Page 120 of Lady of Starfire

“This is the first decent lead we’ve had since we got here,” Callan argued. “You saw those streets, Azrael. No one is there. Either Mikale and Alaric have all of them, or…” He trailed off, jarred with every bump and rut in the road.

“Or what?” Azrael gritted out.

“You said it yourself. They’re good at staying hidden. This might be our only chance at finding them.”

“You honestly believe these men know where this Mary Ellen is?”

No. He wasn’t sure what he believed. But these men seemed to know who Tava was, and he couldn’t ignore that.

He had no way of calculating how much time had passed. It had to be at least an hour, likely closer to two, before the wagon began slowing. They quickly replaced their hoods, Azrael using his magic to get their bindings back in place, before they were hauled from the back of the wagon.

A short walk later, they were being forced to their knees onto damp earth that seeped through the material of his pants. Their hands were left bound, but their hoods were removed. Cool air kissed Callan’s face as he blinked against the sudden light.

There were several fires throughout the space, and tents. Rows and rows of tents. This was a camp. He turned his head from side-to-side, taking it all in. The woods north of Baylorin. That had to be where they were. It was a good two-hour ride to get this deep into the trees. People moved among the fires and tents, calling out to one another and…laughing. Despite clearly being displaced, they were joking with each other.

Two of the guards stayed beside him and Azrael, three others peeling off and greeting some other men by a fire. The final man had disappeared.

“Is Mary Ellen here?” Callan asked, looking up at the guard nearest him.

“Shut up,” he snarled. It was the first man. The one who had spoken the most. And why did he sound so familiar?

Azrael shifted, inching closer. The guards glanced at him but didn’t say anything.

“Finally,” the guard next to Callan muttered some time later, stalking forward.

And then Callan felt the world fall out from beneath him as he beheld who he’d been waiting for.

There were two women moving through the trees and heading in their direction. One had red-brown hair braided over her shoulder. She moved with lethal grace and had more weapons strapped to her than Callan could count. She was wearing a suit just like the one Scarlett often wore. Holding a book open in her hand, she was showing something to the other woman.

Who had a golden owl perched on her shoulder.

That was Tava. In a godsdamn witchsuit that fit her like a glove. Her hair was also braided over her shoulder, and she was listening intently to whatever the other was saying. And the other?

That was Juliette.

Angel and Wraith.

Tava looked up, smiling softly at the guard—was he a guard?—as he approached. She hadn’t noticed him and Azrael kneeling on the forest floor yet, but he knew the moment the man mentioned them. Her eyes went wide, snapping to them, her hand covering her mouth in as much shock as Callan was in.

“Oh my gods,” she rasped, shoving past the man and rushing forward. Paja gave a disgruntled hoot at her sudden movement, swooping up to a low-hanging branch. “I am so sorry, Callan,” Tava said. He could feel her fingers trembling as she tried to work the knots in the ropes.

“Azrael,” Callan muttered, and a moment later, the bindings fell away. He was twisting around to grab her in the next breath. Her arms wound around his neck, and he breathed her in.

“Are you all right?” he murmured into her hair.

She gave a choked laugh as she leaned back. “Am I all right? You were transported here in a prison wagon. Areyouall right?”

“I am fine, Little Fox,” he said, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. “Confused as hell, but fine.”

“My Lady,” he heard Azrael say, and Callan looked over his shoulder to find him bowing to Juliette. It took him a minute to remember that she was the Oracle.

Juliette gave him a crooked smirk, and she winked as she said, “Plant Prince.” Azrael muttered something under his breath too low for Callan to hear, but Juliette gave a small laugh as she added, “I am the least vexing of the three of us, I assure you.”

“In that case, I think some explanations are in order,” Azrael replied.

“Prince?”

They all turned to find the man who had approached the women, standing with his arms crossed.

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