Page 239 of Lady for Embers

“You gamble with Princess Ashtine’s life and the lives of her unborn as freely as you do the lives of the Water Fae?”

Razik tsked in irritation. “We both know that if you kill her, I will kill you. We also both know that the reason I have not fried your ass with dragon ?re is because you still grip her arm. Clearly I value her or I would have already sacri?ced her to end you. Are all Maraans this moronic?”

“I am told you have Queen Talwyn,” Alaric snapped. “Now you are just getting greedy.”

“A Fire Court Second should do,” Alaric said, ignoring Razik’s sarcasm.

“A Second for a Queen? Try again.”

Cyrus started to say something, but the look Razik shot him made him hold his tongue. He clearly had some sort of plan.

Gods, he hoped he had some sort of plan. But Alaric was apparently done negotiating.

“Enough of this,” he spat, Ashtine crying out again as she was yanked forward. The princess hadn’t said a single word since they’d arrived. Alaric must have threatened the babes if she did. “Here is what is going to happen. You are going to leave, and when Prince Drayce returns, he will have the Middell heirs with him.”

“I am not leaving her here,” Briar snarled.

“You are if you want her to remain breathing,” Alaric said simply. “Besides, she will no longer be alone. The Fire Second and Water Third will remain behind with her.”

“There was never an agreement to that,” Razik interjected.

“I am done negotiating, dragon. The only person I will negotiate with now is Death’s Maiden. She has taken what belongs to me, so I am taking what belongs to her.”

“You want a Second and a Third rather than the Princes?” Azrael asked. “Keep me and Drayce instead.”

Alaric’s lip curled back as he looked the Earth Prince up and down. “I already possess one Fae Royal. I am about to possess another, and I already control the Courts. When Scarlett returns my queenalive, that shall suf?ce. Prince Drayce needs proper motivation to follow through on his bargain, and I do not need Tarek distracted by his petty feud with you.” His gaze shifted to Briar. “When you are ready to ful?ll your end of the deal, send word to the Baylorin castle, and a place and time shall be arranged.”

“This is ?ne, Drayce,” Cyrus said. “Neve and I will be with her. We will watch over her until you get back.”

“Are we done here then?” Razik asked sharply, arms crossing over his chest.

Alaric’s attention returned to him. “Three days. Tell Scarlett to meet me here with Talwyn in three days, or I will start taking lives. Kindly remind her I have access to hundreds of innocent magicwielders now, and they are as expendable to me as the children in the Black Syndicate were. When she comes, she only comes with her Guardian. No one else.”

“You expect us to send our princess to you with only her Guardian for protection?” Razik asked. “You cannot possibly be this stupid.”

Alaric was clearly clinging to his last shred of control with Razik. “Fine,” he gritted out. “Send the Ash Rider with them. There is a room on the tenth ?oor that nulli?es magic. We will meet there. I am certain he knows where it is.”

Cyrus glanced at Rayner, who was so rigid he could see the tendons straining in his neck.

“You never said how you entered these cliffs,” Rayner said tightly.

A knowing smile appeared on Alaric’s face. He lifted his arm, the sleeve of his jacket sliding up and a brand ?aring beneath his skin. “My mother made sure I was able to enter her domain when I came to this world.”

Rayner visibly ?inched. “That is not possible.”

“Oh, but it is,” Alaric replied. “Do you think Deimas would trust just anyone to give him powerful weapons?”

“They were not weapons. They were people,” Rayner rasped. “Innocent men and women and children.”

“Powerlessmen and women and children,” Alaric corrected casually. “That is what is wrong with this world. None of you understand that without power, you are nothing. Power is the currency of the realms.”

“We are leaving,” Razik said, already moving to the hall they had entered through. Cyrus and Neve stayed rooted to the spot as the other Fae followed Razik.

“I will come for you, Ashtine,” Briar said, palpable agony lacing every word.

“I will watch over her, Prince,” Neve promised.

Briar nodded, but Cyrus could tell the words did nothing to ease his anguish.

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