Page 87

And just like that, she slipped back into her role of Fire Court General. She got to her feet, shoving aside the uncomfortableness of not having even semi-full reserves. Pulling the door open, she found a Shifter. “What?” Eliza asked.

“The Alpha has returned. He has requested your company.”

“Thank you for informing me.”

The Shifter stepped aside as she exited the room. Razik was already at the door, following her out. The Shifter cast him a wary look, to which he flashed his teeth in a challenging taunt, and Eliza elbowed him in the ribs. “Stop being an ass. They are our allies.”

He didn’t say anything, but his features became the bored, uninterested face he usually wore.

When they came to the meeting room, they found Stellan and Arianna seated at either end of the table. Sariah was pacing back and forth in her jaguar form near the Alpha, while Ilyas sat to his right. Ashtine, Azrael, Sawyer, and Callan were already here and seated as well. Eliza slid into a chair next to Callan, Razik taking the remaining one beside her.

“I have news of the Fire Court,” Stellan said, cutting right to the thick of the matter.

It was one of the reasons he’d been gone. With the wards down and the Shifters able to move about freely, he had been out gathering information.

“You traveled all the way to the Fire Court and back in three days?” Callan asked.

“He flew to the Earth Court,” Arianna explained, smiling serenely at Jamahl as he placed a goblet of wine on the table before her.

Azrael tensed across the table, his lip curling in a silent snarl.

“Did Tarek reveal when the armies are to move?” Ashtine asked, her head tilting in curiosity.

“The armies? What is she talking about?” Ilyas asked, looking at his Alpha.

“The winds are speaking more willingly these days,” Arianna commented, swirling her goblet.

Ashtine graced her with a small smile. “They speak of things in passing.”

“Tarek indeed leads the Earth Court. Ermir has kept them out of the Citadel, but the seraphs have taken over the rest of the Wind Court,” Stellan said. Ashtine did not react, only nodding once at the information. “I thought Prince Drayce may be seen as a figurehead in the Water Court, but Alaric appears to be keeping him hidden. A seraph with water gifts has assumed control of that territory.”

“And the Fire Court?” Eliza pressed.

“A Fae by the name of Bastien has assumed the throne.”

“Are you fucking with me?” Eliza growled, the wood of the table beneath her palms beginning to smolder.

“I do not know that name,” Arianna commented.

“He is a lower commander in the Fire Court forces,” Eliza answered. “Strong gifts, but too brash and conceited to be given greater responsibilities.”

“The perfect puppet for Alaric then,” Sawyer said grimly.

“The forces are being gathered at seemingly random places in the Courts. There are no significant towns or strongholds,” Stellan continued. “The mortal armies are also preparing, and there are a great number of seraphs in every territory.”

The room fell silent as he finished telling what he had learned in his time away.

“Where would all the seraph forces have come from?” Azrael asked after a moment. “Scarlett closed all the rips with the keys. She essentially locked the realm.”

“That is a question with no answer,” Ashtine said. “But one would assume they wait for the Sorceress to obtain her freedom.”

“Is Talwyn returned to him then?” Eliza asked, realizing she hadn’t been given any type of report after being preoccupied with Razik.

Azrael had clearly already filled in the others as he told her everything that had happened since they’d left Siofra two days prior. Scarlett being attacked. Cethin draining his magic. Saylah appearing. Talwyn sacrificing her magic for Sorin. Sorin getting his magic back. The exchange of Talwyn for Cyrus and Neve.

“What is the plan then?” Eliza demanded. “If Sorin has regained his magic and is even stronger than before, he can feed Scarlett’s power. The two of them together…”

She trailed off, because good gods. Those two mighty powers together? They could literally burn the world to ash. Add in the ability to communicate down their twin flame bond, and they would be virtually unstoppable.