Page 236 of Lady of Ashes

“You are just really, really bad at it,” Scarlett said, returning her attention to the amulets. “But our coin purses appreciate that about you.”

She didn’t hear his mumbled response, but she had a good idea of what he said.

“Any word from Briar about the Wind Court?” she asked, again to no one in particular.

“He stopped by this morning while you were training,” Eliza replied.

She was sprawled across an armchair, book in hand. “Said Ashtine has moved forces into various locations. Prepared if needed.”

“Good.”

She could taste it on the air. Something was coming. Theentire land seemed to have stopped breathing these last few days. Everyone was waiting for the one thing that would set chaos into motion. She was trying to be prepared for every angle without spreading their resources too thin. She didn’t know where Talwyn would fall. They hadn’t heard from her in days, only Azrael giving vague updates, if one could even call them that. Ashtine had told Briar that Tarek had been brought to the White Halls, but nothing more than that. And that …

That did not bode well for any of them. Scarlett knew how Tarek could speak and spin pretty words. Talwyn was as stubborn and as unforgiving as a Witch, but Scarlett didn’t know how that would translate when emotions became involved.

Nuri was still hidden away with the Contessa. Her updates reported rogue Night Children in the territory. Scarlett had spent the entirety of an afternoon convincing Hazel to bring aid to the Contessa and her land if needed. She hadn’t been happy about it, but had ?nally relented.

And the Shifters? She and Sorin had gone to meet with them the day after her birthday. The siblings were … interesting. She couldn’t tell if the meeting had gone well or not. Sorin insisted it had, that they would side with her, but she wasn’t so sure. Stellan was de?nitely still upset that she had taken this long to formally greet him, whatever that meant. Arianna was welcoming, her warm, olive eyes tracking their every movement, while Jamahl massaged her neck and shoulders. Would the Beta be enough, though? Not if there ended up being a ?ght about whom to support between her and her brother.

Scarlett sighed heavily, tossing the amulet of Sera?na onto the table. She tipped her head back into Sorin’s lap, closing her eyes. She was tired of waiting. She was ready for whatever was to come, whether that be a trap, a grand reveal from Alaric, war …

She knew that sounded awful, that wishing for bloodshed to just happen already likely made her a terrible person, but she’d come to terms with that long ago.

Fingers brushing feather-light along her now exposed throat drew her from her thoughts.

Flames brushing against her shadows had her subtly clenching her thighs together.

“Ready for bed, Love?” came a whispered breath in her ear.

Her eyes ?uttered open to ?nd Sorin leaning over her, eyes glowing with hunger. She caught his hand in hers. His left hand, where his twin ?ame Mark now wound around his ring ?nger beneath his marriage band. Apparently becoming her Source had ful?lled his portion of the Sacri?ce Trial. Now they were just waiting on her to do the same, so their bond could be Anointed.

Which was ?ne.

What was a bit more pressure weighing on her, right?

Before she could reply to his proposition, Rayner’s low voice cut through the room. “Scarlett, what are those?”

Scarlett and Sorin both shifted their focus to the Ash Rider, and Scarlett followed his gaze.

To where shadows were shimmering like mist in the corner of the room.

“Shit,” Scarlett muttered, lurching to her feet. With a thought, her shadows coated her like a second skin, thick as armor. She slid the amulets into her pocket, unwilling to leave them in the hands of anyone else. She was pulling the spirit sword from the air and grabbing any other weapons she could ?nd, including two daggers right off Cyrus’s body. “Sorin! Weapons! I need you with me,” she barked in command. “Rayner, you too. In case we need to send word back. The rest of you, be ready.”

“What is going on?” Sorin demanded, already strapping on the weapons Eliza was handing him. Flames were receding, leaving his ?ghting leathers in their place.

In less than two minutes, she was striding towards that shadowy mist.

Sorin and Rayner falling into place beside her.

“Callan needs me,” was her only reply before she stepped into the shadows.

CHAPTER 47

CALLAN

“Stop! Stop!” Callan was bellowing over the sounds of Tava’s screams while Veda slowly dug one of her knives deeper in the gash she had sliced along Tava’s collarbone. “Stop! We can come to an agreement!”

Veda sneered at him. “The agreement has already been made. This is the payment.”

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