Heat of the Everflame by Penn Cole

Diem has been captured by the rebels and is held on the mainland, where they force-feed her flame root to suppress her magic. Among the rebels, leaders Vance and Cordellia oversee the operation. Diem learns they’re spiking her food and water, so she stops consuming it. Meanwhile, her mother, Auralie, is imprisoned in Fortos, and the rebels have taken control of Coeurîle.

Sorae and Luther arrive to rescue Diem, but the rebels are prepared with godstone bolts designed to kill Gryvern. The battle turns against them, and Diem orders Sorae to flee with Luther, prioritizing their safety. Captured again, Diem is force-fed flame root until Cordellia secretly helps her escape, disillusioned by the rebels’ refusal to exchange Diem for Auralie. During her escape, Diem sneaks into the camp to steal a horse but discovers Luther has been captured in a second rescue attempt. Taran stops her from rushing in recklessly.

Diem, Luther, Taran, and Alixe form a plan to escape using bombs. Despite Diem’s insistence on sparing mortals, she accidentally kills a man defending Luther. Later, it’s revealed that Luther used the Compass of Meros to find Diem, as she is what his heart desires most. Their escape leads to another violent confrontation, where Taran is gravely injured by a godstone spear. Alexi’s unstable magic briefly saves them, allowing the group to flee to Ignios, where mortals cannot follow.

Journeying through the desert, Taran’s condition deteriorates due to his godstone wounds. They reach an oasis littered with mortal skeletons, scavenging for supplies but finding little sustenance. As tensions rise, Taran lashes out at Diem, blaming her for their predicament. In a critical moment, Luther almost kills Ignios in a fit of rage, but Diem intervenes, using Luther’s magic to restore her strength.

The group arrives in Umbros, a bustling, diverse city. Diem begins to hear people’s thoughts, though she doesn’t understand the phenomenon. At an inn, they discover it serves as a sanctuary for half-blood children Luther once smuggled to safety. Here, they meet Zalaric Hanoverre, also known as “the Jaguar,” a powerful half-blood who aids their quest.

Luther’s behavior becomes erratic, avoiding intimacy with Diem and revealing hints of deeper pain. During an intimate moment, he abruptly pulls away, leaving Diem confused and hurt. She begins to suspect that Luther is hiding a godstone injury. Their magic continues to act unpredictably, further complicating matters.

When Diem decides to approach the Umbros crown, she clashes with Luther, whose protective instincts conflict with her determination. This tension culminates in her appointing Alixe as her high general over Luther, trusting Alixe to follow her orders, even at personal risk.

Diem notices the poultice she’s using to treat Taran’s wounds is losing effectiveness as her herb supplies run low. While she prepares a new batch, Luther observes her closely, his behavior increasingly erratic. Their task is interrupted by Zalaric, who emerges through a hidden passage and easily disarms a defensive Taran. Zalaric offers help but can only assist them in escaping the following day. Despite the tension, a playful chemistry between Zalaric and Taran begins to surface.

Zalaric takes Diem, Alixe, and Taran on a tour of the Umbros markets, disguising their appearances with magic. His playful banter with Taran continues to build their connection. During the excursion, Diem learns a disturbing truth about Luther: he was responsible for placing bounties on half-blood children, but only to ensure they were turned in alive, enabling him to rescue them.

The day takes a magical turn when Diem reacts strongly to a Montios-Rymari flame at a vendor's stall. She speaks the word “Rise,” causing the flame to intensify before purchasing it. Later, her magic flares protectively when someone grabs her wrist, activating every flame jar in the stall.

Returning to the inn, they find Luther asleep, his worsening condition becoming evident. Diem, burdened by his strange behavior, confides in Alixe. Later, she catches Zalaric betraying them through her newfound ability to read minds. Despite the betrayal, she forgives him, though tension rises when Symond intercepts them, confirming Zalaric’s treachery. To protect her friends, Diem agrees to meet the Queen of Umbros.

At the Queen’s palace, Diem learns of her right to visit her imprisoned mother and receives access to a library containing key information about her powers. However, Luther’s strange and evasive behavior continues to weigh on her. She misinterprets a scene with two women in Luther’s room, believing it to signal his disinterest, though in reality, they helped him after he collapsed.

