoulders, small golden flags bearing my family’s crest in their hands.

When Corvus and I eventually married, the palace banner makers would add sunblossoms to the crest, creating a new symbol for our joined houses.

Corvus should be here. A lump formed in my throat. I swallowed it.

Helios waved at a group of children. Tiny sparks shot from each of his fingers and eddied into the air. The children squealed, several scrambling to catch the motes before they winked out of sight.

“Show off,” I murmured.

Helios sent another flurry of sparks spiraling into the air. “I’m giving the people what they want.”

“Parlor tricks?”

“Pageantry.” He sent the next round of embers soaring into the air, where they formed a dazzling sun before dissolving into golden rain. Bystanders gasped, the sound laced with delight.

Doubt and resentment shadowed my mind. “My father loved pageantry.”

“And he was good at it.” Helios drifted closer, his waving hair nearly brushing my hip.

“Thessador had his flaws, but he understood the power of appearances. It’s one thing to say you’re the next queen.

It’s quite another to make people believe it.

You’re not marching to your doom, Ezabell.

You’re going on a sacred quest. Give your people a reason to believe. ”

A reason to believe. Maybe Helios had a point. Who knew how long it would take to the find the sunstone? I could be absent for years. In the meantime, I needed my people to believe I would return victorious.

I summoned my magic again, letting it build beneath my skin until golden light pulsed at my fingertips.

With a flick of my wrists, I sent twin streams of sunlight spiraling upward.

The magic braided itself into a glowing coronet that hovered above the crowd before bursting into a shower of miniature suns.

Each one drifted downward in a shower of sparks.

The crowd gasped, then erupted into raucous cheers.

“The Princess of Light!” someone shouted. Others took up the cry until it became a chant that rippled through the streets.

Helios offered me a knowing smile. “There. Now they’ll remember your power.”

“Thanks,” I said softly.

“No problem.” He looked toward the city’s gates, which shimmered more brightly as we neared the walls. “Quick question. Do you know where we’re going?”

I followed his gaze. The magic in my chest tugged, drawing me forward. Experimenting, I veered to the left, heading away from the gates. The tug weakened, the Dokimasi’s magic fading. I moved back to the center of the road.

The magic surged back, the tug jerking me forward so fiercely that I almost stumbled.

“To the gates,” I said. “At least for now.”

Helios appeared to think it over. Then he nodded. “It’s as good a place to start as any.” He started humming along with the music.

“Do the dancing lights!” a little girl shouted from the crowd.

Helios flicked his fingers, and a sun spun into the air. The little girl clapped her hands.

A mixture of relief and optimism surged through me. Maybe Helios was right. The Dokimasi wouldn’t be so bad. Yes, I had to leave Corvus in Lum Laras, but at least I had Helios.

“I’m glad you’re here,” I told him. “I couldn’t ask for a better companion.”