SERA'S POV
"You're lying," I whispered, staring at Lydia. "You're just trying to trick us."
"I wish I was." Lydia's tears kept falling. "Cordelia has been collecting Flamehearts for fifty years. Everyone thought she was helping the nobles hunt us down. But she was actually capturing us, keeping us alive, stealing our powers piece by piece."
Cassian's face had gone deathly pale. "The purge. It wasn't just murder. It was kidnapping."
"Yes. And tomorrow, when she attacks the city, she'll bring all seven of us. We're her weapons now." Lydia looked at me desperately. "You're the only free Flameheart left. The only one who can stop her."
"I can barely control my own fire!" My hands were still burned and blistered. "How am I supposed to fight seven people and an immortal grandmother?"
"You're not alone." Cassian stepped beside me. "You have us."
"Against an army of fire witches? We'll die in the first five minutes!"
"Probably." His smile was grim. "But we'll make those five minutes count."
Lydia suddenly gasped, her body going rigid. "She's calling me back. I can't fight it much longer."
"Wait!" Cassian grabbed her hand. "Tell me how to break her control. There has to be a way to save you!"
"There is. But you won't like it." Lydia's eyes were fading back to emptiness. "Cordelia's power comes from a artifact—the Heart of Ember. It's an ancient Flameheart relic that grants immortality and control over fire. Destroy it, and her hold over us breaks. But it's hidden inside her body. You'd have to—"
Her voice cut off. The tears stopped. Her eyes went completely blank.
"Cassian," she said in a flat, emotionless voice. "Grandmother commands you to surrender the girl by dawn. If you refuse, I will be sent to kill everyone you've ever cared about. Starting with your servants. Then the children in the orphanage you secretly fund. Then everyone in the capital who's ever shown you kindness."
Horror washed over Cassian's face. "Lydia, please—"
"You have until sunrise to decide. Sacrifice one girl, or watch thousands die."
Then she turned and walked away, disappearing into the ruins.
Cassian started to follow, but I grabbed his arm. "Don't. She's already gone."
"She's still in there!" His voice cracked. "You heard her. Some part of Lydia is still fighting!"
"And Cordelia will use that against us." I forced him to look at me. "She wants you emotional. Wants you making stupid decisions to save your sister. That's how she wins."
He knew I was right. I could see it in his eyes. But knowing and accepting are different things.
Mnemora stood up, still weak but determined. "We need a plan. A real one. Not just 'fight and hope we don't die.'"
"The Heart of Ember," I said. "That's the key. We destroy it, we break Cordelia's power."
"You make it sound easy." Ferris moved closer. "How exactly do we destroy an artifact hidden inside an immortal's body?"
Good question. I had no idea.
Cassian was quiet for a long moment. Then his usual smile returned—sharp and dangerous. "I think I know how. But it requires doing something incredibly stupid."
"What else is new?" Mnemora muttered.
"We let Cordelia capture Sera."
Everyone stared at him.
"Are you insane?" I shouted. "She'll either kill me or turn me into a puppet like Lydia!"
"Not if we're prepared." Cassian's eyes gleamed with that calculating look I was starting to recognize. "Think about it. Cordelia wants you alive because you're the last free Flameheart. She needs to either control you or eliminate you. But what she doesn't know is that you're not just powerful—you're unpredictable."
"So?"
"So we use that. You let her think she's won. Let her bring you close, try to steal your power like she did with the others. But while she's focused on you, I'll be planting one of my devices directly on the Heart of Ember."
"What kind of device?"
He pulled a small metal sphere from his coat—similar to the smoke bombs he'd used earlier, but different. This one had strange symbols carved into it and pulsed with a faint red light.
"A Flameheart Disruptor. I've been building it for months, using stolen samples of Cordelia's fire magic. It's designed to shatter magical artifacts from the inside out." He met my eyes. "But it only works if placed directly against the target. Meaning someone has to get close enough to Cordelia to touch her heart."
"That someone being me."
"Yes."
I looked at the device. It was small, barely bigger than my fist. Such a tiny thing to pin all our hopes on.
"What if it doesn't work?" I asked quietly.
"Then we all die, Cordelia wins, and the Flameheart bloodline ends forever." Cassian's smile turned sad. "But at least we'll die trying to save people instead of hiding. That's worth something."
Mnemora shook her head. "This plan is insane. A thousand things could go wrong."
"Name one that won't get us killed faster than doing nothing."
She couldn't.
Ferris looked at me. "Lady Seraphina, this is your choice. We'll follow whatever you decide."
My choice. Surrender to my murderous grandmother and hope Cassian's device works, or hide in ruins while she burns the city looking for me.
Not much of a choice.
"Fine," I said. "We'll do it. But I want something in return."
"What?" Cassian asked.
"When this is over—if we survive—you help me destroy Malachai too. Cordelia ordered the fire, but he carried it out. He needs to pay."
"Deal." Cassian held out his hand.
I shook it. His grip was firm despite his burns.
"So how do we get Cordelia to capture me without her getting suspicious?"
"Easy." Cassian's grin turned wicked. "We make it look like I betrayed you."
Dawn came too fast.
We stood in the ruins as planned. Cassian had tied my hands with fake rope that would break easily if pulled. Mnemora and Ferris hid nearby, ready to intervene if things went wrong.
The sky was still filled with Cordelia's message written in silver fire.
Right on schedule, she appeared. Not alone this time—she brought all seven of her captive Flamehearts. They stood in a line behind her, faces blank, eyes empty. I recognized Lydia. The others were strangers, but they all had the same dead expression.
Seven weapons. Just like Lydia warned.
"Lord Vyredge," Cordelia said pleasantly. "I'm pleased you made the smart choice."
"Did I have one?" Cassian pushed me forward roughly. "Take her. She's been nothing but trouble anyway."
I glared at him, pretending to be betrayed. "You promised to help me!"
"I promised to protect myself." He wouldn't meet my eyes. "Sacrificing you accomplishes that. Nothing personal."
Cordelia laughed. "How practical. I'm almost impressed."
She approached me, reaching out to touch my face. "Poor child. Everyone you trust eventually betrays you. Your friend Evangeline. Your own grandmother. And now the Mad Duke himself."
Her hand was ice cold despite her fire magic.
"But I promise you something," she whispered. "I won't betray you. I'll simply make you into something better. Something obedient."
That's when everything went wrong.
One of the captive Flamehearts suddenly broke formation—a young man who looked barely older than me. His blank eyes flickered with awareness for just a second.
"Run!" he screamed at me. "It's a trap! She knows about the device! She's been inside Cassian's head the whole time!"
Then his body erupted in silver flames.
He burned alive, screaming, while Cordelia watched calmly.
"Did you really think I wouldn't notice Lord Vyredge building a weapon specifically designed to kill me?" She smiled. "I've been watching him for weeks. Reading his thoughts through Lydia's connection. I know everything."
Cassian's face went white.
Cordelia pulled the Flameheart Disruptor from my pocket—the one Cassian had hidden there. She crushed it in her hand like it was made of paper.
"Nice try though." She grabbed my arm, her grip painfully tight. "Now, let's begin your transformation. I've waited seventeen years for another Flameheart to awaken. You'll make an excellent eighth weapon."
Silver fire engulfed me.
And the last thing I saw before the pain took over was Cassian's horrified face as he realized his plan had failed completely.