Page 70 of Lady of Ashes

“If we do not get out of here—”

“No,” Sorin snarled, pulling her towards Rinji but keeping his arms wrapped tightly around her. “There will be no goodbyes, Scarlett. Never again for you and me.”

“Help her up, Aditya,” Luan said, reaching a hand down for her.

“You,” the hooded man hissed in rage, and Luan whipped his head around to face him.

“I know your voice.” When the man did not reply, Luan said, “Lower your hood.”

“We do not have time for this,” Sorin snapped. “Get us out of here, Luan.”

The Earth Prince’s attention returned to him. “I cannot Travel within the wards,” he said, pulling Scarlett onto Rinji’s back. She sat sideways in front of Luan, unable to straddle the animal with her chains on. A moment later, Luan was helping Sorin up behind him.

With another bellow, Rinji stamped its front hoof, and the ground shook beneath them.

“Stop them,” Mikale hollered in rage.

“I cannot stop a spirit animal, you idiot,” the cloaked man spat back.

“You are useless,” Mikale sniped, prowling forward.

But Rinji lowered his head and ran down the path, both men jumping out of the way of the animal’s antlers. Minutes later, they were skidding to a halt at the east gate. Cyrus was reaching up to help Scarlett down, and Sorin was leaping from the animal’s back.

“Hi, Darling,” Cyrus said, setting Scarlett on her feet.

“Hi,” she answered, tilting her head back to look at him.

“He’s waiting for you.”

And she was passed into Sorin’s arms. He gripped her face in his hands, smoothing hair back from her face. He couldn’t ?nd his voice as her silvery-blue eyes stared into his own, and emotion ?nally ?ickered in their depths.

“Take these chains off,” she whispered.

“As soon as we are at the safe house,” he answered.

“No. Now.”

“Let’s go, Aditya,” Luan said, reaching for them, preparing to Travel, but Scarlett pulled free of his grasp.

“Take the chains off,” she said again, louder this time.

“Scarlett,” came Eliza’s voice as she came to Sorin’s side. “There is not time. If you want to say goodbye to Cassius, we need to go now.”

“Take them off,” she demanded again, as though she hadn’t heard the general speak.

“Grab her, and let’s go,” Luan said. Arianna was beside him, one of her hands clasped in his. She had apparently shifted back into her natural form before giving Luan Talwyn’s ring. She was crouched down, her other hand on Cassius’s still form.

Scarlett turned to say something to him, but her gaze fell on the Shifter.

“We are outside the wards. You can make the key now, can you not?”

“Yes, your Majesty,” Arianna answered. “However, I have to agree with your husband. We have barely managed to escape alive this night.”

“I do not care who you agree with,” Scarlett answered. “Take them off.”

Sorin started to move towards her, but he caught Cyrus’s eye as he silently circled behind her. Yelling and pounding footsteps told him they had seconds.

“Now!” Sorin yelled, reaching out and grasping Eliza’s hand at the same time she gripped Luan’s. Cyrus came from behind, his arms coming around Scarlett’s waist and trapping her arms to her sides. He forced her forward. She screamed in fury, but the second Sorin’s ?ngers touched her ?esh, they were pulled through a rip in the world.

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