Page 267 of Lady of Starfire

“Just say the name?” Sorin asked, moving forward.

Scarlett shrugged. “That’s what Gehenna said. A Mark spoken with the name of Fate.”

“Avana.”

The name was scarcely past his lips when the Mark radiated with such force it shoved them all back. Sorin caught Scarlett before she hit the wall. When she turned back, Mordecai was already back at Nuri’s side, holding her hand in his own and inspecting her palm.

“Did it work?” Scarlett asked, and when Nuri met her gaze, there were tears glimmering there. Scarlett gave her a wicked smile. “What shall we burn first, Sister?”

Nuri’s features darkened, fangs snapping out. “We burn it all.”

* * *

Turned out, they didn’t need to start a fire.

Everything was already burning when they stepped from the shadowy mist that took the three of them to the spot Callan would have crushed the vial. Sorin was already in the sky, those magnificent fire wings of his flaming brightly as he worked to put out the fires Alaric’s forces had set.

An arrow flew past their heads, and Scarlett and Nuri both whirled around to find Juliette.

“I was worried you would not make it,” Juliette said, hurrying to their side. “Come.”

They did not question their sister as she ran. Juliette let another arrow fly, and when Scarlett saw it hit its mark, she raced past them.

“Callan!” she cried, pulling a dagger and slicing away at vines.

The arrow had gone through a seraph’s throat, and with scarcely a thought, the male was burning in starfire.

“Callan,” Scarlett repeated, tearing away the vines that had been around his wrists and throat. “Are you all right?”

There was blood dripping down his temple, and he wasn’t in any sort of leathers or armor.

“You came,” he gasped, sucking down air.

“Of course I came, Callan. Can you stand?”

She tried to help him up, but he stumbled. “They have Drake,” he murmured. “I was trying to get to him.”

“Rayner!” Scarlett screamed. The Ash Rider was there a moment later.

“What do you need?”

“Find a Traveler to take Callan—”

“No,” Callan grunted. “I’m staying. I can fight.”

“You can barely stand,” Scarlett argued.

“I am staying,” he answered, straightening as Rayner helped him up. “I will fight with my people, Scarlett. Do not take that away from me.”

She studied him for a heartbeat, a king staring back at her.

“Stick close to him,” she said to Rayner.

He nodded, and Scarlett turned to find Nuri and Juliette both engaged with two seraphs. With a surge of power, the males went up in starfire. Her sisters both turned to her with scowls on their faces.

“Rude,” Nuri griped. “They were our kills.”

Scarlett rolled her eyes, stalking forward. “There are literally hundreds of other seraphs.”

---