Page 27 of Lady of Starfire (Lady of Darkness #5)

“Because you are not a means to an end, Starfire. I wish …” He swallowed thickly.

“I wish I could do this for you. I wish I could take on so many of your burdens. I failed as your brother before I even knew I was one, but you? Gods, Scarlett. You are stronger than this. Stronger than me. Stronger than him. And I do not mean your magic. I mean you are stronger. Take it back from him.”

She held his stare for a long moment. In the back of her mind she knew it was odd that Mikale was not interfering more. It seemed he could not come any closer to them. He prowled around them, back and forth, agitated and muttering.

“You are doing that,” Cethin said softly. “You are keeping him back so we can speak. This is your dream. Your mind. You control it.”

Her gaze slid to Mikale, and his dark eyes snapped to hers. “No,” he snarled, his features twisting with fury. “No! You are mine.”

A breath of relief left Cethin as his trembling hands slid from her shoulders.

“Go,” Scarlett whispered.

He gave her a weary smile. “We will be waiting for you.”

She blinked, and he was gone.

She was left alone with Mikale.

He straightened, adjusting his tunic. “Brother, was it? We have wondered who the Avonleyan King was. Just another card you have revealed in this game.”

Scarlett cocked her head as she watched him. Felt his words try to claw their way into her being, but they didn’t settle.

“You revealed a card of your own,” she answered. “Tell Alaric I am coming for Cyrus and Neve at sundown. I expect him to uphold his end of the deal.”

“And what of your deals?” Mikale asked, his lip curling back in a sneer. “Does your word mean nothing?”

Scarlett winced dramatically. “Do you mean the one where I promised death the next time I saw you but killed Veda instead?”

“The one,” he gritted out, “made nearly two years ago. All of this could have been avoided if you had simply honored your word.”

“All of this could have been avoided if you and Alaric were not trying to rule this realm.”

“This realm is the prize,” Mikale spat. “Not our objective.” He paused, inhaling deeply and seeming to collect himself.

He smoothed his hands down his tunic again.

When his attention settled on Scarlett once more, he gave her a pointed smile.

“So clever, yet you cannot see that he only wishes to save you. Without him, you will die with the rest.”

“I will take my chances,” Scarlett retorted.

“And risk millions of other lives in the process? Risk innocents? Risk those you think you love?” He took a step towards her, and Scarlett lifted her hand, shadows spilling from her fingertips. “You cannot kill me in a dream. Even you are not that powerful.”

“No,” she agreed. “But for every time you have come to them, I will drag out your death a little longer. Come to my dreams again, and I will find out exactly what I can do to you in my dreams.”

Her shadows crept forward, a ring of starfire springing up around him, and Mikale flinched back.

“So be it. You could save the realm, instead you damn them all. How benevolent of you,” he sneered.

She just smiled back at him, letting her crown of darkness and starfire take shape atop her head. “Be a good lackey and deliver my message to Alaric, Mikale,” she purred. “Tell him our game continues.”

“Love?”

Scarlett groaned. Fingers slid gently into her hair. Lips brushed softly against her temple. Her eyelids were heavy as she forced them open, and her eyes locked with ones of muted amber. Relief flashed through Sorin’s features, and she reached up, smoothing away the crease between his brows.

“Are you all right?” he murmured.

She nodded, then winced. Her hand went to her throat, fingertips running over raised skin.

“It will scar,” Sorin said quietly, pulling her fingers away. “It wasn’t deep, but the poison in the sword …”

“It’s fine, Sorin,” she whispered. “I’m fine.”

“Truly?” he asked, pressing his brow to hers. “Mikale? Cethin said …”

She pushed up onto her elbows then, searching for him.

They were back in her suite at the castle.

She was on a sofa in the sitting room, Sorin sitting on the edge beside her.

Cassius was hovering over the back of the sofa, his eyes shifted and glowing.

She reached up, brushing her fingers along his that were clenched on the back of the fabric.

Cethin was in an armchair. He was pale. Tired icy blue eyes were locked on her, and he smiled weakly. Kailia was perched on the arm of the chair, and standing off to one side was Tybalt. His warm, kind eyes watched her.

“How are you feeling?” the Avonleyan Commander asked.

“Hot,” she answered. Her clothing was sticking to her, and she noted the cloth on the floor.

