Page 189 of Lady for Embers

“The lead for what?” Razik asked.

“The most kills,” she answered with a wide grin, star?re igniting down her sword once more.

Until all three seraphs went up in black ?ames in front of her. She turned to Razik, her mouth gaping. “You took my kill.”

“Now I’m in the lead,” he said with a shrug.

“You motherfu—”

“Let’s get going,” Azrael said, cutting her off as he and Callan moved to the archway. “I want my godsdamn magic so I can do something here.”

Scarlett grumbled under her breath, moving to follow.

That entire ?ght had taken less than ?ve minutes, but that had been her using her gifts alongside Cassius and Razik. There were Fae here to re?ll from if needed, and she could draw from Cassius, but none of that was ideal. Frankly, Azrael was right. They needed to get going. That had worked for a small number of seraphs, but if there were more waiting for them inside, it was going to get dicey.

They moved through the passageways quietly, Scarlett remembering most of the twists and turns. It still took nearly an hour to get to the center, but as soon as they reached it, it felt like she could breathe again. The passageways were so narrow, and they immediately fanned out around the circular chamber. Her eyes instantly went to the mirror gate where she’d seen the man last time. Now it only re?ected the room back to her. She moved closer, ?ngers running over the various symbols around it.

“Do you know how they work?” she asked Razik beside her.

“How what works?” he asked, sounding annoyed like always.

She jerked her chin at the mirror. “The mirror gates. Is this one only connected to one other mirror? Or can you talk to people wherever there is one of these mirrors? If I wanted to talk to Cethin, could I do that right now?”

Razik blinked at her. “There are different mirrors in different kingdoms that can only be activated by Avonleyans. You speak into the god’s symbol. The person you are trying to contact has to be connected to that god.”

Her brow furrowed. When she had spoken to Cethin through the one in the Wind Citadel, she had been studying Temural’s symbol. Cethin was bonded to Altaria, Temural’s spirit animal, so that made sense, she supposed. But she hadn’t been studying any of the symbols last time, which could only mean the man on the other side had called to her. He had seemed as surprised as she had though.

She found Arius’s symbol, running her ?ngers over it. He had to be a descendent of Arius. The blackness that had seeped from his ?ngertips was like Cethin’s— shadows dark as night, inky and thick. She watched carefully, holding her breath, but no emerald eyes appeared in the mirror to stare back at her.

“Are there only mirrors in our world? Or could I summon someone in another world?” she asked.

“Do we not have more important things to be doing?” Razik asked, crossing his arms. “Cethin can give a history lesson on the mirrors later. When I’m not around.”

Scarlett rolled her eyes, taking one last look at the mirror gate before moving to the stone table at the center of the room. She pulled a scroll from some shadows, unrolling it across the table. A map of the continent spread out before them, and Azrael found some stones to place on each corner to keep it from rolling closed.

She had been practicing the Mark for days now, making sure it was perfect. The mortal kings had been practicing it too. She would still monitor and instruct them, but at least this wouldn’t be their ?rst time drawing it. She would draw it ?rst, one on each of the mortal kingdoms on the map. They would have to trace it with their blood over their respective country.

Azrael held out his palm, a piece of charcoal in it, and she began to sketch the one in Rydeon ?rst. That was the only one that was for sure going to work since they were currently in Rydeon, and it would be the one to give the Fae access to their gifts.

She carefully outlined the Mark, checking it over three times before looking up to summon Drake. She pressed her lips together when she found him standing in front of the tombs of King Daltonand Queen Octavia. Drake’s hands were in his pockets as he stared at the words etched into stone. Then he slowly reached out and skated his ?ngers over a third one. The tomb of the Crown Prince. What was supposed to be his tomb.

“Drake,” she said softly. “It’s time.”

“Scarlett,” Eliza gritted out. “We have company.”

She turned, eyes going to the mirror gate instinctively, but there wasn’t anyone in the mirror.

Only leaning beside it.

Dressed in all black, gloves in place, ?ipping a dagger in her hand. “For fuck’s sake,” Scarlett sighed. “What are you doing here, Nuri?”

“Here’s the thing,” Nuri said, tossing the dagger into the air. “I was positive we had the foolish Fae Queen tucked away for safekeeping, yet I think you might actually be the stupid one.” She slid the dagger into a sheath on her thigh. “What the fuck are you doing back here, Scarlett?”

“I have some things to take care of, Sister,” she replied tightly. “So if you could kindly fuck off, that’d be great.”

Nuri pulled her hood back, her honey-colored eyes sliding to Azrael. “Plant Prince, you’re looking well. Your queen will be glad to hear that.”

“My queen stands beside me,” Azrael gritted out.

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