Page 108 of Lady of Starfire

When he stopped outside his rooms, Scarlett pushed up onto her toes and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. “It was nice to see you out of your rooms. Even if you were an ass the entire time.”

“Let me know when to expect my invitation to theexperiences, Darling,” he retorted.

Sorin clapped him on the shoulder when Scarlett scowled, her face flushing yet again. “I hate you all. I need Eliza to come back,” she grumbled under her breath, jerking out of Sorin’s reach.

The two continued down the hall, Sorin slinging an arm around her shoulders and bending down to whisper something in her ear that had her shoving him away yet again. His laughter echoed down the corridor.

Rayner bid them goodnight and disappeared among smoke, likely going to check on Tula, and Cyrus turned to his door. “Good night,” he said stiffly to Cassius, pushing into his room, but of course, Cassius followed him in.

“Sleep in your own room tonight, Cass,” Cyrus sighed. “I’m just going to bed. Surely you’re sick of sleeping in an armchair.”

“You’re not going to sleep,” Cassius said, kicking the door shut behind him. “You’re going to lie awake and let memories torture you. You don’t need to be alone for that.”

He wanted to snap some sort of witty retort, but he didn’t. He just sighed in resignation and made his way to the bedchamber, where he grabbed loose-fitting pants and went to change in the bathing room.

When he emerged shirtless, Cassius was waiting, arms crossed in a state of semi-dress. He’d changed into his own lightweight pants and still had his tunic on. At some point that evening, he’d put his eye patch back on, and he was barefoot, his boots discarded near the armoire.

“You need to talk about it at some point, Cyrus.”

“No. I don’t,” Cyrus said pointedly. He made to move to the decanter of alcohol, but black flames blocked his path. “Fucker,” he hissed, whirling on Cassius.

“Why did you appear to already know what Razik was going to say about twin flames?”

“Because I know more about twin flames than you do. I didn’t need a history lesson,” Cyrus sneered derisively.

“Get as nasty as you want with me, Cyrus. I’m not leaving.” Cassius came towards him, stopping a few feet away. “No one else knew about twin flames being between Legacy and Fae. You are telling me you have known that this whole time? I call bullshit.”

Cyrus held his stare, mouth pressed into a thin line.

“So do you have Avonleyan blood then? Or did Thia?”

“Do not push me on this right now,” Cyrus growled, fire flaring unbidden at his fingertips.

Cassius raked a hand through his hair, frustration lining his features. “Come on, Cyrus. I need you to meet me halfway here.”

“If memory serves,” he replied coldly, “you told me to ‘get the fuck out.’ I do not need to meet you anywhere.”

Cassius’s eye fell closed, clear regret washing over him. “I didn’t mean that. I shouldn’t have said it.”

“Doesn’t matter. It’s fine. You were right anyway.”

His eye flew open. “Right about what?”

“I wasn’t ready to be your Source. To be your anything really. I’m far too broken for you.”

“Stop,” Cassius snarled. “We are not doing that.”

“Doing what?” Cyrus scoffed. “Speaking truth?”

“Of course I want you to be honest with me,” he retorted. “But I know how Alaric works. I know how he breaks people—”

“Alaric?” Cyrus asked with a bark of harsh laughter. “Yourmasterdid nothing to me. Nothing but give my blood to the Sorceress.”

“I don’t know what that means,” Cassius said, desperation in his tone. “I do not know enough about her to know what she does. I need you to tell me, Cyrus. Tell me so I can help you.”

“Don’t you get it? There is no helping me. This is what I am deserving of.”

“No. None of that is true.”

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