Page 224 of Lady for Embers

Scarlett turned away. She couldn’t stand to look at the female. Couldn’t stand to see her alive, breathing, moving. Sorin’s stare was boring into her, and she let him feel all of it. Let him feel what he was doing to her to deny her this.

“It’s Ashtine,” Talwyn gasped, and Briar went preternaturally still.

Scarlett watched the Water Prince, waiting for Talwyn to say whatever it was she so desperately needed to tell him.

“Alaric is going to take her. He wishes to enter the Water Prison. To free the Sorceress.”

“Ashtine cannot grant entry into the Water Prison,” Briar said coldly, still not moving.

“She is with child,” Talwyn said amid her labored breathing. “Twins. One has water magic. I have seen her use it. Abrax has been protecting her. I have been keeping her location a secret, but they know. They know where she is, Briar.”

Briar’s dark skin had paled, and Scarlett knew what was coming before the words left his mouth.

“Get me out of the Wards,” Briar said, turning to face her.

“She could be lying,” Scarlett said listlessly. “That is what she does.”

“Not about Ashtine,” Azrael said, his muddy brown eyes studying Talwyn carefully.

“I do not give a fuck if she is,” Briar said. “I need to see her. Need to know for sure.”

“We do not know where she is,” Scarlett replied in the same monotone as before.

“The Southern Islands,” Talwyn supplied, her breathing getting steadier. “She is hiding in some enchanted cliffs in the Southern Islands. She said when the time came for Briar to come to her to ask the Ash Riders how to ?nd her.”

Scarlett’s gaze lifted to Kailia, whose amber eyes were wide with horror, terror seeping from her so thick, Scarlett could feel it. She turned to ?nd Rayner with a look of dread on his face.

“Anything else?” Cethin asked sharply, an arm coming around Kailia and drawing her into his side. She moved as if she were a doll, her movements not her own.

“I... ”

Scarlett closed her eyes, the mere sound of her voice grating on her very bones.

“I am glad you still breathe, Sorin,” Talwyn ?nished.

And the sound of his name onherlips? That was all she could take. Scarlett stepped through the air, away from it all.

She felt him before she saw him. It was a bittersweet thing. She didn’t want to speak to him right now, but her days of feeling him this way, of being able to ?nd each other with their bond, were quickly coming to an end.

She was lying on her back on grass that was too soft. The sun had set, the stars looking back at her. This was the only place she could think of to come. The only place she had been that was open enough to breathe. She had momentarily contemplated trying to enter the country estate just to see what it would have been like, but she hadn’t wanted to deal with the guards. She needed some place to think and breathe and feel all of it away from the rest of the world, even if only for a few minutes before she went back to deal with everything Talwyn had dropped on them.

He sat down beside her, resting his elbows on his knees, not saying anything for a long time. He was waiting for her. She knew that. He always waited for her, let her gather herself, which is why she was surprised when he spoke ?rst.

“I know we need to talk about... all of that, but you either need to come talk to Briar or give me some blood so Razik can take him to the Water Court.”

She sighed deeply. She knew that. Briar was likely freezing and drowning anyone who looked at him the wrong way right now. She had never seen him lose his temper. Had never really seen him angry actually. But if what Talwyn had said was true, then the princess he loved was carrying his children, and they were all in danger.

“Do you believe her?” she asked.

“It does not matter. Briar will not rest until he lays eyes on Ashtine. You cannot stop him, and you need to do this, Scarlett.He has always stood beside you. You cannot deny him this,” Sorin replied.

“He cannot go back without a plan.”

“Apparently that is what we do now,” he said tightly. “Send our family and allies across the sea without proper planning.”

“If you came to reprimand me for letting Cyrus and Cass go gether, you can leave now,” she retorted. “How did you get here anyway?”

“Cethin Traveled me.”

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