“Is that normal?” Cassius asked, eyes flicking to his father.

“It is,” Tybalt answered. “You did well, Cassius.”

Sorin helped her sit up more, shifting so she could lean against him. “What happened?”

“You were cut with the sword of one of those beings,” Cethin supplied.

“I remember that. And Kailia showing up. Where were you?”

“They have only ever been interested in me,” Cethin said. “Until tonight.”

“And you do not know what they are?” she asked, taking the glass of water Tybalt handed to her.

“No,” Cethin answered. “Creatures created by Achaz. That is all we know.”

She looked at Tybalt. “You do not know? Or Saylah?”

Tybalt shook his head. “I have been with Saylah since Arius and Serafina hid her and Temural away. We, admittedly, do not know as much about the more recent beings created.”

“Then how did they get here?” Scarlett asked between gulps of water. She was still so damn hot.

“I unknowingly let them in,” Cethin answered.

Scarlett slowly lowered her glass. “How?”

He pressed his lips together. “I will tell you, Scarlett. I swear. But I do need to rest. Walking into your dreams and working against Mikale’s power drained me, and that is a conversation I want to be in a better place to have.”

She didn’t like it, but she nodded. “When I return from the continent then.”

“Are you sure you should still go today, Love?” Sorin asked, picking up the cloth and pressing it to her brow. It was cool against her sweaty skin, and she leaned into it. “Maybe take a day to recover—”

“He is with the Sorceress, Sorin,” Scarlett said quietly, sneaking a peek at Cassius. Her Guardian had stiffened, fingers digging into the sofa again. He exhaled a long breath, smoke spilling from between his lips.

“What do you mean he is with the Sorceress?” Sorin gritted out.

“I don’t know. All Mikale said was that the Sorceress had him,” Scarlett said. “We go today. I told him to tell Alaric we would be there at sundown.”

“Your power?” Sorin asked tightly.

“Is there and at full strength.”

“Her power should not be affected with the poison removed from her veins,” Cethin supplied.

“I thought there was no antidote?” Scarlett asked, reaching over her shoulder and grasping Cassius’s hand.

“There isn’t,” Cethin answered. “There are only two ways that we know of to remove the toxin.”

“Which are?”

“The creatures themselves suck it out from your throat.”

Her face screwed up in disgust. “Like a Night Child?”

“Similar, yes,” Cethin said with a nod.

“And the other way?”

“Dragon fire burning it out of your blood.”

Her gaze swung to Cassius. “You did that?”

He nodded. “Tybalt guided me.”

Well, that was …both amazing and slightly terrifying.

Cethin cleared his throat. “Razik usually does it, but with him across the sea …”

She twisted back to face him. “How many times have you been cut by their swords?”

Her brother drummed his fingers along the arm of the chair. “A few.” Then he added, “It is how I know it will scar.”

Her hand drifted to her throat again, but Sorin caught it, kissing the tips of her fingers. “If you are going to the continent tonight, you need to rest.”

She had to agree. She had been tired when she’d Traveled to the estate grounds. After fighting and that dream, now she was completely wiped out.

Cethin, Kailia, and Tybalt were already striding for the doors, but Cethin paused. “Please let me know if you need something, Scarlett.”

She held his stare for a long moment before answering, “I will.”

They both knew it was a lie. They needed to have a conversation first, and even then …

Well, she might have to adjust a few plans is all.

She looked up at Cassius. “Go sleep, Cass. We get him back tonight.”

He bent, pressing a small kiss to her cheek. “You are truly all right?”

“Perfect,” she answered. “Thanks to you.”

His hand ran down her hair affectionately as he straightened. “I will be back in a few hours. If Rayner is not back yet?”

“We still go,” she answered. “We will figure something out.”

Cassius nodded once more before leaving her alone with Sorin. He stood, reaching for her hands. “Come, Love.”

“I am going to bathe real quick,” she said, letting him pull her to her feet. “Can you get me some food?”

“Of course.”

When she was settled in the bath—the water on the cooler side because she was still so godsdamn hot —Sorin left her alone to find her something to eat.

She tipped her head back against the lip of the tub.

With a thought, her map of starfire appeared, hovering above her.

She reached up and slid an ember down to a new position.

Another piece moved into place in this dangerous game.