Page 235 of Lady for Embers

"This is not your call, Scarlett.”

“It is my call. I am telling you, as your queen, you are not going, Cassius. It is an order.”

Cyrus could hear the yelling coming from Cassius’s room all the way down the hall, and he quickened his pace to ?nd out what the hell was going on.

“I am one of the most powerful here, and you will keep me back? Because I refuse to do this?”

“Yes,” came a shrill response. “What if you deplete your power while there? How much will you have to drink from Cyrus, weaken him, to re?ll your reserves in the middle of a ?ght? How long will that take?”

“What is the difference?” Cassius returned.

Cyrus had never heard him yell like that. Certainly not at Scarlett. “The difference is everything!” she cried. “I would know. I have drunk from Sorin, and I have drawn from him as my Source. You know when I became the most powerful? When I took a fucking Source, Cassius. You will not go unless you take a Source.”

Cyrus had stopped outside Cassius’s door, listening to every word that was being said.

“And you?” Cassius retorted. “I am your godsdamn Guardian, Scarlett. You are really going to go and possibly faceAlaricwithout me at your side? Don’t be an idiot.”

“I am not going, you insufferable ass,” she snapped back. Cyrus jerked back at those words.

She wasn’t going?

“What do you mean you are not going?” Cassius asked.

“I mean I cannot go,” she answered, and Cyrus could hear the crack in her voice even from this side of the door. “Sorin has enough power to refill my reserves fully one more time, Cass. One. I cannot go because I cannot risk using that power there. I need you to take a Source because soon I will have to draw from you. It will be exhausting and physically draining on both you and your Source, and it still will not be the same. It is no longer just about you taking a Source. This is so much bigger than that now. And drawing from you? It is not the same as drawing from a Source, Cassius. It still might not be enough to end this.”

Cyrus barely heard the murmured “come here” from Cassius. There was a long stretch of silence where Cyrus could only assume he was comforting her. But then came, “I will stay back with you and Sorin. We will ?gure out a Source.”

Figure out a Source?

Fuck that.

Cyrus pushed the door open to ?nd what he expected. Cassius’s arms were wrapped tightly around Scarlett, his chin resting atop her head, and they both started at the sound of the door. Scarlett pulled back, swiping her ?ngers beneath her eyes.

“Do it now,” Cyrus said.

Cassius’s brow furrowed. “Do what?”

“Give me the Source Mark.”

Scarlett sucked in a breath, glancing back and forth between him and Cassius.

“No,” Cassius said.

“What do you mean no? I heard everything she just said. You need to take a Source.”

He turned to Scarlett. “Can you give us a minute?”

She nodded, sympathetic eyes landing on Cyrus as she made her way to the door. She reached out, squeezing his arm as she passed. Neither male said anything until the door clicked shut behind her.

“You are still going to refuse this? You need a godsdamn Source, Cassius.”

“And I am going to take one,” he answered.

“Are you telling me you are going to ask someone else?”

Cassius dragged a hand down his face, pushing out a long, harsh breath. “I do not know.”

“It sure as fuck sounded like you knew,” Cyrus said. “I heard you tell Scarlett you would stay behind with her and take a Source.Since I am not staying behind, it seems pretty clear you intend to ask someone else.”

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