SERA'S POV
"Get away from her."
Mnemora's voice was ice. Her hands glowed silver, ready to attack.
The stranger—Cassian—just smiled wider. "Oh, come now. Is that any way to greet an old friend?"
"You're not my friend," Mnemora snapped. "And if your technology killed her family, you're definitely not hers."
My hands started heating up again. Fire danced under my skin, begging to come out. This man's inventions destroyed Rosewick. Burned my parents alive. Turned my little brother to ash.
"You," I whispered. Anger made my voice shake. "You built the weapons they used."
"Yes." He didn't even try to deny it. "And I've spent six months hunting the people who stole them. Which is how I found you."
He pulled something from his coat—a small metal device covered in scorch marks. "This was left behind at Lord Voss's mansion. Still warm from your fire magic." His eyes locked onto mine. "You have no idea how long I've been searching for proof that a Flameheart survived."
"Why?" I demanded. "So you can finish what Malachai started?"
Something flashed across his face—pain, quick and sharp. Then the smile returned. "Quite the opposite. I want to help you destroy him."
"Liar!"
"Truth." He moved closer, and Ferris stepped between us, metal hands raised like weapons. Cassian didn't seem worried. "Six months ago, someone broke into my workshop and stole my prototypes. Three days later, Rosewick burned. I've been tracking the thieves ever since, collecting evidence against everyone involved."
"Then why didn't you stop them?" My voice cracked. "Why didn't you warn anyone?"
"Because I didn't know where they'd strike until it was too late." For the first time, his smile disappeared completely. "I failed. Three hundred people died because I wasn't clever enough to prevent it. So now I'm going to make sure the people responsible pay for every single death."
Silence filled the room.
"He's telling the truth," Mnemora said quietly. "I've been watching him. He's been sabotaging the Noble Council for months, ruining their plans from the inside."
"You knew about him?" I spun to face her. "You knew, and you didn't tell me?"
"I was going to." She looked uncomfortable. "Tomorrow. After we stole Voss's memory. That memory would've proven Cassian's connection to the fire—shown he was a victim, not a conspirator."
"But we failed," I said bitterly. "We didn't get anything."
"Actually..." Cassian reached into his other pocket and pulled out a crystal vial filled with swirling silver smoke. "I got it. While you were making your dramatic escape through the window, I slipped into Voss's study through the servant's entrance. Picked his desk lock in under a minute."
Mnemora's eyes went wide. "You stole the memory?"
"I'm not the Mad Duke for nothing." He tossed her the vial. "Consider it a peace offering. Now, can we stop pointing weapons at each other and have a civilized conversation?"
Ferris lowered his hands but didn't move away from me. "If you attempt to harm Lady Seraphina—"
"I won't." Cassian's voice turned serious. "I swear it on my sister's grave."
The way he said it made something twist in my chest. He wasn't lying. I could feel it.
"Fine," I said. "Talk."
We sat in Mnemora's library. She placed Voss's stolen memory on the table between us, but nobody touched it yet.
Cassian explained everything. How he'd invented new mining technology. How someone he trusted betrayed him and sold the prototypes to Duke Malachai's people. How they'd weaponized his inventions to start the fire.
"I've spent six months playing the fool," he said. "Acting crazy so the nobles underestimate me while I gather evidence. But I need more than evidence. I need someone powerful enough to stand against the entire Noble Council." His eyes met mine. "I need a Flameheart."
"Why would I trust you?" I asked. "Your weapons killed everyone I loved."
"You shouldn't trust me." His honesty surprised me. "I'm the reason you're an orphan. I'm the reason your town is ash. Nothing I do will ever fix that." He leaned forward. "But we have the same enemy. Malachai ordered the fire. His people stole my inventions. We both want him destroyed. So we can either waste time hating each other, or we can work together and actually accomplish something."
I hated that he made sense.
"Show me the memory first," I said. "Prove Malachai ordered it."
Mnemora picked up the vial carefully. "Memory viewing can be... intense. You'll experience it like you were there. See what Voss saw, feel what he felt."
"I don't care. I need to know."
She uncorked the vial. Silver smoke poured out, forming a cloud in the air. Then the smoke solidified into shapes—people, a room, a conversation.
I was suddenly standing in a fancy office. Except I wasn't me. I was Lord Voss, sitting across from Duke Malachai.
"The Flameheart girl turns seventeen next week," Malachai said. His voice was cold. "That's when her powers will awaken."
"And you're certain she's in Rosewick?" Voss asked. I heard his voice coming from my own mouth—weird and wrong.
"Our informant confirmed it. The Ashford family has been hiding her for years." Malachai pulled out a map. Red circles marked buildings throughout Rosewick. "We'll use Vyredge's stolen devices here, here, and here. Make it look like an industrial accident. By morning, the entire town will be gone."
"All of it?" Voss sounded uncertain. "That's three hundred people."
"Acceptable losses." Malachai didn't even blink. "We cannot allow another Flameheart to survive. They're too dangerous. Too powerful. Better to erase one town than risk losing control of the entire realm."
The memory shifted. Now I saw the fire from above, watched Rosewick burn while Malachai and Voss drank expensive wine and celebrated.
The memory ended.
I was back in the library, shaking. Tears burned my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.
"Three hundred acceptable losses," I whispered. "We were acceptable losses."
"Now you know," Cassian said quietly. "Malachai didn't just kill your family. He erased your entire town to prevent you from existing."
Rage filled every inch of me. My hands heated up again, flames flickering across my fingers. But this time, I didn't try to stop them. I let them burn.
"I'm going to destroy him," I said. "I'm going to make him pay for every single person who died."
"Good." Cassian stood. "Because I have a plan. But it requires you to do something dangerous. Something that might get you killed."
"I don't care."
"You will when you hear it." He looked at Mnemora. "Tell her about the Grand Ascension Ball."
Mnemora's face went pale. "Cassian, no. That's suicide."
"What is?" I demanded.
Cassian's smile returned, sharp and dangerous. "In three weeks, every noble in the realm gathers at the Palace of Glass for the year's biggest celebration. Malachai will be there. So will everyone who helped him." He paused. "I'm going to introduce you as my newly discovered cousin. You'll attend the ball on my arm, and together we'll expose every crime they've committed in front of the entire aristocracy."
"And then?" I asked.
"Then we burn their lies to the ground. Metaphorically, of course." His eyes gleamed. "Unless you prefer literal fire. I'm flexible."
Before I could answer, Ferris suddenly went rigid again.
"Multiple intruders," he said. "Approaching from all sides. Armed. Heavily."
Mnemora jumped up. "That's impossible. Nobody can find this place unless I let them—"
The windows exploded inward.
Guards in black armor poured through, surrounding us. Their weapons glowed with the same red light as the magical wards.
And walking through the front door, calm as anything, was a woman I recognized even after all these years.
Evangeline.
My childhood best friend. The girl I'd trusted with every secret.
She looked right at me and smiled.
"Hello, Sera," she said sweetly. "Did you really think Father wouldn't notice when a dead Flameheart suddenly started using fire magic again?" She gestured to the guards. "Take her alive. Father wants to watch her burn personally this time."