Page 22 of Lady of Ashes

“This seems like a pretty big emergency. We aren’t going to be able to walk anywhere right now,” Cyrus retorted, ?nally giving in and dropping to his knees.

“Cassius will brew some when we get there, but you need to think long and hard about taking it. You did not see what Scarlett went through when she had to detox from her tonic. Hazel said it would be worse than that, and take less time to become addicted to one that grants you access to your magic than one that suppresses it,” Sorin warned.

“Fuck you, Sorin. You have that damn ring on your hand,” Cyrus bit back bitterly.

“I lived without my magic for three years, Cyrus. I know exactly what you are going through.”

“Enough,” Luan cut in. “You are Fae warriors. Start acting like it.”

“Says another with a ring on his ?nger,” Cyrus spat at him.

“Will it make you feel better to wear it, Faeling?” Luan taunted him. “Is it too uncomfortable for you?”

“Fuck you, too, Luan,” Cyrus snarled, lurching to his feet and clearly planning to take a shot at the prince.

Sorin grabbed his arm, pulling him to a halt. “Save your energy,Cyrus. When Cassius brews the potion, you can decide then if you will take it and how often. I am not your keeper, but you need to suck it up until we get there.”

Cyrus jerked his arm out of Sorin’s grip and stalked to a tree near Eliza, sliding down to the ground atop his own pack. Silence descended among them. The only sounds were the trees rustling in a light breeze and a hooting owl here and there. Sorin stood guard along with Luan and Callan, while the other immortals tried to get their extreme discomfort under control. He started a few small ?res near them all to keep them warm and sporadically sent waves of warmth through Arianna as well. She had insisted on wearing that ridiculous lightweight out?t, but it was the perfect excuse to release some of the magical tension growing in his veins.

Nearly a half hour later, the sound of twigs snapping and brush rustling had Sorin and Luan calling on their magic. Flames danced at Sorin’s ?ngertips while a long, thick vine grew in Luan’s hand, a whip waiting to strike. Finn and Sloan came into view a moment later.

“There’s a tunnel about half a mile from here,” Finn explained, coming to a stop at Callan’s side. “Can you guys make it?” He looked at the Fae seated on the ground with concern.

“Once we make it to the tunnel, how far to the safe house?” Luan asked, helping Arianna to her feet. The Shifter swayed slightly but managed to stay standing on her own. Luan still kept a supporting arm around her, though. The gods help them if something happened to the Beta. Stellan wouldn’t stop until everyone involved with the death of his sister was dead. Sorin was surely already in enough shit with the Shifter Alpha for asking Arianna to help him behind his back.

“Hard to say,” Finn answered, rubbing the back of his neck. “I can count on one hand how many times we’ve been in this section of the tunnels.”

Sloan snorted a derisive laugh next to him. “I’m pretty sure the only time we’ve been in this section of the tunnels was when we were trying to ?gure out how she was getting into the godsdamn castle undetected.”

“Let’s just get moving,” Eliza said from where she sat at the base of the tree. “We need to be in that warehouse before the sun rises. We’re wasting darkness.”

Sorin couldn’t agree more as he crossed the clearing to help herto her feet. He left her leaning against Rayner, and he moved over to Cyrus and extended a hand. “You got this?” he asked the male quietly when he pulled him up.

“This is nothing like when we cross near our border,” Cyrus replied, his jaw clenching.

It was true. The closer they were to Fae territory, the less they noticed the strain of their magic being suppressed. When they had crossed to converse with the Night Children, it had hardly registered. But here? Miles from any Fae border?

“I can’t believe you did this for three whole years,” Cyrus gritted out.

“It gets easier, but the ?rst week kicks your ass,” Sorin agreed grimly, clapping him on the shoulder.

Finn, Sloan, and Callan led the way into the thick of the trees. Luan and Arianna were behind them in case the Earth Prince’s magic was needed to protect the Crown Prince. Sorin made his Inner Court go in front of him while he brought up the rear, making sure no one got left behind.

It took them double the time it had taken Finn and Sloan to get to the tunnel, having to move slower due to the incapacitated Fae in the group. Sorin and Luan may have maintained their magic, but their Fae senses had still become muted here with the shift to mortal forms. They moved cautiously, straining their hearing and eyesight for any sign of being hunted or followed. When they slipped into the darkness of the underground passage, Sorin lit a few balls of soft, glowing ?ame to help guide them through. The tunnel continued straight for quite a ways, until it branched off into three separate directions.

“Which way?” Arianna asked, seeming to be adjusting to her lack of gifts faster than his Court. It made sense. She was older than any of them here, having had more decades to learn to adjust quickly to not having access to her gifts.

“Well, we need to head west towards the sea,” Sorin reasoned. “I would think we would need to either continue straight or take the passage to the right.”

Murmurs of agreement came from the group, and in the end, Sorin made the executive decision to take the right passageway. If they kept going west, they’d have to reach the docks eventually.

They had only been in the passageway a few minutes when he scented her, but before he could say anything, Sorin was thrownface ?rst against the rocky wall, a cut being gouged along his cheek, and a dagger was pressed to his spine.

“Now this scene is awfully familiar, Son of Fire,” a voice of silk and honey purred into his ear. “Me sneaking up on an unsuspecting Fae bastard.”

“No one fucking move,” Sorin snarled to his companions, as he heard weapons being drawn from their sheaths.

“Why the fuck are we not running this bitch through?” Cyrus demanded.

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