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Sterling’s eyebrows dip. “Before transforming into these,” he gestures at the diamonds, “I got the sense that the water was aware.”

Bastian squats to examine a handful of stones with troubled hazel eyes. “This isn’t just complex magic. This is impossible magic.”

“Who could afford to gift this many diamonds?” That’s Agnar, practical as always. “Assuming they’re real, we could buy everything we need to rebuild a few countries. Or have three hells of a wild party.”

“They’re real.” Leesa and I speak simultaneously. My adoptive mother—Leesa’s birth mother—taught us how to identify genuine gemstones.

My chest aches. Her death is still fresh in my mind. Another casualty racked up by King Xenon. Thanks to his relentless quest for power, Leesa will forever bear the scars of killing our mother while under the drachen’s influence.

Astrid steps forward and picks up one of the larger diamonds. She examines the gem, then places it on the floor. A small flame appears on her fingertip, which she touches to the stone. The diamond absorbs the heat without changing. “Real. And this small pile is worth more than some small kingdoms.”

Bastian glances at the plain wrapper discarded on the floor. “Aclaris?”

Leesa’s already shaking her head before he can finish. “No, they’re still recovering from King Xenon’s tyrannical drachen occupation. They barely have enough to rebuild…”

Sterling nods. “They have a green provisional ruler too, and their new government is still finding its footing.”

“The Free Cities?” Fitz offers.

“Collectively, maybe, but they rarely agree on anything, and I doubt they could coordinate such a gift. None of them are powerful enough for this.” I sweep my arm over the glittering floor. “Their magic is practically nonexistent now.”

The truth sits heavy in the room.

Tirene alone still possesses magic. Following Narc’s destruction, the elemental powers in every other kingdom faded away. To kill the god and prevent his return, the eyril plants were destroyed. And without distilled eyril to bolster non-Tirenese magic, their powers are close to extinct.

I shudder, recalling how my blood dripped onto the altar where Narc’s bones rested, courtesy of a drachen’s talon. The scar from that shoulder wound still aches sometimes, especially whenever nightmares yank me from sleep.

Those tiny drops of dragoncaller blood were enough to revive him. Give him flesh.

Once I found my phoenix fire, buried deep inside me, I managed to purge the land of his taint. He died in the process…or something like that. The details of that night feel like a distant dream.

Freedom from corruption came at a price—the loss of other people’s magic. A price I never meant to exact when I destroyed the eyril to eliminate the drachen.

Even so, I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat to rid the world of Narc and his hideous monsters.

“That leaves us with no suspects,” Sterling crosses his arms over his chest, “and impossible magic.”

“Someone is clearly eager to show us they can do the impossible. That’s not a gift. That’s a threat.” I bend down to sweep my fingers across the stones. They remain cold, as if they’ve been buried in ice for centuries. “Something much bigger than diamond waterfalls is happening here.”

“Agreed. We’ll quarantine this room until we know more.” Sterling addresses the captain. “Double the guard rotations. No one enters or exits the palace without being verified by at least two guards who personally know them. Every package is to be inspected before being brought inside the palace.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“And these,” Sterling gestures at the gems, “remain here until we determine whether they’re safe.”

“Safe?” Agnar raises an eyebrow. “They’re diamonds.”

“Diamonds that were water mere minutes ago. Water that left nothing wet. And they’re still cold.” I wave a fire-wreathed hand over them. “We don’t know what they’ll be in twenty minutes.”

Guards are summoned to seal off the room. As we leave, Leesa studies the diamonds with a mixture of awe and fear. “They’re beautiful.”

“So are many other deadly things.”

We stride down the long corridor, flanked by open windows that allow the crisp winter wind to chase away the staleness. Sterling sticks beside me. Agnar, Bastian, and Leesa follow. Captain Fitz and his guards form a protective barrier around us all.

City sounds echo through the open windows and partially repaired palace walls. Market vendors call their wares. Children laugh. These are the everyday noises of a kingdom at peace.

Then angry shouting reaches our ears.