Page 177 of Lady of Ashes

“How do you know where everything is?”

“Ashtine spent much of her childhood among these catacombs,” Briar answered. “She likely knows them better than the priestesses who serve here.”

“Why do priestesses serve in a library?” Scarlett asked.

“They are priestesses of Falein,” Briar replied, referring to the goddess of wisdom and cleverness.

“Ah,” was Scarlett’s reply. She moved to another shelf. “I could spend months in here.”

“Unfortunately for you, you only have the day,” Sorin teased. “And we do have pressing matters, Love.”

“I know,” she sighed, looking longingly at the books before making her way reluctantly back to where the rest of them stood waiting for her.

“There are texts on Avonleya in here,” Ashtine said. “However, before I take to you their location, there is another place I wish for you to see.”

“Lead the way,” Scarlett murmured, her eyes bouncing around the space.

Sorin grabbed her hand, leading her forward. She nearly tripped on her own feet.

“You still need to watch where you are going, Love,” he said in amusement.

“I trust you not to lead me astray,” she replied, tipping her head back to the ceiling. Various depictions of the gods had been hand-painted there over the years.

He followed Ashtine, towing Scarlett along behind him, and the princess led them down several hallways that seemed to slowly bring them deeper below ground. When she turned another corner, Sorin stilled. Scarlett ran into his back.

“Gods, Sorin,” she grunted, bouncing off of him, but then she stilled, too.

At the end of the corridor they’d just entered was a set of black doors, so dark they seemed to swallow any light.

Scarlett released his hand, taking another step forward. “Is that … nightstone?”

“I have never been beyond those doors,” Ashtine said. “Although I tried many times as a child.”

“Who has?” Scarlett asked, moving past her.

“No one that I have ever met,” the princess answered. “We cannot unlock the doors.”

Scarlett froze. “Then how are we to enter?”

“You believe what you carry in your pocket to be a key, do you not?” Ashtine asked.

“But I would need Talwyn to change its shape.”

“There is not a lock on these doors, your Majesty,” Ashtine said, gesturing to the doors. “I do believe the key lies in your blood, just as it draws the Avonleyan keys to you.”

“What am I supposed to do?”

“A shadow or white ?ame should suf?ce,” Ashtine said with an encouraging smile.

Scarlett looked up at Sorin.

Go ahead, Love.

She swallowed before wreathing her hand in shadows and laying her palm on one of the doors. Silver light ?ared beneath it, and there was an audible click. She pushed, and the door slowly opened. She went to take a step in, but Sorin was beside her in the next breath, grabbing her elbow.

“Let me go in ?rst,” he said, pushing the door open farther, a ball of ?ame appearing above their heads.

Scarlett rolled her eyes. “She just said no one has been beyond these doors in centuries. Do you think someone has beenlivingin there?”

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