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Rayner held her stare, and she heard Razik jump down from the rock. “Shortly after the ball that introduced Scarlett to Avonleya.”

Her mouth dropped open. “And you didn’t think to say anything to anyone?”

“I have been working with her.”

“Rayner.” And she didn’t know what else to say to him. She knew why he was overprotective of the child. So did Sorin and Cyrus. The fact that Tula was clearly powerful didn’t help matters. It would bring up a lot of unwanted memories for the Ash Rider. She finally added, “You should have said something.”

Rayner’s eyes flicked to Razik before coming back to her. “We have been constantly running interference for Scarlett and Sorin. I did not want Tula put in unnecessary danger because of what she can do.”

“You cannot honestly believe Scarlett would use her like that,” Eliza argued.

“Scarlett? No. But our supposed allies? I trust few and even less when it comes to her.”

Eliza glanced at Razik, who was staring back at Rayner, his features hard. “Cethin and Kailia would never use a child for such purposes.”

Rayner barked a harsh, humorless laugh. “Your king has been using Scarlett, and she is scarcely out of childhood.”

“Their mother has been using her. Not my king,” Razik snarled, baring his teeth.

“Your king has been going along with everything their mother demands,” Rayner countered. “You cannot tell me if Saylah demanded this of him, he would deny her.”

“And you think it is easy to deny a goddess?” Razik asked.

“When it comes to this child? I would deny Arius himself to my dying breath.”

“Okay, let’s just take a step back,” Eliza said, sliding further in between the two when smoke started drifting from Razik’s nostrils and ashes were flitting off of Rayner. “No one is going to use Tula. We are here to get Ashtine. Tula should be fine to stay with us, right? We can take her to the House of Water or something during the exchange.”

“Probably not the best idea,” Azrael cut in. He was leaning against a tree, watching them all with a bored expression, Callan having moved to his side. “With Alaric having infiltrated all the Courts, I wouldn’t trust any of the capital cities right now.”

“That’s a good point,” Eliza muttered.

“Siofra would be a better choice,” Azrael added.

“Maybe. Can you make us a—”

She felt the air shift behind her before the warning came from Razik. Her sword was already lifted at her back, her arms trembling with the force of the hit she blocked. Eliza spun, fire flaring from her palm as she did. The flames slammed into the seraph that had appeared, forcing him back. Not just one seraph, but a small unit of them. They were surrounded.

“They Traveled in somehow,” Razik supplied from behind her. She glanced over her shoulder. Azrael had one seraph wrapped tightly in vines, a dagger poised at the male’s throat. Callan was keeping close to the Earth Prince. Rayner had a shield of ashes around him and Tula, who had—

Who had shifted into a small black snake. She was coiled tightly around Rayner’s bicep, her blue eyes glowing faintly.

“The seraphs cannot Travel,” Eliza gritted out, flames igniting down her sword. “Only the Maraans can.”

“I don’t know what to tell you,” Razik retorted. “They appeared out of the air just like how I Travel.”

She was still looking at Razik when she moved her sword to block the arrow that came straight for her. Razik’s eyes widened slightly, and Eliza smirked darkly. “We will worry about where they came from later. Can we just kill them right now?”

“So bloodthirsty,mai dragocen,” he said, his own dark smile appearing. “I get the one that just fired an arrow at you.” His wings appeared. “Try not to get stabbed this time.”

“I’m going to stab you if you don’t fuck off,” she snarled, turning her back on him to engage with the next seraph that was coming for her. She heard his dark chuckle as he shot into the sky. Irritation coursed through her, and she channeled it into each swing of her sword. She left Callan to Azrael, knowing they’d fought together at the Necropolis. Rayner wouldn’t let anyone within ten feet of Tula, so it was just her and the song of death that she’d missed so greatly these last weeks.

Until her sword met two scimitars.

“Fuck,” Eliza cursed, immediately recognizing the weapons.

“What kind of greeting is that?” came a voice of silk and honey. “I just came to talk.”

“With a unit of seraphs? I somehow doubt that,” Eliza gritted out, striking out with her sword. Nuri ducked with a laugh, meeting the sword with a scimitar again, before the two broke apart.