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Cyrus winced slightly as every set of eyes slid to him, including his prince and queen. He took a breath and leaned forward to see Scarlett around Sorin. “Until we figure out this rip, until we know how many rips there are and who this man is that keeps appearing to you, maybe it would be wise to remain here and hold off on going to the human lands. Just until that’s figured out,” he added hastily as flames appeared in Scarlett’s eyes. It was the only reaction she made. She didn’t move. She hardly seemed to be breathing.

Talwyn locked eyes with her cousin, and she couldn’t help the slight smirk that spread across her lips. “You can ignore my warnings all you like, but will you not heed wise advice from your own Court?”

“I do believe at our last little meeting,yourCourt agreed the mortal lands needed immediate attention,” Scarlett replied. Her voice was quiet, venomous, lethal.

“Then others can go,” Talwyn returned, her own voice flippant and unconcerned.

“They do not know the kingdoms like I do,” Scarlett retorted. “It must be me.”

“You are not prepared to go. You are not prepared to face what lies in wait for you there,” Talwyn seethed back. Her temper was hanging by a thread. She saw Azrael tense out of the corner of her eye. She saw Sorin do the same beside Scarlett.

“Not prepared to go?” Scarlett asked in a voice of darkness. “You do not know the half of what I am prepared for.”

“Are you prepared to face unknown enemies and win?”

“Are you?” Scarlett countered.

“No. That is why I am doing the smart thing and staying here,” Talwyn retorted in the same venomous voice.

“Well, then it is a good thing I have faced not one, not two, but three Maraan Lords and have lived to tell the tale. One of them was not so lucky. So I suppose I am not so concerned about the enemies since I know what they are,” she purred.

Talwyn blinked at her cousin. Maraan Lords? She didn’t even know what those were, but Ashtine spoke from beside her. Her face had gone visibly pale. “Where have you faced a Maraan Lord?”

“You know of them?” Scarlett asked instead, her attention shifting to Ashtine.

“Is there still one you go to face?”

“At least two, but I suspect more,” Scarlett replied.

Talwyn turned her gaze to Sorin, but he looked as lost and surprised as everyone else in the room did, other than Ermir. How did Scarlett know of such things?

“I am in need of an explanation, Ashtine,” Talwyn said, her voice softening as she spoke to her friend.

But Ashtine continued to ignore them all other than Scarlett. “You are certain?”

“Yes. I am learning the Avonleyan language. I am sure.”

The Wind Princess’s brows rose in surprise. “How?”

A wicked smile formed on Scarlett’s lips. “You will find I am quite resourceful.”Then her eyes slid to Talwyn. “And that I am more than prepared to face what lies in wait there.”

Talwyn was done. She was done trying to win her cousin over, trying to guide her towards the best decisions. She was done holding her tongue, trying to find common ground with the female who was supposed to help fix things, not make them harder. She had not done all she had these last years to have it all end on a foolish girl’s allegiance to mortal friends.

Talwyn stood, bracing her hands on the table, leaning towards Scarlett. Her icy blue eyes were still fixed on her jade ones. Azrael shot to his feet beside her, and she saw thin shields of fire and water come between her and Scarlett from Briar and Sorin as they also stood, hands in casual reach of their weapons. “If you are lost, if you are killed, in the mortal lands,” Talwyn said, barely more than a whisper, “all hope is lost. This is not just about your little mortal friends, Scarlett. This is every realm, every life, contained in them. This is the entire godsdamned continent. If you are lost, we cannot find the keys. If you are killed, you doom us all, and that, cousin, will all be because of you. You decide if your mortal comrades are worth more than every other soul in the realms…then be prepared to take full responsibility for that choice.”

Then she stepped through her own rip in the world. She felt Azrael grip her elbow as she left. She stepped into her bedroom, preparing to put up her wards and turned to Azrael, who still gripped her elbow, his eyes searching hers.

“Distract me or get out,” she snarled under her breath.

He roughly tugged her close to him. She bared her teeth, preparing to take all her aggression and rage out in bed, but then he wrapped his arm around her waist, and she felt the familiar sensation of Traveling. She looked around and found herself in the forest. Jonaraja Forest.

“What are we doing here?” she demanded of her Second, glaring at the male as he stepped back and slowly began circling her.

Jonaraja Forest was ancient. It was said to be as old as Shira Forest itself, and it was one of the greatest kept secrets of the centuries and that secret was entrusted to the Earth Court.The trees here were towering and old, and you could feel the ancient powers emanating from them.

This was also where Azrael had trained her. He was older than she was by at least five centuries and had seen the Great War, had fought in it alongside his parents and hers. Azrael had trained her in all the ways that counted. Not just weaponry and combat. He had taught her how to properly Travel. He had taught her how to control her powers. Yes, she could use them when she came to him, but she had never been taught how to truly control them, how to use them in ways that mattered, how to shape them.

“You demanded a distraction,” he snarled back.