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Silence fell in the room again.

“My queen has reasons of her own for needing to return to the mortal lands that cannot be shared right now.” Scarlett raised her brows in surprise to find Briar speaking to her left. “All the Courts have secrets. Talwyn has secrets. Secrets I am sure would be shared if they could be, but now is not the time. Scarlett is no different. If she makes the choice to return to the mortal realm, I will trust she does so with the best intentions.”

“And when will such a decision be made?” It was Azrael’s Second who spoke this time. Azrael had left with Talwyn, surprising Scarlett. Now, she supposed, Azrael would want a full report of what was said and decided after they left.

Scarlett made herself breathe. In and out. In and out. She closed her eyes and could see their faces— Drake and Tava and Cassius and Nuri. This may be her home. She may have found a family here, buttheywere still her family, too.

“Maybe it would be beneficial to take an extra day or two to consider—,” Cyrus was venturing, but Scarlett interrupted him.

“No. The decision is made. I am going to the mortal kingdoms. I am leaving in a few hours. Talwyn will be here researching this rip or tear or whatever it is. I need to go there to complete my own tasks, especially if there are more rips that we are unaware of. I would venture to guess that in the coming days there will not be any sort of ‘good time’ to go, so I will go now.”

“And should you fail?” Ashtine asked. Again, her voice was not accusatory, not threatening. It just was.

“I won’t,” Scarlett answered pointedly, fixing her eyes on Ashtine’s sky blue ones.

“Perseverance and tenacity will only get you so far. The Darkness will find your weaknesses,” Ashtine said.

“I am the Darkness,” Scarlett replied in an icy, smooth purr, allowing her shadows to rip free from her. They swirled around her like a vortex, and she let Death’s Maiden come out, too— wicked, calm, and lethal.

“It is interesting that such a power returns to the world at this place in time,when the Maaran Lords have emerged,” Ashtine said, standing from the table, not at all fazed, and a wind portal appeared behind her.

“Indeed,” said a male next to her, whom Scarlett assumed was her Second. “Idle chatter of the breezes.”

He certainly spoke like Princess Ashtine.

“What do you mean ‘such a power returns?’” Scarlett asked. “And what does it have to do with the Maraan Lords?”

Ashtine merely blinked at her with that peculiar half smile.

“Briar…” Sorin ground out through clenched teeth.

You cannot speak to Ashtine like that. She will not answer.

Scarlett knitted her brows.Why not?

The Wind Court speaks in mysticism and riddles. Ashtine is benevolent and wise, but she can be unintentionally infuriating. Briar is one of the few people who seems able to speak with her without losing his shit, other than Talwyn.

“Ashtine,” Briar said, stepping to the princess. Scarlett watched as Nasima stretched a wing out and brushed it against Briar’s cheek. “Do you speak of the queen’s shadows?” Briar asked, reaching to stroke the hawk’s silver head.

“Are they shadows?” Ashtine asked in return, tilting her head as though she were leaning into a phantom touch.

“You do not know?” Briar questioned softly.

Her half smile grew slightly, her voice still mystical and lilting. She paused, like she was listening to something, then said, “Shadows? Darkness? Night? One or all or none?”

“None of those are powers of this world,” Eliza cut in sharply. Nakoa glared at her, but Ashtine's eyes had shifted to her.

“Daughter of Anala and Silas,” she said, again pausing to listen to whatever the winds whispered, “there are many unknown powers of the realms. Many of them slumber. Many have never woken, but this magic has walked these lands before.”

“When?” Scarlett asked, unable to help herself.

Briar glanced at her with a subtle shake of his head, a request to let him handle it. “Ashtine.” He stretched out an arm, and Nasima flew to him, clicking her beak. “Not when. Who?”

Ashtine brought her eyes back to Briar. “There were four: father, mother, son, and daughter.”

HowdidBriar converse with her and not lose his damn mind?

“Which holds the answers we seek?” Briar asked, taking a step closer to her.