Page 57 of Lady for Embers

“You’re still using your magic, Cass,” she insisted. “You need to stop, and you need blood now.”

“I will wait for Cyrus,” he repeated.

“Cassius! He is on another ship. We are in the middle of a battle—”

“Then get him over here,” Cassius snapped at her, and she drew back.

Cass was never like this. Ever. He was level-headed and logical. He only got like this when it involved her.

“I’ve never fed from another Fae,” Cassius grumbled. “Just... get Cyrus.”

Scarlett studied him for a fraction of a second longer, about to argue further, but then Briar was beside them.

“I hate to interrupt,” the Water Prince said tightly, two long spears of ice appearing in his hands. “But we have incoming, and my reserves are not at their fullest at the moment. I have brought Sawyer from the other ship to help.”

Scarlett looked up to ?nd several seraphs descending on their ship.

Can you get Cyrus to Briar’s ship?she sent down the bond.Cassius needs blood.

She glanced across the water to the ship Sorin and Cyrus were on, a unit of seraphs descending on them as well.

We’re coming.

That was all she got back, and she knew it could be a bit before they managed to ?nd a way to make it over here.

Cassius pushed to his feet, pulling his sword from his side. He met her eyes and jerked his chin, telling her to fall into position. They’d fought together hundreds of times, trained for hours together. It was like ?ghting with the Wraiths at her side.

She didn’t question him again, and she pivoted so they were back-to-back.

“Sawyer and I will bring them down,” Briar was saying as he began to make his way to one side of the ship. Sawyer was on the opposite side, seeming to wait for something. “You two can take care of them from there.”

“How will you bring—”

But her words were cut off as the Water Fae stretched their arms out over the sides of the ship. Sea water shot straight into the air, and as Scarlett watched them work, she realized shereallyneeded to practice with her water magic more.

Briar sent ropes of water to the winged men, wrapping aroundnecks, ankles, and wrists, pulling them to the decks of the ships. Some seraphs seemed to know the attack was coming and dodged at the last minute, but three of the seraphs weren’t so lucky. As they hit the deck, Scarlett wasted no time using her magic to set wings ablaze and sending shadows down throats, while Cassius severed heads and made sure the seraphs stayed incapacitated long enough for her to ?nish them with ?ames.

Instead of using ropes of water, Sawyer sent his water magic pouring down on a seraph like a tidal wave, water-logging the feathers of its wings. The seraph plummeted from the sky. If they didn’t hit the deck, Scarlett froze them solid before they hit the water. They bobbed there, and Scarlett almost laughed at the image of ?oating seraph cubes. That would hold them until they could ?nish them off later.

White ?ames leapt from her hand to another set of feathered wings as Cassius plunged his sword through its chest then severed its head. Cass was pale and breathing hard. So was she, but not like him.

Sorin! Where is Cyrus?

We’re trying, Love.He sounded out of breath even down the bond, and Scarlett spared a glance at his ship again. They were holding their own ?ne enough, and the number of seraphs above Briar’s ships was down to three.

She clamped a hand onto Cassius and pulled him through the air, Traveling to Sorin’s side. Her boots hit the deck, and she was promptly sending white ?ames at a seraph diving for her twin ?ame. Sorin whirled, and relief ?ashed through his golden eyes when they landed on her. Her chest loosened some at seeing him whole and unharmed.

“Cyrus!” she cried, looking around wildly for him. Cassius had immediately sunk to his knees when they’d landed on the ship. She threw up a shield of shadows to keep them somewhat protected from the chaos.

A moment later, the Fire Second was at their side. He didn’t say a word, just dropped down beside Cassius. “Gods, Cass,” she heard him mutter, slicing a dagger down his forearm. “We’re not bothering with a cup. Drink.” He brought his arm to Cassius’s lips, and Cass didn’t argue with him. Just latched his mouth to his arm and drank deeply. Cyrus lifted his other hand as if he was going to cup Cassius’s head before he dropped it to his shoulder instead.

“You should ?ll your reserves too,” Sorin said, pulling her attention away from the males before her. He’d snatched up Cyrus’s bow and was sending an arrow ?ying at an incoming seraph.

“She most certainly should not,” Cyrus snapped, glaring up at the Fire Prince.

“Keep out of it, Cyrus,” Sorin shot back.

“What do I need to know?” Scarlett asked, sending a pack of shadow wolves to take care of a seraph trying to get through her shield. Her reserves were depleted, and there were still at least a dozen seraphs in the sky, not to mention the ones on the ships. How many were on the other ships? The children?

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