Page 18 of Lady of Ashes

Used to submission in the end, even if that submission took a year to achieve.

He took a few more bites before he ?nally set his plate aside and braced his hands on the desk behind him. “You can ?nish that plate of food beside you after you have made your choice.”

“And my options are?” Scarlett asked through gritted teeth.

“Tell me where you have hidden Prince Callan.”

Scarlett couldn’t mask her blink of surprise. “I didn’t hide Prince Callan anywhere.”

“Semantics,” Alaric sneered. “You may not have hidden him away, but you know where he is. I know you, Death’s Maiden. You care too much for him to not make sure he is safe and protected.”

“What do you want with Callan?”

“Lady Veda misses him so,” Alaric said with mock sympathy.

“That is not what I asked,” Scarlett replied. “What doyouwant with Callan?”

“What does it matter to you? It appears you have given yourself to another, have you not? You seem to think you belong to someone else.” He gave a pointed glance at her left hand.

Could he see the Mark? “And my second option?”

“Ah. The second option is the one I would prefer you choose,” he answered, arms folding across his chest. “Swear loyalty to me and the other Maraan Lords. I will release you. Allow your powers to refuel to their full strength. Teach you the depths you have yetto fully embrace. All it takes is submission on the deepest levels, my Wraith.”

“How would you ensure such a thing?”

The slight smile on the Assassin Lord’s face widened. “You are right, Death’s Maiden. I would not trust your word. However, there is a way to make sure your end of the agreement is upheld.” He gestured to Tarek, and the Fae held up his right hand. In the center of his palm stood a Blood Mark, stark against his dark, golden skin.

“What did you do?” she whispered in horror to the Fae. Tarek smiled. “It’s a Blood Bond, yourMajesty.”

“Similar to the vow your Guardian took to you,” Alaric cut in. “The Blood Bond is a promise of submission … with a magical guarantee.”

“You mean it is magical enslavement,” Scarlett countered.

The Assassin Lord shrugged nonchalantly. “Or merely a symbol of loyalty. It is all about perception, I suppose.”

“This is hardly a choice,” Scarlett spat. “If I choose option two, you shall simply require option one from me once I have accepted the Blood Bond. Either way, you get Callan’s whereabouts from me.”

Alaric said nothing. He just stared at her expectantly, waiting for her to make her choice, apparently. After several minutes of silence, he sighed. “I will give you some time to decide, Scarlett. But should you not make a choice by the time I return, there will be a consequence.”

He bent down and scooped the plate of food from the ?oor, tossing it back onto the cart with a clatter. Raising his hood and motioning for Tarek to follow, he strode out of the study, closing the door behind them.

Scarlett was left alone in complete silence. She rotated her wrists. She was numb to the constant bite of the shirastone by now, and hardly noticed the stinging on her skin. Her shoulders ached from her arms being suspended above her head for hours, and her tailbone was sore from sitting on the stone ?oor.

She really didn’t know how long she had been down here, drifting in and out of sleep. With no windows and no clock, she also didn’t know what time of the day it was. Based on the food selection, one would venture to guess it was morning and that was breakfast, but Alaric enjoyed his games. Part of his control was trying to control your reality. He decided if it was morning, noon, or night in her world right now. Not some piece of mechanics or even the godsdamned sun. He controlled it all.

Scarlett rested her head back against the wall and tried to mentally prepare herself for whatever consequence the Assassin Lord was going to see ?t to bestow upon her when he returned. She would rather die than choose either of those two options. Alaric surely knew that, and whatever hell he had thought up was going to be designed to break her on the basest of levels.

The smell of the forgotten food on the tray wafted over to her, and she tried to think of anything to distract her from the ache in her stomach. She’d survived longer without food. At least, she thought she had. Without knowing exactly how long she had been down here, she couldn’t really say for sure.

She tried not to let it, but her mind drifted to Sorin. Her husband. Her mate. Her twin ?ame. She closed her eyes at the memories, picturing his face in her mind.

She had been happy. Not right away. When she had ?rst arrived in the Fire Court, she had walked about in a daze, going through the motions and trying not to drown on dry land. But walking the path back towantingto live had been beautiful in the end, with him by her side, and she had truly been happy. Her heart had been full, and she had felt loved for who she was. No masks. No demands placed on her for affection and acceptance.

She wondered if she’d ever see him again. She had known she would block their twin ?ame bond when she’d enacted that Blood Mark. She’d watched him cross that border knowing it could very well be the last time she’d lay eyes on him.

Scarlett, I love you like the stars love the night. All the way through the darkness.

His words floated back to her, and she fought the tears that burned at the back of her eyes. She could do this. She could make this sacrifice to ensure that Sorin and Cyrus and Eliza and Rayner and everyone she loved wouldn’t have to live through the darkness the Maraan Lords would surely rain down upon them. She would do whatever was necessary to make sure they didn’t find the keys and make their way into Avonleya. Her family was safe. That was all that mattered. Sorin would come for her. He promised he would always find her, and even if he didn’t, as long as he was safe, the sacrifice was worth it. He was worth it.

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