Page 150 of Lady for Embers

“When?” Cassius ground out.

“Now.”

“Now?” Cyrus repeated. “He shows up and assumes Cassius will drop whatever he is doing and go meet him?”

“Well, naturally, we assumed you two were training up here. Not that he was doing y—” Razik started.

“I’ll go,” Cassius said, Scarlett drawing her hand back at the sharp cut of his words. “Where does he want to meet?”

“He is at the castle. There will be more privacy there,” Razik said. Cassius looked down at Scarlett.

“You will come?”

“Of course I’ll go with,” she replied, a sad smile pulling on her lips.

“It does not need to be a godsdamn spectacle,” Razik muttered.

“It won’t be,” Cassius replied, reaching out and grabbing Scarlett’s hand. “Just me and Scarlett.”

Scarlett tried to keep the surprise from her face, but Cyrus saw it before she was able to get her features under control. He felt it too.

Cassius was asking her to go with him. Her, not him. It shouldn’t affect him like it did. Those two were close, had been there for each other their entire lives. Best friends. Soulmates. Ward and Guardian.

“Let’s go then,” Razik said at the same time that Sorin stepped forward.

“No,” Scarlett said, holding up a palm and stopping both males with that single action. “You don’t get to come because you’re a prick,” she said, pointing at Razik. Her ?nger moved to Sorin. “And you, I’ll be with my Guardian. You and Cyrus can pace the halls in unwarranted, overprotective worry together.”

With that, she was gone, Cassius with her.

Razik muttered a curse before turning to them. “You two staying up here, or are you ready to go?”

Not having another way back to the estate, Cyrus grabbed his tunic and Cassius’s, along with the twin swords, before Razik Traveled them all back. He immediately went down a hall, disappearing behind a door and leaving Cyrus and Sorin alone in the front foyer.

“How did it go with Beatrix?” Cyrus asked, his hands still full.

“It didn’t. We could not ?nd her. But I am currently more interested in how training was going,” Sorin said, reaching to take the swords from his hands.

“He summoned wings and ?re, so I would say it went well,” he answered, moving towards the stairs.

“Cyrus,” Sorin called after him. He fell into step beside him as Cyrus made his way up the staircase.

“It’s not your business, Sorin. And even if it were, it’s not something I wish to discuss right now,” Cyrus said. He saw Sorin pause out of the corner of his eye, but the Fire Prince didn’t say anything else. Just continued silently up to their rooms at the end of the hall.

When Cyrus reached for his door handle though, Sorin said, “He will be good for you, Cyrus. After everything you have had to endure, you deserve happiness. You deserve someone like Cassius.”

Cyrus’s hand was frozen on the handle, and he said nothing in response, just pushed through into his room, closing the door behind him. He tossed the tunics into the corner, crossing straight to the alcohol on the dresser and pouring a measure of liquor before knocking it all back in one shot.

He will be good for you.

He already was. He might not sleep at night, but the nights were at least bearable again with Cassius here, even if all they did was drink and play cards. There was no doubting that Cassius would be good for him.

But wouldhebe good for Cassius?

He’d pushed him too far today, hurt him in an attempt to get his power to appear. Sure, it had worked, but it had been too much. It was no wonder he had asked Scarlett to go with him instead.

You deserve someone like Cassius.

The last time he’d decided he was deserving of someone, the Fates had snatched her away.

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