Page 212 of Lady of Ashes

“Because he has been working with our enemies, Talwyn.”

“There has been no concrete proof of that,” she countered. She hadn’t told him that she’d seen Tarek speaking with those Night Children in Baylorin days before they’d gone to ?nd the Contessa.

She hadn’t told anyone about that.

“He aided in the capture of Scarlett,” Azrael said. “So she says.”

Azrael was silent for a long moment before he said, “So much for emotions not having any place here.”

Talwyn opened her mouth to snap a reply, but a wind portal appeared, Ashtine stepping through a moment later. Talwyn couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen the princess use a portal instead of walking among the winds.

“You summoned me?” she asked curtly, but she sounded exhausted. If the dark circles under her eyes were any indicator, she was.

Talwyn swallowed uncertainly before she said, “Yes. Tarek is here. In the cells. We are going to speak with him.”

Ashtine blinked at her. “Queen Scarlett spoke the truth, then? That he lives and is working with the Maraan Lords?”

“He lives,” Talwyn replied. “Whether or not he is working with the Maraan Lords remains to be seen.”

“Why would she lie about that?” Ashtine asked, her head tiltingto the side slightly. Silver hair slipped over her shoulder. Her eyes looked distant.

“She lies about everything else,” Talwyn said.

“Such as?” Ashtine pressed.

“The fact that she is Avonleyan,” Talwyn spat.

“She did not lie about that. She told you the ?rst time she saw you after learning of her heritage herself.”

Talwyn’s ?sts clenched at her side. “The amulets then.”

“You left that meeting,”Ashtine said. “She said she planned to tell you, but you left.”

Talwyn scoffed. “She wasn’t going to tell me anything.”

“Hmm,” was all Ashtine hummed before gesturing for Talwyn to lead the way.

The trek down to the cells was silent, save for their footfalls echoing around them. They stopped outside Tarek’s cell, a unit coming to a collective halt. Azrael on her right. Ashtine on her left, just as it had been for decades. Tarek looked up from where he sat against the wall, his elbows resting on bent knees.

“Look at you, Moon?ower,” he said softly, meeting her eyes. “Still unapologetically the only one that matters in the room.”

“Get up,” she said, turning her back on him and leaving Azrael to lead him to the study down the hall. She went straight to the large desk, settling into the chair behind it. Ashtine moved gracefully to a chair off to the side, and Azrael all but threw Tarek into a hard chair across from the desk, before moving to Talwyn’s side.

She stared at Tarek, her eyes hard and unforgiving. She looked like a female about to unleash wrath, but she said nothing. Not to intimidate, but because she didn’t know what to say. Tarek’s head cocked slightly as he stared back at her. The corner of his lips twitched as though he knew she was con?icted, but that was the only tell he gave. She ?nally jerked her chin at him, and Azrael understood the message to take over and ask the questions.

“Were you involved in the capture and detainment of Queen Scarlett?” Azrael asked.

Tarek’s eyes remained ?xed on Talwyn when he answered. “I was.” She forced herself to stay still. She did not blink. She did not ?inch, despite wanting to lurch forward at the admission.

“Explain,” Azrael growled.

Tarek settled back into his chair. His wrists had been secured by shirastone shackles when they had arrived, and the chains clinkedas he let his hands fall to his lap. “I could not very well let her go and blow my cover, could I?”

“You are suggesting you in?ltrated mortals?” Ashtine asked, her back straight and poised as always.

“Either Queen Scarlett is keeping things from you if you believe I was working with mortals, or you are ?shing for information, your Highness,” Tarek replied coolly, glancing at the princess.

“Watch it, Ordos,” Azrael snarled. “You said you were taken captive. Now you are saying you in?ltrated their forces. Which isit?”

---