Page 163 of Lady of Starfire

“This is not the ‘her’ I thought you were referencing,” Azrael said tightly to Juliette.

Nuri was leaning against a tree, flipping a dagger in her hand. Mordecai stood nearby, arms crossed and eyes constantly scanning…everything. Their surroundings. The sky. His wings rustled slightly, and his gaze skimmed over Juliette.

“Where is the other Witch?”

“Arantxa is collecting the Tyndells,” Juliette answered. “Nuri, a moment?”

Death’s Shadow paused her dagger-flipping, eyeing her sister curiously as she pushed off the tree and followed her into the trees.

“Do you know what that is about?” Mordecai asked, eyes narrowed on the spot where the two had disappeared.

“Doweknow whattheyare up to?” Azrael asked, his lip curling slightly. “I am certain they do not even know what they are doing half the time.”

The seraph didn’t answer.

“I did not know you and Nuri were to join us today,” Callan ventured, keeping well away from Mordecai. They may have explained how they had been working on the inside all this time, but the male was…unnerving. Callan had seen a lot of immortal beings at this point—Fae, Avonleyan, Shifter, Witch—and despite that, there was something about Mordecai that he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

“We bring undesirable reports,” the seraph commander said.

“Did something happen?” Callan asked.

Mordecai nodded once, his gaze going back to where Juliette and Nuri had disappeared.

“Are you going to share the reports?” Azrael asked, crossing his arms and glaring at the male.

“When everyone has arrived,” Mordecai said. “I do not like to repeat myself. It is inefficient.”

“And what, exactly, is efficient about the three of us just standing here?” Azrael countered.

The seraph’s wings rustled again, flaring slightly.

“You’re annoying him, Flower Fae,” Nuri chided, stepping back into the clearing. “It’s rude.”

The hoot of an owl had all of them stilling. It sounded again a moment later. Paja swooped overhead, flying to a low branch. Arantxa stepped into view, Drake, Tava, and Ezra behind her.

The dark-skinned Witch had arrived a few days ago, along with news of Sawyer’s death and reports of Ashtine and Talwyn. The former was not doing well, and Talwyn had been offered the choice of coming here with Arantxa, but had stayed to tend to the Wind Princess.

The Witch surveyed them all shrewdly before striding to Juliette. Tava reached for a satchel Drake was carrying. She met Callan’s gaze, giving him a soft smile, before she also moved to Juliette.

“I have those herbs you requested,” Tava said, untying the bag as she went. She wasn’t in a witchsuit tonight, but she was in tight-fitting pants and a close-cut tunic, her cloak billowing out behind her.

“Did you two find anything on your scouting the last few days?” Drake asked, coming to stand with Callan and Azrael. “Rumors are beginning to spread about rebel camps. We need to get people moved out of here.”

“We found some decent areas farther north in the forest. It took us a good day’s ride. With so many people, it’ll take a few days,” Azrael said.

“Wouldn’t it be wiser to take them even farther north? Even a day’s ride is too close at this point. They are spreading forces out to the northeast to cover all the towns and villages. Two camps that close together will be noticeable,” Drake said.

“If we go much farther north, I worry about the camps getting too close to the Fire Court border,” Azrael said. “Until we know if Eliza can take that seat from Bastien—”

“Eliza won’t fail at that,” Callan interjected. “We just need to give her time. You took them there this morning. She’s obviously going to be making her move soon.” Callan pulled a small, folded-up piece of paper from his pocket. He’d drawn a crude map of Windonelle on it to take with on their scouting to mark areas of interest. “I’m not saying we need to set up camps right on the border, but if we can get them a little farther north, when Eliza does take back the Fire Court, the people will easily be able to cross the borders into the Court and safety.”

“What makes you think they’ll be safe in a Fae Court?”

They all turned to Ezra, who was standing a few feet away. He reminded Callan a lot of Tava. Always quiet and blending into the background. Hearing and seeing everything.

He stepped forward. “You think they will suddenly welcome mortals into their lands?”

“They will be,” Callan said. “I’ve spent nearly a year building a rapport with all the Fae Courts. I know each of the sitting royals well, including the one standing with us right now.”

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