Page 116 of Lady of Ashes

Scarlett went still, her hands falling to the arms of her chair. She seemed almost … nervous? She’d never seen her cousin so unsure before.

Scarlett pushed out a long breath of air before she said, “They were waiting for you to arrive before they proceeded to try to enter the territory. Apparently, they had deemed the Earth Court a safer passage than the Witch Kingdoms.”

Azrael snorted a huff of amusement beside her, and Talwyn hadto agree. The Witches were cruel and ruthless, but Azrael’s Court was … arguably worse, especially if she would have joined them in a ?ght.

Scarlett sucked on a tooth before she said, “They said they were prepared to handle you and your magic.”

Talwyn said nothing. Just stared at her cousin, waiting for her to go on. Scarlett blew out another breath as she said, “They have more than just Night Children aiding them. They have at least one Fae. He was the one who detained me when my power was depleted to the point that I could not ?ght back … And he claims to know you.”

Talwyn did not move. She did not allow any of the panic and dread she was feeling to cross her features. Just stared and waited.

“It is Tarek Ordos, isn’t it?” Azrael asked grimly, putting Talwyn out of the misery of waiting for her cousin to get to the damn point.

Scarlett’s eyes widened as she looked at the Earth Prince. “How do you know that?”

“I didn’t,” Azrael replied. “But as I told Talwyn when I returned, I had my suspicions. His voice was very familiar when I heard him speak in the Black Syndicate.”

Sorin was shaking his head. “He hardly spoke when you were present. As I have told Scarlett, the odds of it being Ordos are nearly impossible.”

“He was my Third for over a century, Aditya. Well before he was thought to be the queen’s twin ?ame,” Azrael retorted, and Talwyn somehow managed to stiffen further. It was amazing her spine hadn’t snapped at this point.

“You honestly think it could be the same Fae?” Sorin asked, and Talwyn could hear the clear doubt in his tone. “I was there that day they died. I saw them being—” He paused, glancing at Cyrus then to Talwyn, before saying, “There is no way any of them survived that.”

“And asIhave told Sorin,” Scarlett cut in, “the way he spoke, the things he appears to know, makes it hard for me to believe it is anyone other than Tarek Ordos.”

“What did he say that makes you believe that?” Talwyn asked, ?nally ?nding it in her to say something. Her voice was even. Controlled. Cold.

“When I was still weakened after the ?ght at the border, he toldme he’d been waiting for you,” Scarlett said, her eyes settling back on Talwyn’s. There was a softness there, a pitying look. “He said he knew how to handle you.”

“That means nothing,” Talwyn said. “That con?rms nothing.”

“Then he told me we were almost family. That he was the …” Scarlett paused again, looking at Azrael, before saying, “He said he was the rightful heir of the Earth Court and that he was your twin ?ame.”

“Again, that con?rms nothing,” Talwyn said. “And the fact that he believes he should be ruling over the Earth Court makes me even less inclined to believe such a thing. Tarek never once hinted at that.”

Scarlett sighed in clear exasperation. “How exactly would you lot like me to prove this to you? Shall I go back to Baylorin, track him down, and drag him back here for you to con?rm his identity?”

The ?res in the hearths at either end of the room ?ared as Sorin’s head whipped to his wife. “Do not even think about going back there right now,” he snarled.

Scarlett rolled her eyes at him before smiling sweetly, clearly saying something to him down their bond again.

“I have to agree with Sorin on this,” Talwyn said. “I cannot believe that Tarek has been stuck in the mortal lands for the last decade without ?nding some way to notify me that he was still alive.”

Scarlett grimaced slightly as she ventured cautiously, “I do not think ‘stuck there’ is how I would describe his situation.”

“Explain,” Talwyn demanded.

“He has taken a Blood Mark of loyalty to Alaric. He has bound himself to him,” Scarlett said.

“Ifit is somehow Tarek Ordos, then he was forced into that,” Talwyn snapped.

“Blood Marks cannot be forced on you,” Scarlett said softly. “Not that one, anyway. It must be accepted by the choice of the bearer, or Alaric would have forced it upon me.”

“Few can do Blood Magic that powerful,” Azrael said. “The Avonleyans and the Maraans,” Scarlett agreed. “And the Sorceress,” Ashtine supplied.

“The who?” Scarlett asked, her head tilting to the side as her attention slid to Ashtine.

“The Sorceress in the Water Prison beneath these halls,”­Ashtine lilted. “Prince Briar can get you in,” she added, gesturing to the Water Prince down the table.

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