Page 11 of An Empress of Fire & Steel

“Favourite is a far cry.”

“I stand by my statement,” he said confidently as he walked in front of her to open the door to his mother’s cottage. “After you.”

Emara stopped in her tracks.

“Why are you so cheerful?” she asked. “It’s getting on my nerves already.”

He let out a barking laugh. “Because it seems the vow of silence you took has come to an end. This session is going to be enjoyable.” His gaze met hers. “I can feel it already.”

Emara tore her eyes from him as she crossed the threshold of the room, feeling a little less tightness around her heart. It wasn’t much, but the exercise had really helped. And maybe having an actual conversation that wasn’t in her own head was good too.

As she walked into the cottage, she noticed the other Blacksteels were sitting around the fire.

Before Emara could read any expression or the solemn air that was heavy in the room, Torin’s husky voice broke through the silence.

“What’s wrong?”

Naya Blacksteel looked up, concern warping her features as her lovely eyes darkened with sorrow. “Word has come from the tower.”

Emara felt Torin stiffen beside her.

Gideon stood and Kellen’s eyes were also now on Torin. But it was Gideon who spoke, “The Empress of House Earth was found murdered this morning.” He walked forward with a letter in his hand. “The prime has called an emergency hearing, and Father has agreed for it to be held at the tower. The attacks are happening again.”

Fury crossed Torin’s face, but he didn’t say anything. Goosebumps laced Emara’s skin from head to toe like a fine gown. She watched Naya Blacksteel try to fight back a mixture of both sadness and frustration as Kellen rested one arm around her and lay his head against hers.

Gideon finally reached where they stood, and as he looked Torin in the eye, he said, “It’s time to go home, brother. We leave now.”

Emara had travelled back to the Blacksteel Tower by a portal Naya had created, her magic so strong that she could still feel it tingling on her skin, the static energy dancing in her hair. Her stomach felt queasy as she climbed the stone steps to the foyer, cursing that she would never get used to the way witches preferred to travel.

Before she could think about emptying the contents of her stomach, Marcus Coldwell’s familiar face appeared at the doors, and he greeted them all with a warm smile that lit up the dimness of the foyer.

“Commanding Wife Blacksteel, what a pleasure it is to have you here.” Marcus took her hand and kissed the top. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

Naya’s name amongst the Hunters’ threw Emara off guard.

Commanding Wife.

“Marcus, it is lovely to see you, regardless of how unsettling the occasion.” She walked through the door first, followed by Emara, then her boys. “It’s been some time since I saw you last. We didn’t even manage to reacquaint ourselves at the Uplift.”

“I am sure there will be time for catching up,” Marcus said.

“There always is with old friends,” Naya confirmed with a smile.

“Miss Clearwater, the Tower welcomes you back.” Marcus put out his hand, and she placed her hand into his before he kissed it formally. Emara smiled at Marcus, wondering if he bought her fake grin, and said nothing in return. In all honesty, she didn’t know how she was feeling as she entered the tower. The last time she’d been brought here, she was with Cally to recover from the attack on her old home—a home now lost to her old life. They had experienced this entire journey into a new world together, a new world of demons and magic.

And now, it was only Emara.

“Torin, Gideon,” Marcus welcomed the brothers in a masculine embrace. “Baby Blacksteel.” He ruffled a hand through Kellen’s hair.

Kellen smoothed it out again. “I despise that nickname.”

“Gods, Marcus, you’re acting like we have been gone for years.” Gideon chuckled.

“The tower isn’t the same place without you.” Marcus’sbrown eyes tightened, forming creases in his dark skin, the only sign that gave away his age.

“No father to greet us back from our travels?” Torin’s voice rang off the foyer walls and Emara wondered if he wanted everyone in the tower to hear his sarcasm.

“No, Commander Blacksteel is rather pressed for time at the moment. He has some heavy paperwork in regard to the investigations of the Uplift, and it needs to be completed before the hearing for the prime.”

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