Page 279 of Lady of Starfire

Juliette and Scarlett drew blades simultaneously. “Who puts beings that can fly beneath the ground?” Scarlett mused, sending shadow panthers ahead of them to take care of the first seraphs coming their way.

“Better question. Why aren’t you leaving any for us?” Nuri groused. “I’ve had to kill them in secret for months now.”

“Fine,” Scarlett sighed, pulling her shadows back.

The tunnel was small. The three of them could hardly stand side-by-side let alone fight side-by-side. The seraphs could scarcely fit two of them side-by-side with their warrior builds and wings. It gave the Wraiths an advantage, even if the seraphs did have magic.

Nuri went straight for the throat, her fangs snapping out and tearing straight through flesh and muscle. Juliette took the other, rolling to avoid a torrent of water the male sent her way, before she was back on her feet and dragging her blade down a grey wing.

While her sisters had their fun, Scarlett stepped through her shadows and appeared behind them to find another group of seraphs coming their way. She planted her feet and smiled, letting starfire build and build around her before she released it to barrel down the tunnel. She stalked forward before the flames had cleared, sword already cleaving wings and heads.

All the while, the feeling in her chest kept growing. The Chaos was vibrating as it sensed what she did. Something powerful was coming. She knew. It wasn’t something. It was someone.

Achaz.

She could keep him out for a time. She controlled the mirror gates after all, but whatever spell Alaric had put on that mirror would eventually let the god in.

Together the three of them made their way down that tunnel, killing as they went, just as they’d been trained to do. When Juliette dropped for Nuri to come down with her scimitar, Scarlett was there to slide a dagger home, while Juliette was already taking on the next target. They moved in tandem, knowing exactly how one would move to make room for the next. Scimitars sliced through wings while Juliette’s sword went through throats and chests, and Scarlett’s flames set fire to it all.

When they had finally cleared the passage, their hands, faces, and clothing covered in blood, they took a moment to catch their breath. Scarlett had a hand braced on her hips, and she rubbed at her chest again. Nuri was leaning against the wall, and Juliette was bouncing from foot-to-foot.

“For the love of Arius, please tell me we are close,” Scarlett said between harsh breaths.

“Straight ahead,” Nuri answered. “Are we ready to do this?”

Their gazes all connected at the question.

“It seems right. That it is us,” Juliette said. “I saw so many ways this could play out, but I always hoped it was us. The three of us. Where it started.”

“Where it will end,” Scarlett said, smiling at her sisters.

“Is he in there for sure?” Juliette asked.

“We’ll know in a minute,” Scarlett answered, pulling a vial from her pocket. Cethin’s blood. She had it in case she needed to get back into Avonleya, but that’s not what she was going to use it for now.

Pulling out the cork, she tipped it back, wincing at the coppery taste. “Gods, Nuri. How can you like that?” she asked, tossing the vial aside. It was ashes before it hit the ground.

Nuri shrugged. “The more powerful, the more divine it tastes.”

“Cethin is pretty fucking powerful, and it still just tastes like blood,” Scarlett deadpanned.

“Are we ready?” Juliette cut in, always the peacekeeper. Half of the time anyway.

Scarlett tugged up the sleeve of her tunic, seeing the interlocking circles glowing faintly on her arm. A Melding Mark. It could only be used by those who shared blood, but for blooded siblings, it allowed them to share gifts for brief periods of time.

And she could feel Alaric.

“He’s in there,” Scarlett confirmed.

“Of course he is. That’s why I brought us here,” Nuri retorted.

They fell into step beside each other once more, and when they came to the end of the passage and turned left, it opened into a cavernous space. It reminded Scarlett of his dungeon study. Dank and cold. A desk. Liquor cart. Sofa. One small bookshelf.

Alaric was leaning against the desk, swirling a glass of amber liquid, his black eyes fixed on them.

“My Wraiths,” he sighed. “What am I going to do with you?”

They prowled into the room, fanning out. Nuri to her left. Juliette on her right.

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