Page 296 of Lady of Starfire

“Books?” Scarlett asked, lifting her head. “Can I come see them?”

“Yes,” Eliza said, at the same time Razik said, “No.”

“No spare beds?” Scarlett mused.

“No,” Razik repeated.

“But it’s a giant cave.”

“No.”

“Rude,” Scarlett said with a frown. Then she was shoving at Rayner with her foot. “What about you?”

“What about me?”

The Ash Rider’s elbow was propped on the arm of the sofa, his finger steepled along his temple as he took a drag from his mugweed.

“Do you have a secret treasure cave you take all your female friends to?” Scarlett pushed, and it took all of Cyrus not to burst out laughing when Rayner’s lips twitched. It had Scarlett pushing onto her elbows to study him closer. “Do you have a secret treasure cave?”

“No, Scarlett,” Rayner sighed. “I do not have a secret treasure cave.”

“Do you have a secret female friend?” Then she frowned in contemplation. “Or male friend? Both? Like Arianna and Stellan?”

A dark grin curled on Rayner’s lips, and he slowly began dragging a single finger along the top of her foot and up her calf. “Are you thinking about newexperiencesagain, your Majesty? You did mention that after saving the realm, you’d be interested in some of them.”

And fuck. The sensual purr of his voice had Cyrus immediately contemplating hauling Cassius back to their rooms…

Scarlett’s face went bright red. “What? No! I mean— I don’t—”

Cyrus couldn’t contain his laughter this time, and Scarlett turned to him, flipping him her middle finger. She spun to Sorin, who had slipped down the sofa, his head tipped and resting along the back of it.

“Sorin.”

“No experiences tonight, Love,” he answered, not even bothering to open his eyes. “If you are still interested in the morning, I am sure Rayner and I can come to an agreement.”

“That isnotwhat I was going to say!” she cried, reaching out to smack him in the chest, but he caught her wrist, dragging her up and into his lap. She was laughing by the end of it, and they all fell into conversations about nothing, enjoying the stars they’d all fought so hard to keep.

* * *

“Cass,” Cyrus whispered, nudging at Cassius’s shoulder.

They were on the floor of the den where they had eventually slid to when sitting in a chair had become too much. Everyone else was asleep where they had been sitting the night before. Scarlett was curled against Sorin’s chest. Razik had Eliza tucked into his side. Rayner—

Well, he wasn’t here. Cyrus assumed he’d eventually gone to his rooms to be there when Tula woke.

He shoved lightly at Cassius’s shoulder again, and Cass gave a low groan.

“Shh,” Cyrus hissed. “Everyone else is still sleeping.”

“Then why are we awake?” Cass grumbled, throwing an arm over his eyes.

“Come on,” Cyrus said, nudging him harder. “Get up. We need to get dressed.”

Cassius lifted his arm so he could peer up at Cyrus with narrowed eyes. “Why?”

“Get up,” he repeated, getting to his feet, joints cracking that definitely shouldn’t.

Gods, whose idea was it to sleep on the godsdamn floor?

---