Page 101 of Lady of Starfire

This was the Reaper before them, and Scarlett knew it too as she shrank back into Sorin.

“How did you find us?” Sorin asked, tucking Scarlett behind him as his Third worked to leash his fury.

“I’ve been searching for godsdamn hours,” Rayner replied, lethally calm. His gaze moved to Scarlett. “You could have been a little more detailed in your whereabouts,your Majesty.”

Sorin looked down at her. “You told him?”

“I left him a brief note. In case we weren’t back by a certain time.”

“A very vague note,” Rayner gritted out.

“There are a lot of busybodies in that castle,” she replied, lifting her chin. She gestured towards Rayner. “Besides, you figured it out.”

“Scarlett!” he snarled.

“Let’s discuss this back in Aimonway,” Sorin cut in. “Can you Travel with them gone, Scarlett?”

A moment later, she shook her head. “Something still isn’t right.”

“Maybe we just need to be back at the top like you said,” Sorin replied, taking her hand and beginning to walk up the bridge again. He knew that likely wasn’t the case, but it was their only option right now.

“Where the fuck are we?” Rayner grumbled, falling into step on his right.

Scarlett was on his left, Sorin still not comfortable letting Rayner that close to her while he was riding the edge of control.

“Scarlett found some Marks in the snow, and when she let her blood drip onto them, an entire godsdamn ancient city appeared,” Sorin answered.

“Great,” Rayner muttered.

Scarlett snorted a laugh. “So grumpy, Rayner.”

“I’m not speaking to you right now.”

Another bark of laughter. “At least I left a note this time.”

“I swear to Arius, Scarlett,” Rayner grumbled again.

“Speaking of Arius,” she said, perking up a bit. “Do you know whose symbol this is?”

She drew the triangle in a circle in the air with her fire.

Rayner begrudgingly glanced at it. “No.”

“There was nothing in the Southern Islands with it?”

“No,” Rayner snapped in annoyance. “We can discuss this later, Scarlett. When I don’t want to throttle you.”

“Fine, fine,” she muttered, falling silent in a way that told Sorin she was trying to work something out.

No one spoke again. It took nearly fifteen minutes to make it back to the top of the winding bridge, and when they stepped back onto the flat ground, Scarlett muttered. “Well, that explains it.”

Beings surrounded them. Exactly as she had described them. White as moonlight. Solid, but not. Razor-sharp features. Unearthly grace. Pure white eyes. Gold swords.

“What’s the plan now, your Majesty?” Rayner gritted out. Ashes were spilling from his palms, encasing them in a shield.

“Those won’t work,” she said. “Just like I can’t Travel.”

“Suggestions then?” he retorted, the beings gliding closer. “Or did you leave an unclear note for Kailia, and we just need to survive until she gets here?”

---