Later, Luther attempts to explain himself, but Diem, as usual, interrupts, cutting him off before he can finish. She confronts him again, confessing her unconditional love. Finally, she discovers the truth: Luther has been poisoned by godstone.

In desperation, Diem offers her magic to save Luther, culminating in a dramatic moment where her blood mingles with tears from a mystical bust of Lumnos. This creates a mixture that miraculously heals him, though the group mistakenly attributes his recovery to an Arbros vial. Despite the emotional breakthrough, Diem sets boundaries when Luther seeks greater intimacy.

The group moves on to Lumnos, where familial tensions arise between Diem and her brother, Teller, over their imprisoned mother, Auralie. In Fortos, Diem boldly confronts its misogynistic ruler, demanding access to Auralie, whom they discover has been tortured. When Diem is trapped in a godstone cell, Auralie’s dismissive attitude toward Luther reveals her prejudices, pushing Diem to use her Umbros magic to overpower her mother’s will.

The climax escalates as Diem kills the Fortos king and claims his crown, freeing the mortals in his prison. A battle ensues when Remis betrays them, but Diem’s growing powers allow the group to escape.

Upon reaching Lumnos, Sorae is gravely injured during their approach. With enemies and allies alike questioning her choices, Diem decides to depart for Montios, bringing Auralie along despite the cost to her support network.

In Montios, Auralie’s character deteriorates as she continues to reject Diem's Descended nature and treats Luther with disdain, ignoring his patience and acceptance. Diem's reluctance to confront Auralie enables her toxic behavior, including her refusal to acknowledge her past wrongs.

While scouting, Diem finds a camp but leaves it unexplored, instead visiting Rymari’s memorial with Sorae. On their return, tensions rise as Luther signals urgently, only for it to be over Diem’s failure to notify the group of her departure. Auralie inflames matters by meddling in Diem's relationships, and her interference escalates when a Fortos commander arrives with soldiers wielding godstone weapons to arrest Diem. Sorae is sent to Lumnos for safety, and the situation resolves with the Montios Descended asserting authority and forcing the Fortos troops to retreat.

The group travels to Montios, where the Descended's advanced governance and a democratic council impress them. Diem learns she is the Montios Crown, adding to her burdens. Troubling news surfaces, including rebel attacks and the destruction of a fishing village. Diem’s forging magic backfires while spying on the Descended aiding the rebels, Ophiucae, who brands her with a ten-point star. He taunts her, revealing he has her eye and daring her to find him. Despite her lack of preparation, Diem impulsively sets out to confront him.

Luther prevents a disastrous confrontation by fleeing with Diem and Auralie. In the aftermath, Auralie reveals Ophiucae is Diem's father, recounting a dark history of paranoia and possession that culminated in an attempt to use Diem’s blood to destroy the heartstone. Auralie’s reliability as a narrator remains questionable. Though Diem confronts her mother about past risks, she avoids addressing her bigotry. Seeking solace, Diem and Luther share a moment of intimacy, interrupted by Auralie, who accuses Luther of ulterior motives. Diem declares her love for him, but Auralie's sincerity in accepting their relationship is dubious.

In Sophos, the group explores ancient ruins and discovers clues about the Everflame and a Kindred’s fear of a younger sibling. They encounter Doriel, the Sophos Crown, who offers a bonded bargain: in exchange for pardons for Diem and Auralie, Diem agrees to confront Ophiucae. Meanwhile, Teller’s arrival, orchestrated by Remis, ignites familial tensions. Their arguments are interrupted by the star’s ominous burning, signaling danger.

The ensuing battle sees Diem wielding her powers to protect both mortals and Descended. Doriel exposes her duplicity, revealing plans to imprison Diem and strip her magic. Umbros arrives to shift the vote, but Ignios kills her before she casts it. Umbros’s crown transfers to Diem, granting her six votes and securing the pardons. Enraged by the crowns’ deceit, Diem refuses to complete the forging ceremony. Sophos retaliates, threatening Teller’s life and activating a deadly spell that traps those on the island. Amid the chaos, Perth sacrifices himself, and Ignios delivers a fatal blow to Diem. In her final moments, Diem forces Luther away from the island, and she has decided that she would have married Luther if she still had the chance.