Page 61 of Lady of Shadows

“No. I am suggesting that should you want to avoid a fiery Fae temper tantrum,you may want to make yourselves scarce, but the choice is yours,” Eliza ground out.

“They are not dismissed, General,” Sorin snarled.

Eliza erupted. She was a living pillar of flames the color of her hair, and Callan was shoved to the ground by Sloan. “They are, Prince,” she snarled back, “or you and I shall have it out right here, andshesleeps in the other room, directly in the path of the destruction you and I would wreak. Or have you forgotten sixty years ago in Threlarion?”

Sorin bared his teeth as he stood perfectly still, glaring at her. Callan had seen Scarlett move through the world as a Wraith of Shadows. He had seen Death’s Shadow herself. And the female ablaze before him rivaled them both. He could not decide of the three, who was the most terrifying.

“Let them go to their chambers, Sorin,” she said calmly. “I will personally go to them and find out exactly what was said and report back.”

“No,” Sorin snarled.

Eliza’s face went positively vicious. “Briar, please stay with Scarlett,” she growled as she drew her blade from her back. “And get me a portal to the grounds.”

Instantly a water portal appeared behind Sorin, and Callan could only watch in horror and amazement as that female flung herself at the Prince of Fire, tackling him through that portal.

“They are in the front so we can monitor,” the Water Prince said gravely, crossing to the bedroom.

“You lot can get another escort or wait for me,” Cyrus said without looking at them and following Briar.

Callan pushed himself to his feet and trailed them. Scarlett was sleeping soundly, the Healer’s magic apparently putting her into a deep enough sleep that she had slept through all the commotion. Color had returned to her cheeks some, and her arm lay across her chest. She still wore the loose pants and tight shirt she had been wearing. The shirt was bunched up some, baring her midsection, and he could see where her abdomen was bound for her broken ribs.

He pulled his gaze from her to where the Fae males now stood out on the balcony. Finn and Sloan had followed them out and stood frozen, their faces pale. Callan quickly joined them and stilled as he watched the General and Fire Prince fighting on the front grounds. Each hit was precise. Their swords were blades of flames, sending sparks flying. He moved so fast, Callan could hardly keep track of him. Rage and temper fueled his every move. This was who had been training his father’s High Force?

And Eliza? She flipped and twirled and moved in ways Callan didn’t know were possible. Maybe the movements weren’t even possible unless one was Fae. She held her sword in one hand and a dagger in the other, and for every thrust and attack and parry Sorin came at her with, she countered it with her own.

A ring of flames radiated from them as their blades met again with a force that shook the palace grounds. Callan could feel the faint vibrations from where he stood. “What exactly happened sixty years ago?” he asked, not entirely sure he wanted the answer.

The Fae males didn’t take their eyes from below as Cyrus answered, “Sorin and Eliza had a disagreement. They leveled an entire neighborhood in Threlarion.”

“You mean figuratively, right?” Finn said slowly.

“No, Sentry, I do not. It was an abandoned neighborhood, and they had enough sense to ensure it was empty before they got into it. But when they were done, they were both so bloody you could hardly recognize them, and there was nothing but rubble around them.”

“They won’t get that far today, will they?” Callan asked, unable to pull his gaze from the lethal beings below.

“I do not think so. It is why Eliza removed him from the palace itself, but should they seem close, Briar will intervene. Briar and Eliza together will be able to restrain him if necessary,” Cyrus explained. “However, the fact that Scarlett lies sleeping in this building will prevent him from touching his deepest wells of power for that kind of destruction.”

“This is all because of Queen Talwyn?” Finn asked.

“No,” Prince Briar answered. He sounded distant, and his icy blue eyes were glowing.“This is because someone he cares deeply for was put in danger and hurt.”

“Fae may be civilized and powerful, but in many ways, we are just as primitive as the wild animals of the forests and mountains,” Cyrus cut in. “We can become just as feral when those in our charge, when our family, are in danger, and when it is one’s— Well, when it is someone we care so deeply for, the urge to protect and defend can overtake us, despite our discipline and control.”

There was a deafening boom as the blades below met again. Palace guards were standing around, watching the two. Callan couldn’t smell fear like the Fae could, but it was tangible in the air around them. “Sorin needs to cease this,” Cyrus murmured to Briar. “Until she accepts it, he can not expel this much power.”

“I am tunneling into my power as quickly as I can,” Briar replied. “I have been doing so since Eliza’s message.”

“Then do so faster,” Cyrus bit back. “Unless we have Beatrix wake her…” Those glowing blue eyes turned to Cyrus.

Callan couldn’t have heard right. Or maybe he misunderstood? They weren’t seriously talking about waking Scarlett, were they? There was no way she could fight right now. The Healer had said she would sleep for a few hours and then needed to rest for a few days. They couldn’t wake her up and expect her to pick up a sword. They wouldn’t do that to her.

When another blast of power shook the palace, Briar turned to Cyrus. “Summon Beatrix. I could stop him, but it will get messier. She will stop it immediately.”

Cyrus drew the flame message, and a few minutes later, the Healer rushed in. “We need you to wake her,” Cyrus said, not bothering with formalities or explanations.

“She will be in intense pain,” the Healer warned.

“Then it shall pull him from this madness faster,” Cyrus ground out.

---