Page 235 of Lady of Ashes

They were halfway to the door when Veda moved in a blur of motion. She suddenly stood in front of the only exit, tsking softly under breath. “One of you is not leaving this room alive, Crown Prince. We both know who that is.”

“You will not touch her,” he snarled, raising his short sword.

“It is almost as if you truly love her,” Veda mocked.

He could feel Tava beginning to tremble behind him. She was pressed into his back, the movement of her chest telling him just how quickly she was breathing.

“It is funny,” Veda said thoughtfully. “All of this, our entire reason for being here, is because of love. The fact she is even able to stand behind you is because of love. I tried to warn you not to succumb to such weakness. Look what it has led to.”

Callan had no idea what she was referencing, but she didn’t seem to notice.

“What is even more ironic is that we tried so many ways to get our hands on her, and you have delivered her to us yourself,” Veda continued. She shrugged indifferently. “Saved me some coin, I suppose.”

“You pretended to leave so that Tava would go back to the slums?” Callan asked.

“It seemed the easiest place to secure her,” Veda replied. Then her face hardened. “It wasn’t as if Balam would harm her, and it is not as if we could do anything here. You have her under constant watch, but I knew she slipped from that manor. I knew she crept to the slums most nights. The Wraith taught her many things, but she is still mortal. She does not have the grace of magic-wielders.”

“Mortal?” Tava asked, peeking out from around Callan. “My father is not mortal.”

“Half-mortal then,” Veda said dismissively. “Either way, you are more mortal than not.” She took a step towards them, herding them back against a wall.

And Callan had no idea what to do. No idea how to save her, how to get Tava out. He had one ace in his pocket, but it was quickly becoming his only shot.

“Do you know how we become of age in my world?” Veda asked. When neither Callan nor Tava spoke, she continued. “We secure our power. By taking it from another.”

“You … steal someone’s gifts?” Tava asked. Her trembling had seemed to lessen, and she moved a little more to Callan’s side.

Veda appeared to mull this over before she said, “Can you really steal something from someone who is dead?”

“Oh my gods,” Tava whispered.

“It is quite the ordeal,” Veda went on. “The more powerful the magic we come to possess, the greater honor we receive. Naturally, we seek to overpower the strongest being we can.”

“That is where the Maraans get their magic?” Tava asked.

“I had, of course, wanted to take a Conjurer or a Summoner, but that is a nearly impossible task. They are closely guarded in my world, so I had to settle. I would not have been allowed to accompany Mikale if I did not complete my rite.”

“What … What gifts did you steal?” Tava asked, her voice a mere whisper.

Veda’s chilling smile grew. “I am so glad you asked, Lady Tyndell. We do not use our gifts much here. We have been ordered to keep them a secret so that they do not learn of our abilities.However, seeing as you are not going to walk out of this room, I do not see the harm. And I have grown quite tiresome of this cat-and-mouse game.”

With a ?ick of her wrist, Tava was pulled from Callan’s side by … nothing. There were no vines like he’d seen earth-wielders use. There was no gust of wind to suggest wind magic. No ?re. No shadows like Scarlett used. There was nothing.

Tava’s scream as she ?ew across the room, and into Veda’s hold, had Callan reaching into his pocket without thinking.

“For choosing her over me, I think I shall let you watch her die, Prince,” Veda crooned softly, one of her knives pressing against Tava’s throat.

Before she had ?nished speaking, Callan had thrown that vial Scarlett had given him the last time he’d spoken to her in Solembra. He was crushing it beneath his boot, watching the black smoke— no, the black shadows— swirl up from the vial.

And then he was holding his breath, praying to any god that would listen that she would get here in time.

CHAPTER 46

SCARLETT

“Are the ships prepared to set sail at a moment’s notice?” Scarlett asked no one in particular. She was sitting on the floor at a low table in one of the various lounges in the Black Halls. She’d grown tired of meeting in the formal rooms with long tables and uncomfortable chairs. She sat with her back against Sorin’s legs where he sat on the sofa behind her. The amulets were spread out before her. The book of Blood Magic, that apparently belonged to the Sorceress, was open beside her as she studied it.

“They are. Ours and Briar’s,” Cyrus answered from across the room where he was playing a round of billiards with Cassius. He cursed then, and Scarlett glanced up to see Cassius sink the ?nal two balls. “Is it part of your training in the Black Syndicate to learn how to run a fucking table?” he grumbled, slapping coin into Cassius’s waiting palm.

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