Page 223 of Lady of Ashes

Scarlett shook her head. “I am not sure yet. I don’t know them well enough to say for sure without that book.”

The Sorceress’s head ?ew up. “What book?”

Scarlett’s eyes widened before a smile slowly began to curve up her lips. She pressed her palm to Sorin’s chest, pushing him back so it was just her and Sorceress.

“I will tell you of the book I speak of, for the answer to one of my questions,” Scarlett purred softly.

The Sorceress’s features shifted, fury ?lling her eyes. She lurched forward, grasping the bars and seeming to crawl up them as she drew herself to her feet. She was slightly taller than Scarlett,and when she was standing, she pressed her face to the bars as well. “This is not a game, Lady of Darkness.”

“No games,” Scarlett agreed. “Information in exchange for knowledge.”

The Sorceress hissed at her.

Scarlett gripped the bars, right below the Sorceress’s hands, bringing her face inches from the female’s. She heard all the males behind her shift closer, heard Sorin’s reprimand down the bond, but she ignored it. “Men with wings. We fought them a few days ago. What do you know of them?” Scarlett asked, ignoring the Sorceress’s shift in demeanor.

The Sorceress’s brows arched in surprise. “The seraphs are here? Beyond the Lords?”

“I cannot answer that without knowing what the seraphs are,” Scarlett drawled sarcastically.

The Sorceress’s eyes ?ashed. “If they were feathered wings, they were likely seraphs, summoned by their kin, the Maraans. What book?”

“It is a book of Blood Marks and spells,” Scarlett replied. “The Maraan Lords do not have wings.”

“The highest of the seraphs, the Maraans, were gifted the ability to banish their wings when desired, like the beings that created them,” the Sorceress replied impatiently. “Where is this book?”

“In my possession,” Scarlett answered. “Where is my key?”

“In my possession,” the Sorceress snarled. “I will trade it for that book.”

“No.”

The Sorceress threw herself back from the bars, beginning to prowl around her cell. Fingers gripped her hair, pulling at the lank, black strands. Scarlett hadn’t moved, but when the Sorceress whirled on her, ?ying for the bars with her teeth bared, Scarlett lurched back. Sorin’s arm was already looping around her waist, jerking her back against him, while a sword was leveled at the Sorceress’s throat.

“Where did you ?nd it?” the Sorceress demanded.

“You are saying Alaric is one of these seraphs? And Mikale? Lord Tyndell? What of his children?”

“The seraphs cannot have offspring here. New seraphs can only be born in one world with the aid of—” The Sorceress hissed, her lips pressing together.

“Go on,” Scarlett crooned, drifting closer once more.

“The key for my book,” the Sorceress bit out.

“Yourbook?”

“It was stolen from me,” she spat.

“And now it is mine,” Scarlett replied casually, moving along the cell, dragging her hand along the shirastone bars. “Seraphs cannot be born here, but what of half-seraphs?”

The Sorceress’s hands ?sted at her sides. “There can be no such thing.”

Scarlett paused. “But Lord Tyndell has two children.”

“They cannot carry seraph blood.”

That didn’t make any sense, but Scarlett didn’t have time to ponder why Lord Tyndell would keep two mortal children and raise them as his own.

“How did these seraphs get here?” Scarlett asked.

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