Page 26 of Lady of Starfire (Lady of Darkness #5)

“Magic does not affect them,” she continued.

“No shit,” Scarlett snarled as the Avonleyan Queen came to her side. “Why does an arrow work and not a sword?”

“Not any arrow,” Kailia replied, pivoting sharply and releasing the string of her bow. She had another nocked before the wail sounded into the night to announce she’d hit her target. Scarlett spun, looking for the source of it, but found nothing.

“How many are there?”

“More than there should be,” Kailia murmured.

And then they appeared.

They floated out from the copse. Two dozen at least.

“What are they?” Scarlett gasped, watching as they all drew swords of gold.

“We do not know.” An arrow flew. Ashes swirled, and another appeared in her hand before she nocked it to the string. The beings were advancing, floating towards them, white eyes glowing specks in the night.

“How did you learn what could kill them?” Scarlett asked, feeling entirely useless as Kailia let another arrow fly.

“They got in my way,” she answered, releasing two arrows at once. Amber eyes darted to Scarlett for the briefest of moments before she added, “When I tried to kill Cethin.”

Scarlett forgot about the floating assailants for a moment. “You tried to kill Cethin?”

“Yes. Many times,” she answered simply. “Keep them busy until I can get to them, and don’t let their blades touch you.”

“What?” Scarlett demanded, but she was already gone among ashes.

Kailia moved fast. As fast as Rayner had when he had ripped organs from bodies on the ship. The floating beings tried to ignore her.

Until they couldn’t anymore.

She appeared in the thick of them, stabbing an arrow into the skull of one before yanking it free and firing it from her bow at another.

One reached for her, and she dropped to the ground, disappearing into ashes.

The rumble of frustration from the beings shook the earth beneath Scarlett’s feet.

She blinked, and another arrow whizzed past her face, sinking into the skull of a being several yards to her right.

Three others skirted around it, white eyes fixed on her.

Kailia could have at least given her a couple of those damned arrows. She stooped down, swiping up the arrowhead left behind from the first being. The one that had cut her with his blade.

And what exactly was going to happen because of that?

And wait. Where the fuck was Cethin? He let Kailia come out here and fight these things alone?

Scarlett rolled her shoulders, stretching her neck.

Then she raised her sword to meet a golden blade, shoving back against it.

The being bared his teeth in a snarl, fangs like a Night Child appearing as it pressed forward.

Her arm buckled under its strength, but as he lunged for her throat, her other hand came up.

She plunged the arrowhead into its skull.

His mouth fell open, his wail piercing the air, mixing with the cries of the ones Kailia was slaughtering.

A hand gripped her tunic, yanking her back.

How could they grasp her when her sword slid right through them?

She managed to keep her hold on the arrowhead as she was tossed to the ground, her spine screaming at the impact, and the air whooshing from her lungs.

Two of the creatures stood over her. They all looked exactly the same.

There was no differentiating between them.

A third joined them, all of them inhaling deeply.

“Blood of death,” one murmured.

“The same, yet different,” another added.

One brought the tip of his sword to her chin, tilting her head to examine the cut along her throat.

She tried to raise her own weapon, but something was wrong.

The movement was sluggish. Her arm was too heavy.

Her entire body was too heavy. Her movements were all in slow motion.

The figures were blurring, shimmering on the edges.

She blinked, trying to clear her vision.

A swirl of ashes had Kailia appearing near her head. She held two arrows, thrusting out with both hands into the heads of two of the beings. Scarlett blinked again, and she’d pulled her bow from her back, both arrows on the string aimed at the third who had backed away, hissing at her.

“You were cut,” the Avonleyan Queen observed, releasing the arrows. “I told you not to let that happen.”

“Where is Cethin?” Scarlett asked, struggling to sit up. Her voice sounded different. Shallow. Breathy.

“Trying to lead them away from you,” Kailia answered. She dropped to a knee beside her, a small hand tilting Scarlett’s head to the side to examine the wound. “How long ago were you injured?”

“Before you got here,” she answered. She managed to raise a hand to her throat. “It is not deep.”

“That does not matter. The sword blades themselves are poisonous.”

“Fantastic,” Scarlett muttered.

“It will not kill you. Just paralyze you,” she added.

“Even better.” It explained why holding her head up was getting difficult. “Are there any left?”

