Page 112 of Lady of Starfire (Lady of Darkness #5)

Sorin

“I am sorry, Briar,” Sorin said the moment he stepped into Ashtine’s private rooms.

Briar shut the door behind him, and Sorin pulled the male into a quick, tight embrace.

They hadn’t had a chance to talk much since the battle for the Wind Court two days ago, outside of updates and planning sessions.

Ashtine had stayed out of sight for much of that time, but word had already spread that the Wind Princess was with child.

As expected, there were varying degrees of reaction to the knowledge that Briar had sired them.

That wasn’t why he was here, though. Sorin hadn’t gotten a chance to check in with his friend since Briar had learned of Sawyer’s death. He didn’t know when he had been told or how, but he knew there hadn’t been time to properly grieve in the middle of war.

“What do you need?” he asked, stepping back and following the Water Prince deeper into the sitting room.

Briar didn’t say anything for a long moment, instead pouring Sorin a cup of tea and passing it over. “Ashtine is still sleeping.”

“Good,” Sorin answered with a nod of thanks. “She needs the rest.” He paused before adding, “So do you. I can come back later.”

“No,” Briar said quickly. “I am fine.”

“What do you need, Briar?” Sorin asked again.

Icy blue eyes met his. They were as turbulent as the waves he could command.

“What do I not need at this point? I need to protect Ashtine from the archaic thinking of our people. I need to protect my children from the same, but first I need to make sure they have a safe world to be born into. I need to get my own fucking Court back, and I need to hold a proper Farewell for my brother who—”

Sorin was pulling him back into another embrace, swallowing thickly.

He had grown up with Briar. They were nearly the same age, and when Sawyer had come along, he’d eventually fallen in with them without question.

He’d known the Drayces longer than he’d known any of the other Fae, and while his Inner Court was his family, so were Briar and Sawyer.

Only he and Briar were also both responsible for entire Courts.

The weight of that responsibility was something understood by only a select few.

It had created a different sort of bond.

So he’d known Briar would hold it together.

He’d known his friend would do what needed to be done while keeping his own storm internal.

He was glad he’d had Ashtine, but he would have hidden some of this from her.

He would have flipped their roles, comforting her instead of letting her comfort him.

Sorin could practically hear him murmuring words to her to assuage her feelings of guilt and ensure she knew Sawyer would make that same sacrifice over and over.

But inside, his heart would have been shattering.

“He will be honored, Briar,” Sorin said after a time. “When we have reclaimed our lands, and when the realm is at peace, he will be honored. Sawyer. Nakoa. Finn and Sloan. All of those who gave their lives so that the realm might retain its freedom will be remembered.”

They’d moved to a set of armchairs, and Sorin tossed some extra flames into the hearth. The temperature of the room had dropped noticeably while Briar had been speaking.

“You know that the Fire Court will stand with you and Ashtine regarding the babes, right? I would be willing to bet Luan will too, and Scarlett, of course,” Sorin said.

“Even with the entirety of the realm’s rulers behind us, there will still be politics at play. You know this, Sorin,” Briar said, a finger steepled along his temple as he watched the flames.

“Be that as it may, we present as a united front. It will still make them act with caution knowing they will be going up against all of us.”

“Perhaps,” was all Briar said.

“Scarlett also has some ideas on how to handle this situation,” Sorin continued.

Briar huffed a laugh. “Of course she does.” He took a drink of his tea before he added, “Where is she?”

“With the High Witch,” Sorin answered.

Hazel had arrived yesterday with another small unit of Witches.

Too late to fight in the Wind Court battle, she said they had forces prepared and waiting for orders all along the western border of the Witch Kingdoms. From there, they could easily be in Toreall or the Earth Court territory at a moment’s notice.

Which was good, because they had also received word the Night Children were on the move, and Sorin could only assume they would be joining Tarek in the Earth Court.

It was foolish, with the Witches and Shifters so close.

It would be a fairly easy battle, but there would be large losses on both sides.

Then again, maybe it was brilliant. It would lessen the Fae, Shifter, and Witch numbers, and all Alaric and the other Maraans would have to sacrifice is vampyre lives that he clearly deemed expendable.

They really needed to get aid to Earth Court.

