Page 11 of Lady for Embers

“You are Sorin’s Second in the Fire Court, butherSecond slumbers beside her,” Briar said.

Cyrus’s brows shot up. “You are pulling rank as her Third?”

“I will if necessary,” Briar replied. “We are on the brink of war. Lines have been drawn. There is no room for uncertainty.”

“That is how wars are lost,” Cyrus countered. “Rash decisions made by generals and princes not looking at all the angles.”

The temperature in the chateau dropped noticeably as Briar’s icy blue eyes ?ashed with anger.

“Enough,” Rayner cut in. “Bickering amongst ourselves is also how wars are lost.” When neither Fae said anything in response, Rayner continued. “Briar is correct. We cannot risk meeting anywhere else right now. The Earth Prince does not need to come up here. He can remain downstairs. He does not need to know Sorin lives. He will assume Scarlett is lost to grief, which is not entirely a farce. Agreed?”

Cyrus sighed, swiping a hand down his face again. “Agreed,” he muttered.

He wasn’t entirely sure why he was arguing with them. His own points were valid, but as he’d once told Scarlett, they worked so well together because they all brought their own strengths to the table and worked as a unit. Briar had ruled his Court as long as Sorin, had just as much experience.

It probably had to do with the fact that this involved the Earth Prince. Second to Talwyn. Who had murdered his own prince. Never mind the fact that he lived. The Fae Queen had, for all intents and purposes, killed him, and now her loyal Second wanted to meet with them? He was right to be leery. He was right to resist this to some extent.

“He’s going to need to offer some type of proof for whatever he tries to convince us of,” Eliza chimed in, voicing Cyrus’s thoughts. “He is loyal to Talwyn, not us.”

“He is loyal to his Court,” Briar argued.

“Bullshit,” Cyrus said. “If he had to choose, he would choose her every time. Just as you would choose Ashtine.”

“You know nothing of my relationship with Ashtine, Cyrus. Keep her out of this.”

“We can’t,” Cyrus insisted. “Your relationship with her will clearly impact your decisions. Just like Scarlett impacted Sorin’s choices. It’s not a bad thing, but it is certainly something we cannotsimply ignore. The same goes for Luan. We cannot ignore his past relationship with Talwyn. That would be foolish.”

“I never said we had to trust him. I said we needed to hear him out,” Briar countered, his tone going as icy as his power.

“And we will,” Rayner cut in again. “We will hear him out and then discuss our next move from there.”

“I would request you provide me a portal back to the Witch Kingdoms before he arrives. I have had enough male interaction to last me for decades at this point,” the High Witch said from the bedside.

“Of course, my lady,” Briar said, his tone instantly shifting to one of respect. “When you are ready, we can move beyond the wards, and I can create a portal.”

Hazel nodded, glancing at Cassius still asleep on the sofa. “I will return in the morning,” she said, moving to the doorway. “But remember to have the Night Child gone before then.”

An hour later, they all stood on the main level when the front door opened and Rayner escorted Prince Luan into the chateau. Cyrus leaned against the wall, arms crossed. Eliza was doing the same across from him, only she toyed with a dagger.

“Where is your queen?” Luan asked before the door had fully shut behind him.

“As you can imagine, she is indisposed,” Briar replied. They’d all agreed to let him do as much of the talking as possible, given their own history with the Earth Prince.

“And the Witch child? Her Hand-to-the-Queen?” he questioned.

“Consoling her,” Cyrus gritted out.

It wasn’t entirely a lie. He was upstairs keeping watch over Scarlett and Sorin. The gods help them if she woke up and Luan was still here.

“You have information to share?” Briar asked.

Luan turned to face him. “I do. But before I do that, I want you to know that I made sure Princess Ashtine was safely in her Citadel after everything was said and done.”

Angst ?ashed across Briar’s features. It was gone just as quickly. If he was surprised Luan knew of his relationship with Ashtine, he didn’t let that show either. “Thank you for that.”

Luan nodded. “They plan to enter the Fae Courts,” he said, never one to dance around any topic.

“And we are prepared to meet them should they somehow manage to cross the wards,” Briar replied.

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