Page 121 of Lady for Embers

“Ashtine,” Briar breathed. He sat forward, hands coming to the top of the table. “Are you telling me Princess Ashtine saved your father?”

Hale nodded. “Whether or not she knew who she saved, I do not know.”

“If the winds called her there, she would have gone. Whether she knew the reason or not,” Briar said, sitting back once more, his eyes going distant. It wasn’t hard to work out that his thoughts were back home with the princess he loved.

“She stayed with him, helping to keep him hidden when the soldiers searched the burned remains for survivors. I suspect shehelped make them believe they found evidence of three bodies as well,” Hale continued. “After that, she helped him ?nd shelter in northern Toreall. He eventually met my mother, and I came along, but she died during childbirth. He had plans to take back the throne, until he suddenly found himself a single father.

“Then, twenty years ago, another silver-haired woman came to him, her own belly round with child. I was nine. She came to my father and told him she knew who he was, that she could help restore his bloodline to his throne, but that he would need to come to Avonleya until the time came. Of course, he did not believe her. She gave him a deadline, said she would come for his answer soon, and whatever he decided would seal his fate and mine. She would never be able to offer him this again.”

Callan had been subtly watching the others while Hale spoke, and Scarlett’s face had gone pale the more he spoke. Sorin had reached over, his hand covering hers where it gripped the arm of the chair she was seated in. Cassius was leaning over, whispering something into her ear, but she gave no inclination that she heard him. She was ?xed on Hale, drinking in every word.

“When she came again, I was ten. It was a few months after that. She was no longer with child and did not have one with her. To this day, I do not know what made him change his mind, what made him believe her, but we left that night. She carried us both through the air, Traveling I later learned, to a ship outside these wards where Altaria met us with a vial that she poured into the black waters to let us in. I have been here ever since. My father passed a few years ago, and I have been waiting and preparing for when I can go back and take back the throne, to free my people from chains they do not even know they bear.”

All this time, for years, it had been drilled into him that the Fae wanted to enslave the mortals, to take over their lands. Callan blinked at the realization that such a thing had already happened. Their greatest fears had come to fruition, only no one realized it yet. It had been so subtly and artfully done. But it wasn’t the Fae. Never had been the Fae. He had to appreciate the brilliance of the various pieces that had been put into place and carefully calculated to make all this happen, even if the mortals had only been pawns this entire time.

The room had gone quiet when Hale had ?nished speaking, everyone lost in their thoughts until Cyrus spoke.

“I do not understand. If you all can come and go from the wards whenever you wish, why have you let the Maraans run wild across the sea? If you could come for him, why not save the Rydeon bloodline as well? Why not aid the Fae? Why not aidus? You clearly knew everything that was happening there based on the interactions between... ” He gestured between Scarlett and Cethin.

“Because we cannot come and go as we please,” Cethin answered. “At least we could not until recently. I control who enters the Wards, but none of us can leave. Not without the other Avonleyan key.”

Scarlett was shaking her head. “We do not have the keys. I altered them. Instead of unlocking the wards, they locked the rips Alaric had created and lifted the wards con?ning the Witches and Shifters.”

Cethin’s knowing smile was identical to one he’d seen on Scarlett’s face numerous times in the last year. “Those keys were the work around, in case the original keys could not be used. There is always a work around when it comes to magic.”

“Yes, yes,” Scarlett muttered, her hand waving off the comment. “So the work around is no longer an option. What is the plan now? You let us in. How do we get out? If you are about to tell me you trapped us here and I can no longer aid my allies across the sea, our supposedconnectionswill not save you from what I will do.”

Cethin’s smile turned razor sharp, the same darkness on Scarlett’s face mirrored on his. “Do not mistake my patience—”

“Patience?” Scarlett repeated incredulously, moving as if she were about to rise to her feet. “I have been across the godsdamn sea trying to put together a picture without all the pieces. Do not speak to me of patience.”

“Maybe this discussion is a more suitable one for when you two do not have an audience?” Razik cut in dryly, sounding truly bored.

“Why is that?” Scarlett sneered. “Afraid somesecretswill be exposed?” A crease formed on the male’s brow, confusion etching across his face.

“No. This just sounds like it is a personal squabble between you two, and I have better things to do than sit here and listen to you try to work through your petty differences. I would guess everyone else at this table does too. So can we discuss matters that involveallof us, and then you two can go off and have a heart-to-heart or whatever the fuck you need to do?”

“Raz,” Cethin sighed, hand rubbing at his brow.

Razik settled back in his chair, giving a dramatic wave of his hand, motioning for him to go on.

“These matters would be better discussed at another time,” Cethin ?nally agreed. “Scarlett, I was hoping you and Sorin would join me for a private dinner tonight.”

“MeandSorin?” she repeated.

“I am not fool enough to try to separate you from your husband. Fae males are far too protective and possessive, let alone the fact that he is also your twin ?ame,” Cethin said.

“Are Avonleyan males not the same?” she asked, her head tilting to the side.

“We are,” Cethin agreed. “Which is why I know if I tried to see you without him or someone else from your Court present, I would ?nd myself at odds with your entire side of the table.”

He is not wrong, Callan thought, watching the conviction of that statement pass over all the faces of the Fae.

“Fine,” Scarlett ?nally conceded. Her ?ngers drummed on the table, her chin propped on her other hand. “I do not suppose you have a secret Rydeon heir hidden around here somewhere as well?”

The soft smile was back on Cethin’s face. “No. Unfortunately, we learned of that loss too late.”

Scarlett jerked her chin at the rest of the people across the table from her. “Who are they?”

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