Eliza had sent word this morning that she had successfully taken back control of the Fire Court.

She had units throughout the territory removing any additional threats, and the Fire Court forces were back under her command.

She was getting things organized to have them all start moving to the southern borders along the mortal lands.

If they could gain control of the southern courts too, they could hammer from the north, south, and east.

So many moving parts in all of this, especially when he realized Scarlett had been moving pieces of her own into place this entire time. Her plans for what she was going to ask Briar and Ashtine were no exception.

They were discussing the merit of bringing a fight to the Earth Court before they had a chance to strengthen their hold with the additional Night Children when Ashtine appeared. Her long silver hair hung loose around her shoulders, and her pale blue dress matched her eyes.

Briar was immediately on his feet and closing the distance between them, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek as he murmured, “Good morning.”

“There are new arrivals,” she said, reaching up to run her fingers along Briar’s jaw.

“Where?” he asked, one of his large hands resting on her rounded stomach, a thumb making sweeping motions back and forth.

“In the receiving foyer.” Then her gaze flitted to Sorin’s. With a soft smile, she added, “Cyrus and Cassius.”

Sorin shot to his feet as he reached out to Scarlett down their bond. Cyrus and Cassius are here, Love. The receiving foyer.

She didn’t answer, but he felt her jolt of relief. He knew when he got to the foyer she would already be there.

“Do you wish to see them or stay here?” Briar was asking Ashtine.

“Ermir and Sion have cleared the foyer and are having a council room prepared for us. We should not meet anyone untowardly this morning,” she answered.

Briar nodded, folding her hand into his a moment before a water portal appeared, and they all stepped into the entrance foyer where Scarlett was indeed wrapped around Cassius in a tight embrace. Then she was reaching for Cyrus to do the same.

“That was faster than expected,” Sorin said as Scarlett fussed over the two of them. She was currently checking Cyrus for any type of injury, turning his head from side to side.

“Stop it,” Cyrus grumbled, brushing her hands away. “Sorin’s mother hen tendencies are wearing off on you.”

“Fuck off. They are not,” she admonished, instantly dropping her hands to her side.

“Darling, you were just fretting.”

“Fret this,” she retorted, flipping him her middle finger.

“We actually went to the Witch Kingdoms first,” Cassius said loudly, cutting into the bickering. “We are looking for the High Witch. We were told she is here.”

“She is,” Scarlett said. “Why do you need to see her?”

“According to Nuri and Mordecai, she is the only one who can help us find what the Sorceress is after.”

“Is that so?” Scarlett murmured darkly. “They haven’t said anything about that.”

“They are here?” Cyrus asked.

“They were here for the attack on the Citadel but were detained as prisoners of war,” she answered.

“Clever, Seastar,” Cassius said.

“They are being kept under surveillance in a room.”

“Princess?”

They all turned to find Sion.

“The council room is prepared. There is also food and drink.”

“Thank you, Sion. Would you fetch Nuri and Mordecai? It sounds as though they should be part of the upcoming discussion,” Ashtine answered as she and Briar began leading the way to the council room.

They were filling breakfast plates when Scarlett asked Briar and Ashtine, “Have you two discussed where you will live with the babes at the end of this?”

Briar’s hand halted in mid-air before he placed the cinnamon roll he held on Ashtine’s plate. “We have had little time to discuss such matters yet.”

“Hmm,” was all Scarlett said in reply before she moved to the table, setting her plate aside and immediately forgetting about it.

Sorin lowered into the seat next to her, handing over a pear. “At least eat this, Scarlett.”

She made a noise of acknowledgment, mindlessly taking a bite while lost in her thoughts, no doubt altering her plans to accommodate whatever news they were about to get.

Everyone else was getting settled with their own plates when Mordecai and Nuri were brought in, and behind them was Hazel. The High Witch’s eyes went straight to her son, who stared back at her with a terse expression.

Azrael, Cethin, Kailia, Rayner, Hale, and Auberon had also been summoned for the meeting, and when Luan had appeared with Talwyn beside him, Sorin tensed for Scarlett’s reaction. But she said nothing, looking over the dethroned queen with a quick assessing glance before turning away.

“There’s something you neglected to share, Sister,” Scarlett said, fingers drumming on the table beside her plate.