Page 215 of Lady for Embers

“With Eliza,” Cyrus answered over his shoulder, dragging Cassius with him.

“What the hell, Cyrus?” Cassius demanded, when they were out of earshot. “Did you know you were stealing something that had sentimental value all this time?”

“No,” Cyrus replied. “And yes, I feel like a jackass.”

“At least you acknowledge it,” Cassius muttered. “I cannot believe you made me help you steal a mirror that belonged to his father.”

“Well get over it. We’re about to go steal a queen,” Cyrus said, eyes sweeping the room for Scarlett.

“What are you talking about?”

“I know where the Springs are. If Talwyn is there, we can go get her.”

“You think Scarlett is going to help us leave the Wards? To go get Talwyn?” Cassius asked doubtfully.

“I know she will,” Cyrus answered. He spotted Scarlett amoment later, speaking with Cethin and Kailia. He whistled at Razik, who was still sitting on the bench they’d been sitting on earlier. The dragon shifter looked over at him before ?ipping him off. Admittedly, Cyrus should have known better than to try to get his attention that way.

He wandered over to him and said, “Want to come with us to get my queen a present?”

“Why would I want to do that?” Razik asked. His lip curled as if the mere idea of that disgusted him.

“Because it involves hunting down a powerful Fae Queen on my continent. You can stretch those wings a little bit,” Cyrus answered.

Razik shrugged, getting to his feet. “I don’t have anything better to do.”

Cyrus sent a ?re message to Scarlett and watched as she reached up, plucking it from the ?ames. Somehow, she immediately found him in the sea of bodies, her head titling with interest.

“Come on,” Cyrus muttered. “She’s going to meet us in the king’s lounge.”

They hurried up the stairs they’d come down at the beginning of the night, slipping into the lounge, and a few minutes later, Scarlett did the same.

“You brought me a present?” she asked, the same suspicion that had ?lled Sawyer’s eyes ?lling hers. “To thank me for taking down the magical wards?”

“Not exactly,” Cyrus said. “It’s not here yet.”

“Then where is it?”

“In the Water Court.”

Scarlett went still. “What, exactly, is going on?” Her eyes shifted to her Guardian. “Cassius?”

Cass rubbed at the back of his neck. “We may have learned where Talwyn is, and Cyrus wants to go get her.”

“Talwyn?” She hissed the name more than she said it.

Cyrus nodded, adrenaline already ?ooding his system. “The three of us can go get her, Darling. It takes her out of play for the Maraans. Gets her out of our Courts. And—”

“Her death is mine,” Scarlett snarled, and shit. She was terrifying when she got this way. This was Death’s Maiden staring back at them. A Wraith of Death, not the Avonleyan Princess.

“Of course it is,” Cyrus said quickly. “Let us go get her.”

“How?” she gritted out.

“Cass can Travel us to the Water Court Palace. From there, I can get us to the Springs,” he said. “Razik will come with us.”

“I still have the vial of Cethin’s blood from the last trip to Rydeon,” Razik said, completely apathetic. “We’d just need some of yours to leave the Wards.”

“You will get her and bring her back to me?” Scarlett clari?ed, and that was de?nitely bloodlust and hatred shining in her eyes.

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