Page 80 of Lady for Embers

He gave them the brief rundown of what he knew, things he’d already shared with Cassius.

“He needs a Source, Cyrus,” Scarlett said, a soft plea in her tone. “He doesn’t understand yet, but feeding the way he is now and drawing from a Source are very different. It will make it easier to access and master his gifts.”

“I will talk to him,” Cyrus said, not really sure he was going to be able to sway the male, but he’d try. For Scarlett and for Cassius.

“Before you do, you should know what being a Source entails,” Sorin cut in.

“I know all of this,” Cyrus answered. “We discussed it extensively when you told me you were going to become Scarlett’s Source.”

“It’s a lifelong thing, Cyrus,” Scarlett said, stepping towards him. “You will never be able to be separated from him. And it...” She bit her bottom lip, watching him carefully.

“It is intimate,” Sorin supplied. “Not necessarily in a physical way. But it is implicit trust and knowing each other’s needs. It is the essences of vulnerability in every way, Cyrus.” Sorin’s golden eyes were boring into his as he spoke. “You need to make sure you are ready for something like that again before you offer this to him.”

“I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t aware of what I was getting into,” Cyrus replied.

“Really?” Sorin asked, a harsh edge to his voice. “You think I have not noticed, Cyrus? You think I do not know why you asked to go to Solembra every night when we were staying at the Black Halls? You think I do not know what memories have likely been dragged up at watching Scarlett go through nearly losing me? At having to help her through that?”

Scarlett was looking at her boots, hair falling forward to hide her face. They’d clearly discussed this before coming to speak with him and Cassius.

“I think those things are none of your business,” Cyrus ?nally ground out. “If anything, I’d think you’d be grateful I did those things for her.”

“Of course I am grateful, Cyrus,” Sorin said. “Gods, I can never repay you for putting yourself through all of that to be there for her and helping her.”

“It wasn’t enough though, was it?”

Scarlett’s head snapped up at his words. “What do you mean?”

“We wouldn’t have been enough to help you survive it, would we? Me, Cass, Eliza? There is nothing we could have done to keep you... I wouldn’t have been able to do enough.”

“Cyrus,” Scarlett said softly, her tone full of agony and pity.

“No,” Sorin cut in, stepping in front of Scarlett as if to shield her. “You do not get to do this to her, Cyrus.”

“Do what exactly?” he sneered. “State the truth?”

“You do not get to turn this around on her. You always do this when Merrik or Thia get brought up. You spin things and twist things so it is no longer about you, but this needs to be about you.”

“Spare me the self-righteous bullshit, Sorin,” Cyrus scoffed. “I’m ?ne. I’ll convince Cassius to do this, and then it will be over and done with.”

“No,” Scarlett said, leaning to the side to look at him around Sorin. “I won’t give you the Source Mark until you both agree and understand what it means.”

“For fuck’s sake, you just sat here and told me how much he needs a Source,” Cyrus said. “Now you’re telling me you won’t do it untilyoudecide we’re both ready? That’s rich.Youcouldn’t even decide you were ready to take a throne until a godsdamn Oracle told you.”

“Enough,” Sorin snarled, stepping up to Cyrus. He knew he was pushing him, that Sorin was about to take a swing at him for talking to Scarlett like that, and he wanted him to. Then he’d have an excuse to unleash all this aggression he suddenly found writhing beneath his skin.

But Scarlett was squeezing herself in between them, shoving Sorin back. There was a hardness to her features that Cyrus was certain he’d never seen directed at him. He probably deserved it.

“Tell you what,Darling,” she said, a cold smirk tilting on her lips. “You convince Cassius to do this, and I’ll give you the Source Mark.”

“Just like that?” he asked, watching her carefully. He knew this for what it was— some kind of trap. It was never this easy with her.

“Just like that,” she said, turning to walk away from him. She stopped at the top of the steps, looking over her shoulder at him. “But Cyrus?”

“What?” he growled, because here was the catch.

“Cassius can detect bullshit a mile away.”

“You look sad.”

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