Page 150 of Lady of Starfire

“She is with the Witches,” Scarlett answered, studying the bars. They were shirastone, and the same was on Briar’s wrists.

“That is not what I asked you.”

She met his icy blue eyes. “I know.” She stepped forward, starfire flaring and melting the lock of shirastone. The door creaked open. “You are here because of me.”

“What?” Briar asked, stepping out of the cell. Scarlett was already reaching for the shackles, starfire flaring once more before they fell away too.

“I may have sent a coded message to the Shifters that got intercepted,” Scarlett said, a small smile on her lips as two daggers of ice appeared in Briar’s hands.

“To have me brought here?”

“Something along those lines,” Scarlett said. “However, I was not expecting to stumble upon you like this. Alaric is here, then?”

“I do not know,” Briar answered, falling into step beside them as they headed back to the dock. “Some seraphs brought me here. I have not seen anyone in three days.”

“Food?” Sorin asked tightly. Briar shook his head, which had a curse flying from the Fire Prince’s mouth. “How are your reserves?”

“Fine,” Briar said. “I have not been able to use them in weeks.”

“Good. Then you can freeze this stream. These won’t keep a child afloat, let alone the three of us.”

Minutes later, they were moving carefully along the ice, Sorin gripping her arm while she clutched the lock to her chest should she slip and fall. They put the fire out when they approached a tunnel, not wanting to alert anyone to their presence on the outside. If things had gone well, most of the seraphs were inside the cliffs searching for them now. If not…

But she knew things were going far too smoothly. Briar being here confirmed that Alaric had indeed intercepted the “message” she’d sent to their allies in Siofra asking them to be prepared to house them should things go terribly wrong after she retrieved something of value. She knew Alaric would not leave Briar behind. The Fae Prince was bargaining power, and the Assassin Lord knew she valued the prince as one of her own. She had been prepared to feign a bargain with him to see Briar released. Finding him alone was pure luck, but such good fortune never came for free.

Sorin was tugging her to a stop as they neared the cave mouth. “There are others out there.”

She sent her shadows creeping along, staying close to the cave walls, but they weren’t like Rayner’s ashes. His magic could somehow sensewhatwas there. All she could feel was life. It could be Rayner and Kailia as planned. It could be others.

She turned to Briar, speaking low and quick. “Once we are outside the wards of the cliffs, you need to go. Create a water portal and go to the High Witch’s Keep. Ashtine is there with Talwyn. She is not well, Briar. She needs you.”

“Ashtine is withTalwyn,” Briar repeated.

“She sides with us now. She is how Sorin’s power was returned. They can fill you in, but we are not your worry at the moment. Getting to Ashtine is.”

“But if I can help—”

“Go to her, Briar,” Scarlett interrupted. “Before it is too late.”

“We will send word when it is safe to do so, but Talwyn and Ashtine know much of our plans,” Sorin said, clapping a hand on his friend’s shoulder. Scarlett shifted as she glanced back to the cave mouth and the bit of daylight she could see shining through. They had agreed not to tell Briar of Sawyer. Not here. His focus needed to be on getting to Ashtine, but she felt like a shit friend for keeping the information from him. He could grieve when he got to safety, though. He could have the time he deserved to mourn his brother, and he could be with Ashtine after being separated from her for so long.

She looked up at Sorin as he readjusted his grip on her arm. “We stick to the plan. No matter who is on the outside of these walls,” she said.

“Scarlett—”

“We stick to the plan, Sorin,” she interrupted. “Make sure Briar gets through a portal.”

Sorin did not argue further. Only gently tugged her forward. She encased the lock in starfire, freezing it around the orb before adding a layer of shadows too. They kept their footfalls quiet on the ice, letting their eyes slowly adjust to the daylight as they neared the cave entrance.

When they finally emerged enough to see properly, they found no one on the ground, but there were at least twenty-five seraphs in the sky. Rayner and Kailia were nowhere in sight, and neither were Cyrus and Cassius. Either something had gone very wrong or very right. The seraphs hadn’t appeared to notice them yet, but the moment Briar opened a water portal, the sound of rushing water would surely alert them.

She gave the Water Prince a sad smile before she jerked her chin. He hesitated for the briefest of moments, but then she heard the portal.

And so did the seraphs.

Five were diving for Briar in the next breath, but Sorin had a wall of fire erupting to the sky while Scarlett worked to maintain the frozen water below their feet.

“Go!” she screamed at Briar, her shadows taking shape behind her. Giant eagles of shadows that met more seraphs in the sky as she and Sorin ran in the opposite direction from Briar. Her feet slid out from beneath her as she ran. She could do nothing to catch herself while she clutched at the lock, but Sorin had a band of fire setting her upright before she hit the ice.

---