Page 33 of Lady for Embers

Chapter 8

Scarlett

She was ?dgeting. She knew that as her foot began tapping beneath the table again.

At the back of the ship, directly above the quarters she shared with Sorin, was a dining room of sorts. It had two long tables with benches on either side of them. They had sparred this morning, but this was the ?rst meeting they’d all be having together since she and Cassius had returned from Baylorin. They’d decided to do this over dinner. It was a conversation that was likely to go well into the night. They’d be discussing what was to come next. Getting the keys to Alaric had only been the ?rst step of many, and she wasn’t entirely sure what their next step would be. Everyone would be looking to her for guidance and instruction, and she simply didn’t know.

She had no idea what would happen next. She had no idea how long it would take to reach Avonleya. Any books she’d been able to ?nd about the kingdom never had any maps. She had no idea how big the continent was they were sailing towards. She had no idea if they’d be able to get past the wards that kept them contained. She had no idea about anything. And shouldn’t she? They would be looking to her, expecting her to have answers. She was their queen, their leader, and she could offer them nothing.

Sorin’s hand slid onto her thigh, the pressure causing her to stop the tapping of her foot that had progressed to the bouncing of her knee. Eliza and Rayner were here, along with Briar and Sawyer. They were waiting for the others. Nakoa and Neve had taken watch on the ship housing the majority of the children.

Sorin didn’t say anything. He simply leaned over, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek.

Stop being annoying, she sent down the bond.

He arched a brow.By kissing you on the cheek?

Yes.

It’s sweet.

We don’t do sweet.

His lips tipped up, and gods, she wanted to skip this meeting and go back to their quarters where he’d carried her over his shoulder this morning. Things were simpler there, when it was just him and her. When she could pretend, just for a moment, that none of this was weighing on her. That she wasn’t sailing towards a kingdom with more secrets than she could count. That millions of Fae, Shifters, Witches, and mortals back home weren’t depending on her to ?nd an answer there. That she didn’t know if everyone would come out of this alive on the other side. They’d already lost too many. Finn. Sloan. Callan’s parents. Innocent children deemed a necessary sacri?ce by Alaric and the others.

“I know we have talked about this, but we don’t have any answers for them, Sorin,” she said in a hushed tone. “We don’t have a clear course of action. Shouldn’t we have that as the rulers of these Courts?”

“No, Scarlett,” he answered. “We will not always have the answers, nor should we. That is why we have Inner Courts and allies. That is why we all work together, and it is why we have these meetings.”

She sighed heavily. “I know,” she muttered. And she did know all of that, but she was still adjusting to having this. She was still getting used to having so many people working with her, to not having to do so much on her own. It hadn’t even been a year since she’d met Sorin, and her life had gone from an assassin waiting out her master to a lost princess to a queen. She’d gone from mortal to Fae to Avonleyan in just as much time. It was so much. Too much to process. And when it all became overwhelming, when all she could feel was the weight of it all pushing her back under the water, she focused only on the next step. Nothing else. But she was so godsdamn tired of that. It seemed as though that was all she had done for the last month. Or rather, all she had done since Eliné’s death, if she were being really honest.

Footsteps sounded and a moment later Cyrus came throughthe door, Cassius at his side. They were chatting about something or other, their heads close together. Cassius nodded at whatever Cyrus was saying, but he glanced at Scarlett and a frown immediately formed. He made his way over to her, taking a seat on her left. Cyrus sat across from him, next to Eliza.

“What is wrong?” Cassius asked, leaning in and speaking low.

“Nothing.”

His frown deepened, his chocolate-brown eye studying her intently. She knew he wanted to push, but more footsteps drawing near had him keeping his mouth shut.

Prince Azrael came through the doorway next, Auberon with him. Both wore stoic expressions, void of any emotion. Azrael’s hard eyes skimmed over them all, avoiding eye contact with her. Cyrus had told her what he had said when he came to them, that he would beg her for mercy for Talwyn. He had yet to ask. Cowardice or smart, she couldn’t decide.

As for the Night Child, she still wasn’t sure what to make of him. She didn’t trust Night Children. Even the one she thought she could trust had betrayed her, and while she understood it, knew why Nuri had made that choice, the pain of that betrayal still cut deep. She couldn’t help but think of Nuri whenever she saw the vampyre. That wasn’t his fault, but it was there nonetheless. Until he had proven himself, she was very careful about what was said and revealed to him. Which was proving dif?cult when he sat in on these meetings.

She sighed, her foot beginning to tap beneath the table again.

“You have never been a ?dgeter, Scarlett,” Cassius said, leaning in once more. He was right. Alaric would have beat that out of her if she had been. She’d quickly learned to never show nerves in any situation, especially when it involved the Assassin Lord.

“I am just tired,” she replied.

“Day drinking and fucking all afternoon will do that to a person,” Cyrus quipped from across the table.

“You would know. About the drinking part anyway,” Scarlett retorted irritably. She was still crabby, despite the said drinking and fucking. She would relish a chance to throw down with anyone at this point, to release some of the violent energy in her limbs.

Cyrus ?ipped her off with a scowl, and she sent him a mocking smile before blowing him a kiss.

Before Cyrus could retaliate, Lynnea came through the door, alarge bowl in her hand. They were paying her, despite her protests of it not being necessary, to make sure they were fed three meals a day. The young Witch loved being in the kitchen, which wasn’t all that surprising considering the Witches brewed potions and tonics on the regular. It was in her blood well before she knew she was a Witch. Callan came in behind her, plates and silverware in his hands, a bread basket balanced on top of the dishes. Drake and Tava followed with more platters.

“Do you need anything else tonight?” Lynnea asked, placing the bowl on the table. It was full of rice. Drake’s tray held ?sh, and Tava’s held what appeared to be roasted root vegetables. Not that Scarlett was being picky—because she was damn glad she didn’t have to be cooking—but she would be perfectly ?ne not eating ?sh for the foreseeable future whenever they reached dry land.

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