Page 114 of Lady of Ashes

“You think?” Scarlett drawled. “Cyrus just single-handedly kicked my ass.”

“Are you feeling okay? Are you feeling weak?” he asked, reaching to take the sword she’d sheathed and unbuckled from her back.

She sighed heavily. “Stop being so fussy.”

“Never, Love,” he said with a wink, pressing a quick kiss to her brow.

Cyrus joined them, and they walked back to the Halls, trekking up the stairs to the queen’s wing.

“I need to go give blood to Cassius,” Cyrus said when they were nearing the upper levels.

“Thank you for doing this for him, Cyrus,” Scarlett said.

Cyrus leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Welcome back, Darling.”

Scarlett and Sorin went to their chambers, and Scarlett bathed quickly before dressing in charcoal grey pants and a black tunic. They took a small lunch in their room, and before she knew it, it was time to go meet with Talwyn, Azrael, and Ashtine.

CHAPTER 27

TALWYN

“Stop pacing, Talwyn,” Azrael said from where he sat at the desk in her chambers at the White Halls. He didn’t even look up from the reports and correspondence he was going over. Everything that had come in while he’d been in the mortal lands.

He’d slept for over a day, ?nally waking late last evening. The ?rst words out of his mouth had been, “Tell me what happened with Ashtine and Stellan.” Not that Talwyn had expected anything else. His focus was always singular, always her best moves for their Courts, for her throne.

She didn’t pause her pacing in front of the window as she retorted, “This meeting has me anxious.”

“Clearly,” he grunted. Talwyn bit down on a retort until he added, “You should be more anxious about your relations with Princess Ashtine and the Shifters.”

She sent a whip of wind in his direction, blowing the papers from the desk and sending them ?uttering to the ?oor.

He slowly dragged his gaze to hers. “Very queenly of you, Talwyn.”

“Fuck off, Azrael.”

He didn’t bother to respond. Just set a letter aside and began reading through the next.

She’d tried to keep herself busy while he’d slept. She’d gone to Stellan to let him know that Arianna was back, then took him to the Black Halls. She didn’t hang around long to see how that reunion went. She’d never admit it to anyone, but she didn’t want to see Scarlett until Azrael could be with her. If Tarek were indeed alive …

So rather than risk running into her and Sorin when Stellan found Arianna, she’d come back to the White Halls. She’d sent a message to Ashtine asking if she was free. Her reply had asked if it was urgent, and when Talwyn had said no, Ashtine had told her she was not available at the moment.

Which was just great.

She’d gone through reports, read that same correspondence Azrael was currently poring over, but none of it had distracted her enough to keep her mind from Tarek. She was trying to be prepared for every outcome. Trying to anticipate how she would react to each and every way that conversation could go. Trying to make sure her emotions would stay in check, her features neutral, her magic under control.

“I swear to Silas, Talwyn, you are going to wear a path right through that rug,” Azrael said, ?nally setting the various letters and reports down and pushing to his feet.

“Well?” she demanded, gesturing to the stack of papers, her feet continuing that same path.

“Once we hear what the Western Courts have to say today, we can move forward from there,” Azrael replied, folding his arms across his chest.

He’d ?lled her in on the little he’d learned while on that mission with Sorin and his Court, but she still didn’t know where these Maraan Lords had come from or what they wanted with Scarlett. She was powerful, yes, but that couldn’t be everything.

“Are you ready?”

Talwyn ?nally paused, glancing over her shoulder at Azrael. “Of course I am ready,” she snapped.

His brown eyes studied her for a long moment, and she held his stare, daring him to push this any further right now.

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