Page 152 of Lady for Embers

“Sorry for what?”

“I promised you there would always be a you and me.”

“Are you planning on leaving me?” Her head had tilted, a kiss landing on one corner of his mouth.

“Of course not.”

“So there will still be a you and me, even if we do not ?nd an answer.”

“Scarlett, I will not have any magic. You will not be able to take another Source as long as I live.”

“But you will live, Sorin,” she’d interrupted, hands sliding into his dark hair and tilting his head back even more so she could look down at him. “If that is the cost of having you here with me, then we will pay it. I am not in love with you because of your power. I do not love you because a bond requires it of me. I love you becauseyou saved me from myself, Sorin. I love you because you pull me from the river when all I want to do is drown. I love you because you came for me, and I will always come for you. I love you all the way through our darkness, even if you cannot light it up with your ?re any longer.”

There hadn’t been much more talking after that.

“Fuck it. I can’t ?gure out how to make them go away,” Cassius muttered, turning to stride up the steps. Scarlett hadn’t realized he’d been trying to banish his wings.

She snapped out a hand, catching his and pulling him to a stop. She moved up a few steps so she was eye level with him. “Close your eyes. Deep, even breaths.”

“Cyrus tried this,” Cassius said, closing his eyes anyway. “It did not work.”

“Because you have control issues,” she chided.

“Ihave control issues? Look in the mirror, Seastar,” he said, his eyes opening back up.

“We both have control issues,” she amended. “It was ingrained in us to always be in control. Alaric made sure of that. But your control and my control are very different. You like to be in control of yourself to make sure everyone else is safe and taken care of. I like to be in control of myself to make sureIdo not make everyone else unsafe with my daggers. There’s a difference.”

“By the gods,” Cassius muttered.

“Stop speaking and close your eyes,” she commanded again.

Cassius sighed but did as she ordered, glowing eyes falling closed once more.

“Focus on your breathing. Your magic is as much a part of you as your arm, your leg. You control it just as much as you control your body, but it works best when you let it do what it was made to do,” she said, her voice soothing and coaxing. Her gaze was ?xed on his wings, knowing how much it was going to bother him if he had to meet his father with them still visible. “Picture them gone, and see it in your mind. When that ?lls your vision, reach out and take it.”

It took several minutes after she fell silent to give him time to concentrate, but eventually those wings disappeared. There one moment, gone the next, as if they’d never been there at all. When he opened his eyes, the glow had dimmed, the color and pupil returning to normal. He pulled his patch from his pocket, and suddenly appeared to realize he was still shirtless.

He sighed in resignation, sliding the patch on and grabbing her hand, led her up the steps and into the castle. She took over then, taking him to a small sitting room near the back that looked out at the Nightmist Mountains. She pushed open one of the double doors, stepping through to ?nd Cethin near a window, speaking with another male.

They both looked up when they entered, but her eyes were on the other male. He was tall and had the same brown hair that ­Cassius and Razik had but shorter, and his eyes were the same warm, chocolate brown as Cassius’s. He was broad and muscled and appeared no older than Cethin, which suddenly had her wondering if Cassius would go through a Staying like she would or if he would age but slowly like the Witches.

She snuck a glance at Cassius to ?nd his features cold and impassive, his eye ?xed on his father.

“Scarlett,” Cethin said, moving towards her. “This is Commander Tybalt Greybane. Tybalt, my sister, Scarlett Aditya.”

“Princess,” Tybalt said, his head bowing. His voice was deep and gruff, and Cassius’s hand tightened around hers. The ?rst time he had heard his father speak.

“Queen,” she returned brightly, her smile wide and sharp. “Queen of the Western Fae Courts, and this is my Hand-to-the-Queen and Guardian, Cassius Redding.”

“Cassius,” Tybalt repeated, a look of awe settling over his features. He took a step towards them and seemed to falter. “I did not know. I did not know until Ranvir sensed you.”

“That’s what she said,” Cassius said tightly.

“I would have come for you. I would have found a way. I would have... ” He trailed off, staring at Cassius as though he were afraid to blink, afraid he would disappear from his sight.

He did not look like a male who was indifferent about his son. He looked like a male full of regret at not knowing. He looked like a male who was beating himself up over something he had no control over. She knew that look on his face because she had seen it on Cassius’s so many times.

When Cassius didn’t say anything, Tybalt cleared his throat. “I wanted to be here when you arrived. I am sorry I was not.”

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