Page 44 of Lady of Starfire (Lady of Darkness #5)

Slowly, Alaric turned to face them. Fury emanated off every part of him. Every movement was a careful stilted motion, his entire body tense with scarcely restrained rage. “You knew,” he hissed in a deadly whisper to Briar. “Your lover and unborn will pay the price for this deception.”

“No,” Briar said, lurching forward a step. “I did not know. I did not know what fate was handed to her. When I came to you, it was still being decided.”

He was begging, pleading. For Ashtine. For the babes.

“And you,” Alaric snarled, turning to her and ignoring Briar’s pleas. “You did not think to mention this?”

Talwyn lifted her chin, looking down her nose at him. “We are no longer allies, and as such, I owe you nothing.”

“That conniving little wench,” he spat. “When I get her back—”

“You won’t,” Talwyn interrupted. “You won’t get her back. She warned you in the Southern Islands. Nuri warned you mere hours ago. She is so many steps ahead of you, you won’t realize you have lost until you are staring at your death.”

“How poetic,” he sneered. “ You standing here. Defending her to me. When all you sought for decades was revenge. You forget I am the one who taught her everything she knows.”

“Revenge against those responsible for the death of my family. Revenge against those who orphaned me. Revenge against those who took advantage of me when I was vulnerable,” Talwyn replied. “She will accomplish all of that when she comes for you.”

“Too bad you will not be on this side of the Veil to witness it,” Alaric replied coolly, so much violence glimmering in his dark eyes. “Mordecai, escort her and the Water Prince out. I will be along after I am through here. You know what to do.”

The seraph jerked his chin at Briar who rushed to her side, and they were shoved roughly towards the steps.

Briar was taking them two at a time. Talwyn knew why.

She had seen Alaric lose his temper. Knew he could call them back at any moment.

But she was still adjusting to her muted senses.

She couldn’t move as quickly or as gracefully, and her feet didn’t feel like her own as she slipped and stumbled up the stairs.

“Faster,” Mordecai hissed at them, which was odd in and of itself.

When she tripped again, the crack of her knees when they slammed into the steps echoed around them. Briar reached down and gripped her arm, hauling her back to her feet. He kept a hold of her, tugging her along. “What the fuck has happened?” he asked.

“Not now,” she whispered. She was breathing hard, a combination of exertion and nerves, while Briar was barely winded.

Nothing else was said as they raced through the prison. Alaric might not be able to access his magic down here, but he could still hurt them. Kill them. Worse.

They reached the entrance where magic would normally return to her, and Briar held out his hand to the seraph who quickly swiped a dagger across his palm.

He let his blood drip onto a Mark carved into the stone, and a moment later they were all in a courtyard outside the Black Halls.

The entrance and exit to the Underwater Prison.

“Now what will you do, Majesty?”

Talwyn whirled, trying to catch her breath. Nuri stood near Mordecai, toying with a dagger. “Where the fuck did you come from?”

She shrugged. “Caught a ride out with you lot.”

By the gods.

Nuri sauntered forward. “You finally learned to play the game.”

Briar stepped closer, trying to come between them. “Whose side are you truly on, Nuri?” he said in a tone Talwyn rarely heard from the male. It was icy and full of promised threats. It was why he was the Water Prince.

“The side I have always been on,” she replied.

“That is not an answer,” Talwyn spat.

“No?”

Talwyn straightened, her breathing evening out, and the emotions she’d been shoving down spilling over. Fury. Sorrow. Agony. Grief. She’d sacrificed and gave, and it might never be enough, but at least she was godsdamn trying.

She took a step towards Nuri as she said, “I think this truly is all a game to you. I think you enjoy inciting dramatics purely for amusement. I think you are entertained by keeping secrets and watching what happens when they are discovered. I don’t think you truly care about anything.”

Nuri’s features went positively wicked. “So many insights,” she purred, prowling closer.

“Nuri,” came a low warning from the seraph.

“Hush, Cai,” she replied, her grin growing. “Didn’t you hear? I enjoy dramatics.”

“Nuri, please,” Briar said, trying and failing to shield Talwyn. “I do not know what has happened, but—”

“New game,” Nuri said suddenly, cutting Briar off. “Let’s see how quickly you learn to play this one, your Majesty .” Her fangs snapped out, and she dropped into a crouch.

“Nuri!” Mordecai barked again. “Not like this.”

“You know what to do, Cai,” she crooned. Then her honey-colored eyes locked onto Talwyn. “As for you, I would run.”

“What?”

“Run, Talwyn,” she repeated. Then she started counting down from twenty.

Talwyn looked at Briar, his icy blue eyes wide. “Run, Talwyn!”

“What about you?”

“I cannot risk Ashtine and the babes. Go!”

Nuri was at fifteen when Talwyn took off.

She was at ten when the insane female started laughing.

She was at five when male hands scooped Talwyn up and hauled her into the sky.