Page 98 of Lady for Embers

She rolled her eyes, lifting her palms and splaying her ?ngers. White ?ames sprung to life, casting them all in a ?ickering glow. “I think I’ll be ?ne.” She glanced up at Sorin. “He can be more of a mother hen than you can sometimes.”

“Careful, Love,” he replied, reaching out and ?icking her nose, his eyes darkening a touch when she stuck out her tongue at him.

She was bouncing from foot to foot, adrenaline already coursing through her in anticipation of what they were about to do. Memories of the same feeling when getting ready for jobs with Nuri and Juliette ?itted to the forefront of her mind, and she let them linger for a moment before banishing them so she could focus.

Azrael appeared next, his black hair tied back and two scimitars at his waist. Callan was the last to appear, Briar and Eliza with him. Scarlett didn’t really want to bring the Windonelle King, but he was the only one who knew the way around this Eternal Necropolis. They needed to be in and out as quickly as possible. They would need him.

“We will send messages as we are able,” Sorin was saying to Briar and Eliza. “If all goes well, we will be back in a few hours. If it doesn’t... No matter what happens, you keep sailing west.”

Briar and Eliza both nodded grimly. They’d all gone over this plan extensively the last couple of days. Everyone knew it inside and out. She and Cassius had spent extended periods of time in Pyry, planting the seed in Alaric’s mind that they had found something. They’d known it had worked when they’d found extra sets of footprints at their usual spot the last time they’d Traveled there.

There were six of them going. She and Cassius, for the obvious reason that she was going to remove his tracking Mark. Sorin and Cyrus, in case they needed to refuel their magic. She was also certain she would have had to bind them and lock them in the brig to keep them from accompanying them. The Earth Prince was coming in case she and Cassius could not Travel at the end of this.

Which led her to say, “We need to have a chat, Azrael.”

She had purposely saved this conversation for right now. Putting him on the spot would make his answers more believable, not giving him time to formulate an articulate response. The Earth Prince’s muddy brown eyes narrowed on her.

“How do I know you will not seek out your queen when we set foot on the continent again?”

His brows shot up in surprise. “You cannot be serious?”

“Oh, but I am,” she said sweetly. “You think I have forgotten where your loyalties lie?”

“You think I am loyal to her while I sail towards those whom she considers the enemy?”

“Heads and hearts can be so con?icted when it comes to split-second decisions, Prince.”

The others all remained silent, letting this play out between them.

“I do not know what you want from me, Scarlett,” Azrael ?nally said, and a grumble of warning came from Sorin at his casual use of her name.

“What I need,Azrael, is some sort of proof that should Talwyn somehow show up, you will not go to her and fuck up our entire operation.” She took a small step towards him. “I need to know beyond a doubt I can trust you before I entrust you with our lives.”

Azrael’s jaw tightened before he drew a knife from his side, slicing his palm open and holding it out to her.

Scarlett’s nose scrunched as she looked at it. “Showing me you can bleed proves nothing.”

“It is a Blood Vow, Scarlett,” Sorin explained beside her.

“Like the Blood Bond? I do not want that,” she said immediately, shaking her head and backing away.

Sorin’s hand came to her lower back, the touch immediately soothing. “No, Scarlett. The Blood Bond forces eternal submission. A Blood Vow is a promise, an agreement made between two people. If either party breaks it... Well, the result is unfavorable.”

“What happens?” she asked curiously, eyeing Azrael’s still outstretched bleeding palm.

Sorin shrugged. “The gods decide, I suppose.”

“Do you know anyone who has broken one?”

“For fuck’s sake,” Azrael suddenly cut in. “This is not the time to assuage your curiosity, your Majesty. We have a mission to complete.”

“No need for a tantrum, Azzy,” she clucked, and the Earth Prince’s nostrils ?ared at the nickname. She just smirked back at him.

Sorin was handing her a knife, and she sliced her palm for the second time that night as she said, “So what? We do a super secret handshake now?”

“You are insufferable,” Azrael muttered.

“Oh, Azzy,” she taunted, her voice going sultry. “Keep talking like that, and Sorin will have a tantrum.”

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