Page 94 of Lady of Ashes

She heard his footsteps on the stairs, but she didn’t look up when he came back into the room. She heard him pause, then he crossed the room and began ?lling the large tub. While the water was running, he came back to her. He pulled the tie from her braid and unwound what was left of the plait before he gently tugged the blanket from her grip.

“Come, Love,” he said softly, reaching for her. “Have a bath and then we will sleep.”

She lifted her chin, looking at him through teary lashes. “How can you even think of taking care of me right now? After everything?”

He took her face in his hands, pressing his forehead to hers. “Just because things are tense between us right now does not mean I love you any less, Scarlett. You are still mine. I will still sit with you in the dark, and together we will ?nd the stars.”

“You promise?” she whispered.

“I promise I will not leave you alone in the darkness. Not now. Not ever.”

She nodded, and he pressed a soft kiss to her lips before saying, “Go bathe. You smell.”

She huffed a small laugh as he helped her from the bed. “That certainly didn’t stop you earlier,” she retorted with a small mocking grin.

Sorin clicked his tongue, watching her walk to the tub. “Careful, Love, or I will put that tongue to better use … again.”

Scarlett felt her cheeks ?are slightly at his words, but she didn’t say anything back as she climbed into the tub and slid beneath the steaming water, letting it wash away all the grime.

Her thoughts wandered as she sat under the water. She would ?x this. Cassius would be all right. They would keep the orphans safe, ?nd the keys, and kill the Maraan Lords. She needed to master her magic more. She needed to ?gure out ways to safeguard against Blood Marks, wards, and fucking shirastone. There had to be a way to overcome the effects of it. Right?

Maybe then, after all of that was taken care of, she could breathe again. Maybe after all of that, she wouldn’t feel like she was suffocating, drowning on dry land. Maybe then—

She felt ?ngers brushing the top of her head, combing through her hair, and she pushed back above the surface of the water to ?nd Sorin bent over the tub, his face full of concern.

“Love, I know Briar said you can breathe underwater, but I really need you to stop going under for minutes at a time,” he said, pushing her wet hair back and off her face.

“I didn’t realize— Wait, I can breathe underwater?”

A half smile curled up on his lips. “According to Briar, yes.” “How?” she asked, her eyes widening

Sorin lowered to his knees, reaching for a bottle of hair tonic and beginning to wash her hair for her. “I do not know. I imagine if I did, I wouldn’t feel so uneasy when you go under for extended periods of time.”

“I didn’t mean to worry you,” she answered softly, her ?ngers sweeping through the water.

“I know,” he sighed. “You never do.”

She didn’t know if he meant it to be a verbal jab, but it certainly hit like one. She didn’t reply as he ?nished washing her hair. She slid beneath the water, quickly rinsing it so she wasn’t under very long. When she resurfaced, she scrubbed at her skin, and when she ?nally felt clean again, he was waiting to wrap her in a towel. He dried her hair for her with his magic as he walked to the armoire, returning with a sleeveless nightgown and sliding it over her head. The silky garment fell nearly to her ankles.

He cupped her jaw, tilting her face up. “I did not mean that as an insult, Scarlett.”

She just nodded, her eyes looking anywhere but at him. He pressed another soft kiss to her brow and led her to the bed. When they were both settled, and he had tugged her back into his chest, his hand splaying across her torso, he said softly into her ear, “Never again, Scarlett. We never leave each other again.”

She nodded, swallowing back tears, before she whispered, “Never again.”

PART TWO

OF TRUTHS & PROMISES

CHAPTER 23

SCARLETT

When she woke, there was no male body beside her, and she shot upright in a panic.

“I am here, Love.”

Relief instantly ?ooded through her at the sight of him. He was standing in front of the hearth, his back to her, already dressed for the day. He had on his usual dark-charcoal pants and red tunic. A black jacket was laying across the back of a chair.

---