Page 108 of Fire to the Stars

My arms tense around him. “Cultists?”

“But they aren’t simple zealots.” He takes a deep breath. “They turn into owls during the full moon.”

My throat closes. The room tilts, as if the ground is slowly caving in. My mind slips back to the last full moon, when the owls watched me in the courtyard of the Étoile Palace and again through the window of our hotel room.

“Owlswerefollowing me,” I croak.

“Or you’re moving toward the same location,” Abel replies. “We don’t know the reason for their behavior yet. But we can find out.”

“Lyle, show her the maps,” Marshal Payen orders.

He unfurls two maps across the table. The first map depicts Varsonne and the surrounding mountains. The second map shows the entirety of Florent. Both are marked up with heavyink.

Marshal Payen taps the first map. “We narrowed down theprisoner’s destination to this general area. We believe the cultists are gathering here, in pursuit of something called eau de vie.”

“ ‘Water of life?’ ” I look up at Abel. “What is she talking about?”

“We don’t know what it is, exactly,” Marshal Payen answers for him. “But the way I see it, eau de vie is the heart of the cultists’ organization. Find eau de vie, find the cultists. I need a dragon to guide my brigade so I can bring them to justice.”

“Guideyou?” I echo. “I don’t know this area, and I’ve never heard of eau de vie. I can’t help you.”

Abel sits me back in the chair, kneels before me, and takes my hands in his. They’re shaking so badly, his body trembles with the weight of the words his soundless lips are attempting to shape.

“Why do I feel like you wish to betray our agreement?” I try to pull my hands away, but he won’t let me. “You promised to slay me!”

“You said you wanted to come north,” he pleads. “You namedthesemountains.”

“So what?”

“Dragons are instinctively migrating to the same location as the cultists,” Lyle says. “If you just follow your instincts, you’ll lead us to them.”

“Nonsense. Gérard didn’t ask to go to the Northern Alps.”

“No, but he still traveled in this direction,” Abel says. “Look at this other map.” He offers the messier one. “Every one of these lines represents a different dragon. Look where their path takesthem.”

I can’t deny the pattern. “All dragons go north?”

“Yes. Including you.”

Wonder pushes my anger aside. From Sellecastel to Varsonne,I never planned more than one step ahead. My intention wasn’t to move north, necessarily, but I did all the same. A few detours here and there to find help or resources, but every choice I made pushed me toward these very mountains.

“But why do you needmeto guide you to the cultists?” I ask. “I’m not the only dragon in Florent. Can’t you let me die in peace?”

“Because you might nothaveto die.” Lyle makes an offering gesture. “There’s a deeper secret behind the Gods’ War, and it rests in these mountains. Whatever ‘water of life’ is, based on the name alone, it might help you.”

“Those are just words. They could mean anything.”

“Exactly,” Abel insists. “Anything is possible with magic involved. Why not a cure?”

Lucy paws at my knees. She must sense me holding my breath, but I can’t pull my focus away from the map.

“Even if a cure exists, I don’t deserve it.” Tears edge my lashes. “Marshal, I’m everything the Church wants humanity to reject. I’m a greedy criminal.”

“Please don’t,” Abel protests.

“No! I am one of the Dames Blanches. I’ve spun lies, started fights, and stolen thousands of lunes and soleils.” My lip quivers, but I push on. “I’ve killed people, including my own Dame Blanche sister.”

“She attacked you first!”