Page 165 of Lady of Ashes

Scarlett nodded, folding her arms in front of her, her gaze settling on the water once more.

“None of us wish to make decisions for you, Scarlett,” Briar said after another beat of silence. “We only wish to understand why you make them the way you do.”

“I think even if I gave him a reason, he would not ?nd it a valid one,” she replied.

“Perhaps,” Briar conceded. “But again, understanding and accepting are two very different things.” When she didn’t say anything in response, he said, “I will let you listen to the sea, Sunshine. I just wanted to make sure you did not need to be pulled from the river.”

“Thank you, Briar.”

“Send word if you need anything.”

She nodded, and a moment later, she heard the sound of his water portal.

Sometime later, when she ?nally turned to head back to the Black Halls, she spotted Sorin sitting atop a small dune a ways up the beach. He stood when she started in his direction, meeting her halfway.

“How long have you been down here?” Scarlett asked when he reached to tuck her hair behind her ear.

“Since Briar left.”

“Just sitting there?”

“Mhmm.”

“That’s kind of creepy.”

He ?icked her nose. “You are the queen. More than that, you were recently held captive. If you honestly think someone does not have eyes on you at all times, you are sorely mistaken.”

“Not creepy at all,” she said.

A quick smile graced his lips. “How are you?”

“Tired.”

“Sleep in tomorrow. Then I will take you to the library,” he said, taking her hand and opening a ?re portal.

“You’re really not going to train with me?” she asked, letting him lead her through.

“Not until your power well is ?lled, no. And neither will anyone else,” he added.

“Maybe I will just train by myself then,” she bit back.

“I cannot stop that, but I will choose not to partake in it.”

She released his hand and silently made her way to the dressing room. She pulled her boots off and stripped off her tunic and pants before pulling on one of his shirts. When she re-emerged, he was sitting on the sofa, studying texts and comparing them to her translation notes.

She sighed loudly. “If you put it in a cup, like Cyrus does for Cassius, I will drink it. But I won’t … Not directly from you. I don’t like the loss of control that comes with that.”

Sorin slowly set the book on the low table before him. “Is that what this has all been about, Scarlett? You are afraid of losing control? Do you even remember when you fed last time?”

“Don’t sayfed,” she groused, her nose scrunching in disgust.

“Do you refuse this because you are afraid of losing control?” he repeated.

“No. Not entirely anyway,” she replied, moving to the bed and sitting cross-legged.

“Care to expand on that?”

“Not particularly.”

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