Page 4 of Lady of Ashes

“Did the winds reveal anything else, Ashtine?” Briar asked.

Ashtine stepped closer to him. “The winds have all changed, my heart,” she whispered. “They speak …” She shook her head, and Nasima’s feathers ruf?ed. “They speak differently. I cannot walk among them as easily.”

Sorin could only stare at the princess. The odd female who never showed emotion. The princess who spoke in quirky riddles and vague references. She was visibly trembling as Briar’s arms came around her and pulled her into his chest. Her cheek rested lightly against his chest, and this time the room fell silent at what stood before them.

Sawyer looked up from the map, a grim expression on his face. “The last time she spoke like this was right before we learned of Eliné’s death,” he said quietly.

“She is not a Seer. She cannot possibly know such things,” Eliza snapped, stepping to Sorin’s side. A snarl that Sorin rarely heard from the male rippled from Briar, and Eliza’s brows shot up at theferocity of the sound. Sawyer opened his mouth to say more, but another voice spoke ?rst.

“She may not be a Seer, but I am.”

Everyone turned to see a young woman who appeared to be around Scarlett’s age. If she had gone through her Staying, however, who knew how old she actually was. She had long, red-brown hair that was half up. She wore gray pants and a white top that laced up the front, and was barefoot as she stood in the study that had quickly become far too overcrowded with people. But beside the woman stood Shirina, the goddess Saylah’s panther, her tail switching back and forth and her silver eyes pinned on Sorin. Every Fae in the room bowed deeply to the panther.

“Who are you, and how did you enter these walls?” Eliza asked, stepping in front of Sorin and Cyrus. Briar and Sawyer had moved in front of Ashtine, but she seemed unconcerned.

“I am many things to many people,” the woman answered, stroking the panther’s fur.

“But to you,” Ashtine said, stepping around her lover and his Second and dropping to a knee before the woman, “she is an Oracle outside of her cave.”

Sorin knew then as he sank to his own knee. Juliette.

A hand came to her slender hip. “Normally I am incredibly formal when it comes to things like this, but since you have been dealing with my sister, who is anything but formal, I am hoping this can be a rather casual affair.” Sorin’s head snapped up, meeting her eyes. She gave him a soft smile as she continued. “And please, for the love of Reselda, do not tell her you all just bowed before me. I would never hear the end of it.”

As one, the Fae all rose to their feet, and Sorin stepped forward. “I have heard much about you,” he said. “She misses you greatly.”

“I know, Prince,” Juliette replied softly. “And I wish we had more time to discuss such things, but I cannot stay long. Shirina brought me here because she cannot get to her.”

“What do you mean she cannot get to her? She is her spirit animal,” Briar cut in, stepping to Sorin’s side.

“You are correct in your thinking that she has learned to read and interpret the ancient magic, Prince of Fire,” Juliette went on, ignoring Briar’s question. “You are also learning that she will go toextreme lengths for those she views as in her care. Those she claims as her own. She saw that moment as a way to save many, to save all of you, but she did not understand the cost.”

“There is always a great cost for that magic,” Sorin replied.

“Indeed. She thought she knew it. She thoughtyouwould be the cost. That she would have to sacri?ce her bond with you. But she was willing to do so to save your Courts. However, the cost was greater than she anticipated.”

Sorin stepped closer to the Oracle. “What was it? What was the cost?” Juliette shook her head. “I cannot tell you more than that Prince of Fire. I can tell you, though, that you will need more than the people in this room to get her out. And that when you ?nd her, she will not be the same as when she left.”

Sorin reached to grab her hand, but Shirina gave a snarl of warning, and he dropped his hand back to his side. “Can you tell me where she is? Does Mikale have her?”

“At this moment? No. Will she be turned over to him once more? Even I have not seen.”

“Lord Tyndell or the Assassin Lord?” Sorin asked.

“Act quickly. Time is not on your side,” Juliette replied.

There was a ?ash of soft light, and she and Shirina were gone a moment before Talwyn and Prince Luan stepped into the room from the air.

“Princess Ashtine,” Talwyn said curtly when she spotted her near Briar. “You beat us here.”

“I anticipated you would be here sooner,” Ashtine replied, her voice having returned to its usual lilt.

“And what have you told our Western Court friends?”

“Little that they did not already know,” she answered.

Talwyn studied the princess for a moment while Luan’s eyes swept the room with distaste.

Eliza and Cyrus were immediately ?anking Sorin once more, but he gave Talwyn and Luan a mocking smirk as he drawled, “I am glad you are both here. We are in need of your assistance.”

---