Page 233 of Lady of Starfire

“Kailia!” Scarlett screamed. The queen was there in the next breath. “Bands to hold her.”

Two deathstone bands appeared in her hand, and she slipped them onto Nuri’s wrists, binding them together.

“How will these hurt?” Nuri asked.

“They won’t,” Scarlett said. “They’ll keep you from fighting back when I do this.”

A shirastone dagger appeared in Scarlett’s hand, and she stabbed it deep into Nuri’s shoulder, a scream sounding from the Night Child. Deathstone and shirastone would keep her down.

Scarlett hoped.

“Watch her,” she said to Kailia. Then she looked to her brother. “You’re with me.”

She Traveled them to the trees where she’d first spotted Nuri. Mordecai was there, giving orders to seraphs who flew off to deliver them to various units.

“We need to take care of the dragons,” Mordecai said to a male that Scarlett had to assume was Roderick.

“Godsdamn overgrown lizards,” the male answered. “They were supposed to be taken care of centuries ago. How are they appearing in the various realms now?”

“I do not know, my Lord—” Mordecai answered. “But their dragon fire will decimate our ranks if they are not taken care of soon.”

“How many bolts do we have?”

“Ten.”

“Make it happen.”

Mordecai’s wings flared out, preparing to take to the sky. “And you, my Lord?”

“I am waiting for her. Now that she is here, she will come to me. I do not play the games Alaric does,” Roderick answered.

“A word of caution, my Lord,” Mordecai started.

“It is not needed. Go do your job,” Roderick spat.

Mordecai nodded, taking to the sky.

“Can you begin draining that one subtly?” she whispered to Cethin. “He is a Maraan Lord.”

If that was news to him, Cethin didn’t show it. He’d likely felt out his reserves the moment they had appeared in the trees. “For him not to notice, it won’t be much,” Cethin replied. “But I will do what I can.”

She nodded.

Sorin?

What do you need, Love?

She looked up, not surprised to find him fighting above her, easily within range. Fire flared from one palm while he swiped with one of his short swords with the other hand.

Did you see Mordecai take off?

Yes.

I need him far, far away from me, along with all of our people. And as many seraphs pushed my way as possible.

There was a pause before,What are you going to do?

Unleash Chaos.

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