Page 74

“I know what this is,” Scarlett snapped, cutting off the goddess. Sorin reached for her, but she shrugged out of his grip. “Do not speak to me of games when I am the center of so many. I gave you my word. It will be done. You are no longer needed here. I will send word when it is done.”

“One would think gratitude is appropriate in this situation,” Saylah said coldly.

“Do something worthy of my gratitude that is not done merely to fulfill a deal to further your own purposes, and I will consider it,” Scarlett retorted.

The goddess stared her down for a long moment before her shadows rose up around her, and she was gone.

“Scarlett…” Sorin started.

“Later, Sorin,” she sighed, her shoulders sagging. “I need to prepare for Alaric, and you need to rest.” She grabbed his hand, preparing to Travel.

You have secrets,he sent down the bond.

She tensed but did not reply as she pulled them through a rip in the air, taking them to their rooms.

Still holding his hand in hers, she looked up at him and said, “When I return, I will tell you all of it. I just needed time to come to terms with what I have learned.”

He slid a hand into her hair, cupping the back of her head. “We will face it together, Scarlett.”

She smiled weakly, and he felt her dread down the bond before she blocked it. “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

Chapter15

Cyrus

The entire room was shirastone. The walls. The floor. The ceiling. Shackles on his wrists and ankles really weren’t necessary when he was literally sitting on the floor and leaning against the damn stone. The soles of his feet burned, cut up from traversing the Underwater Prison and these godsforsaken cliffs barefoot, and now they sat on shirastone.

Neve was standing nearby. She had shackles on her wrists and ankles too, but she had boots on. She’d been allowed to bathe as well from the looks of it. In clean fresh clothing, she stood well away from the walls, avoiding any extra shirastone, but her soft grey eyes were haunted. She’d endured something in her time with Alaric. Knowing how the bastard had manipulated Scarlett for years, he could only imagine what he’d done to the Water Court Third. Neve was often mistaken for being soft. Many often wondered how she had become the Water Court Third. Cyrus didn’t need to wonder. He knew, and the fact she was that shaken told him enough.

He adjusted his arms around his bent knees where he sat curled tightly in on himself to avoid as much shirastone as possible. But when it came down to it, he would rather endure months of this room than sit in Gehenna’s presence another day. She hadn’t wasted a moment of the last of their time together, and before Alaric had finally taken him from that dungeon room, she had demanded another vial of blood from Cyrus. He’d had no choice but to oblige her. Alaric had only muttered impatiently from the bottom of the stairs. A seraph had escorted him out, the tall one with the deeply tanned skin and brown feathered wings. His black hair was tied up on top of his head, and his hard grey eyes scarcely glanced at him when he’d roughly slapped the chains to his wrists. Briar had been present, needing to be there for Alaric to enter the prison, but he’d clearly been instructed to keep his mouth shut after their last visit.

The door opened, and Alaric and Briar came into the room. Neve flinched back, and Briar’s attention snapped to his Third. Still the Water Prince said nothing. Just like Ashtine had said nothing when they had come here before.

Alaric was cursing under his breath. Something about the lock and Gehenna’s useless spell. From what Cyrus had gathered, he was hoping Briar could figure out what he was missing. Guess that didn’t go well.

Cyrus noticed them first while the others remained oblivious. Probably because he was sitting on the ground. He saw the ashes creep under the door before instantly disappearing when they crossed the threshold. Those were Ash Rider ashes. Shirastone did not usually affect Rayner, but besides the shirastone, this room was warded extensively so that no magic could be accessed. The only room in the entirety of the cliffs from what Alaric said. That was why he had chosen here for this exchange. So that there would be no surprises from his protégé.

He sucked in a breath when the door started to open. It was not hope that filled him, though. It was dread. What would they say when they found out what he’d promised the Sorceress? Gehenna had asked if they would want him back. That question had plagued him since it crossed her lips. Would they? Could they forgive one more thing that he had done?

Rayner came in first, gripping Talwyn by the elbow. The former Fae Queen looked…different. Less… Just less. Rayner’s swirling eyes went straight to Cyrus, but Cyrus could only hold his gaze for a fraction of a second before he was staring at the floor.

He heard them enter. Two sets of footsteps. One heavier, one lighter. But he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t look at them.

Couldn’t look athimas his warped words echoed in his mind.

“My Wraith,” Alaric said smoothly.

“Alaric,” she replied coldly.

“I must admit that while I am relieved to see the Fae Queen here, I am disappointed in you that she still breathes.”

Cyrus knew without looking at her that her head was tilted, an arrogant smirk on her lips, when she said, “Disappointing you is my greatest pastime.”

Alaric tsked in disgust. “I trained you better than to leave someone alive who wronged you. I trainedbothof you better.”

“Do you plan to kill me then, Alaric? For the times I have wronged you these last couple of years?” she asked.

Cyrus watched her boots move across the floor as she edged inside a little more, Cassius sticking to her side. Rayner had moved Talwyn off to the side as near to Briar as he dared.