“No. Cethin will be here to get you as soon as he can. We will need Tybalt and Cassius with Razik unavailable.” She plucked the arrowhead from Scarlett’s hand, and it disappeared in a swirl of ashes.

Scarlett flopped down onto her back. “I think I need a Healer, not a dragon,” she muttered.

Kailia was back on her feet, amber eyes watching warily. She had another arrow nocked and ready. “No. A Healer cannot help you.”

“Is there an antidote?”

“No.”

Her head was becoming too fuzzy for this conversation right now. Her magic was fading. She could feel the shadows and starfire slipping away, just like her consciousness was starting to do. Traveling was impossible.

Kailia glanced down at her again. “Stay awake, Scarlett.”

It was the last thing she heard before she slipped into the darkness.

“This is unexpected, my pet.”

Scarlett went rigid at the sound of his voice.

Her eyes snapped open, and she found herself in a study.

It was early morning judging by the faint light coming through the two windows on one wall.

She slowly turned to face him, finding Mikale Lairwood rising from a seat behind a large oak desk.

His dark eyes raked over her, mouth twisting into a smirk.

She took a step back, bumping into the door. Her hand fumbled for the door handle, but when she yanked on it, it didn’t move. Locked. She was locked in a room with Mikale, unable to access her magic.

A dark laugh came from him as he moved towards her. “You have been most difficult to find these last weeks, my pet. Yet here you are. You came to me.”

“I did no such thing,” she spat, lifting her chin.

He laughed again. “But you did, Scarlett.” He lifted a hand, a ring with a green stone shimmering on it. A finger traced along her jaw.

“I wouldn’t know how.”

“Yet here you are.” His finger dragged along her throat. “This is new.”

“It will heal.”

He flashed her another mocking smile. “I wouldn’t be so sure.” Then his hand was around her throat, holding her in place while he pressed against her to speak softly into her ear, “Where are you, Scarlett?”

She shook her head, clawing at his hand that only squeezed tighter. “You only make those you love suffer by drawing this out. Juliette. Nuri. Ashtine. Briar.” He paused, appearing to think dramatically. “What is that other one’s name? From the Fire Court?”

“What is he doing to him?” Scarlett gasped, trying to pry his hand from her throat.

“Absolutely nothing,” Mikale said. “The Sorceress on the other hand …”

“No,” she rasped. She tried to bring her knee up, but he had a leg wedged between her thighs, pinning her to the door.

“Yes,” he whispered into her ear. “How many more, Scarlett?”

Then he was flying across the room, a strangled cry of surprise coming from him. He landed on a chair, knocking it over as he fell to the rug. Scarlett sucked in air, her hand coming to her throat, and she found her brother standing before her.

“Who are you?” Mikale snarled, climbing to his feet.

But Cethin turned his back on him. He took her by the shoulders as he said, “He is not in control here, Scarlett. This is your dream. Not his.”

She shook her head, wincing. Between the cut from the gold sword and Mikale’s tight grip, her throat was sore. “He controls them when he dream walks to me.”

“You give him that control.”

“I don’t,” she retorted.

“You do,” Cethin insisted. “He is strong, but you are stronger, Scarlett. He stole his gifts. You are the daughter of a goddess. You let him have this power over you.”

“No.” She shook her head, tears beginning to well in her eyes.

“She has no control here,” Mikale sneered.

“You can do something,” Scarlett whispered. “You’re here.”

“This is not my dream, Scarlett,” Cethin said. “I can only do so much. Just as you give him control, you limit mine.”

“I’m not doing anything,” she insisted.

“Exactly,” he answered, shaking her shoulders. “Do something.”

She slowly lifted her hand, tried to bring her shadows forth, but there was nothing. No darkness or ember of starfire.

“This is it, Scarlett. The last place he controls you,” Cethin said, urgency creeping into his tone. “You take this from him, and he has nothing left. Nothing .”

“She came to me,” Mikale taunted, moving cautiously into her field of vision. There was a cut along his cheek, a small bit of blood.

“Take back the control, Scarlett,” Cethin said, completely ignoring Mikale. His hands shook on her shoulders.

“What is wrong?” Scarlett asked, brow furrowing.

“It is taking a lot of my power to stay here.”

“That was never a problem before.”

“My power is already greatly depleted. I am using the last of it to come for you.”

“Why would you do that?” she demanded in horror.