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

Scarlett’s eyes fell closed. She stretched her neck from side to side and rolled her shoulders as she processed this new information.

She couldn’t go. She needed to save her power for when they went to exchange Talwyn for Cyrus and Neve.

Cassius couldn’t go. He wasn’t in any state to go anywhere, let alone on a rescue mission.

Sorin couldn’t go because he was powerless.

She reopened her eyes, meeting Azrael’s gaze once more. “You are prepared to go?”

He nodded. “I can go and bring Ashtine and Sawyer back here once the exchange is done.”

“You cannot go alone. You and Sawyer will not be enough. Alaric proved that last time.” Her attention went to her Ash Rider. “Can you go as well, Rayner?”

“As you wish, your Majesty,” he said, with a small nod.

“Stop calling me that,” she chided at him. Her gaze flicked to Cethin. “Can Razik go? Two able to Travel would be ideal. He seemed able to handle Alaric, aside from leaving two of our company behind.”

“You know why the mortal kings need to be protected, Scarlett,” Cethin returned, no longer able to keep the irritation from his tone. “Not that you cared when you took Drake back to the continent.”

“They get a choice about their fate, Cethin,” she retorted. “They get a choice. Cassius gets a choice. I get a choice.”

Cethin ran his hands through his hair, and a small part of her felt bad for her brother.

He was trying to do what was best for his kingdom and his own family.

She understood that. He had his own burdens he was trying to balance.

She did not blame him for this mess. Well, maybe a little, but not entirely.

He was as trapped as she was. Maybe his position had been forced upon him as well.

Had he had any choice in whether or not to take the throne when their father died?

Did he wish this was not his burden? Not his fate?

Perhaps, but either way, they were both fighting for their own freedoms and that of their family and people.

He was doing what he felt was right for Avonleya.

She was doing what she felt was right for … the realm, she supposed.

Because apparently the entirety of the realm was her responsibility now.

And as she had spoken with Saylah under the stars, she’d realized she might not have a choice in what she needed to do, but she’d give others the choice whenever she could.

Drake. Tava. Cassius. Everyone deserved to make their own fate.

It was why she’d taken Drake and Tava across the Edria.

It was why she would stop pushing Cassius about a Source.

It was why she’d gone to Saylah in the first place.

She was done letting someone else dictate her path.

She was done finding keys and locks unless it suited her own needs.

She had her own ends to meet, and right now, her greatest priorities were Ashtine, Cyrus, and Neve.

“I can ask Razik if he will go,” Cethin finally said. “That choice will be his.”

“You so readily give him choices?” Scarlett scoffed, her brow arching.

“You try telling him what to do,” Cethin muttered. He turned to Tybalt. “He was going to check on Eliza. Niara thought she would be able to clear her this morning.”

Eliza.

She still wasn’t over the shock of her friend becoming Razik’s Source.

She would find time to talk to her about that soon, but the female could take care of herself.

She knew Eliza had spoken the truth when she’d said no one had forced her into this.

Nobody could force the fire general to do anything.

Apparently Cethin felt the same way about the dragon shifter.

That would be an incredibly interesting dynamic when she really thought about it.

Later. One thing at a time. Cassius. Cyrus. Ashtine.

But first a bath and food. In that order.

She turned back to Azrael. “Plan it, Prince. We can meet in a few hours to discuss things before you go.”

Azrael nodded once, Rayner falling into step beside him as he turned to leave the room.

It wasn’t lost on her that she had just asked the Earth Prince of all people to take the lead on a mission for her.

Two months ago, she would have laughed until she cried at the mere suggestion of entrusting Azrael with such a task.

The door clicked shut, and her attention shifted back to Cethin. “Anything else? Or can I bathe now?”

Cethin sent her a dry look. “Can we have dinner tonight? To discuss what you learned during your time with Saylah?”

“No,” she replied, moving towards her bedchamber. “Tomorrow, Cethin,” she added over her shoulder. “Just …give me a day to … Just give me a day. Please.”

Cethin nodded once, remorse shining in his silver gaze. “Please remember I likely do not know everything she shared with you. Give me a chance to defend myself before you hold something against me.”

She gave him a tight nod of her own before she disappeared into her bedchamber. A soft flash of light told her Shirina had disappeared, but Paja would stay and so would Amaré.

Because the spirit animals answered to her now.

“I am a goddess,” Saylah said sharply.

“And I am your salvation or your destruction,” Scarlett replied. “It appears I am your god now.”

“Calling yourself a god does not make you one.”

Scarlett shrugged. “Just as calling oneself a mother does not make you one, I suppose.”

“Careful, Child,” Saylah cautioned.

“No,” Scarlett snarled. “You do not get to call me child when you have placed the fate of this world in my hands.”

“Do you think I wanted to do that? Do you think I learned of you growing in my womb and my first thought was to give you a responsibility no one should have to bear, let alone a girl who has scarcely lived?”

“You are a goddess!” Scarlett cried. “You could have done any number of things. Anything would have been better than this!”

Saylah shook her head, the stars of her crown shimmering in the moonlight filtering through the trees of Shira Forest. Shirina continued to pace back and forth between them, and Amaré ruffled his feathers in agitation at Scarlett’s shoulder. “I had no other options, Starfire.”

“You had no other options?” Scarlett repeated, her voice scarcely a whisper. Then louder she said, “You had no other options but to place the fate of the world on a babe not yet born?”

“You are correct.”

“That is your response to telling me you sacrificed me to save yourself?” Scarlett said in disbelief.

“To save this realm,” Saylah corrected.

“Oh, fuck all the way off,” Scarlett snapped.

“Were you taught nothing of respect for the gods?” Saylah demanded, her lip curling into a sneer.

“Respect for the gods? Which ones in particular? The one who birthed me then abandoned me? The ones who never answered my calls or prayers? Or the gods who have abandoned this world?”

“Not by choice,” Saylah countered. “They cannot come here. They can do nothing. You stated yourself moments ago that Achaz and Arius cannot come here.”

“But one was already here. One was already here and could have done something. Instead, she did nothing but hide in a forest.” She took another step towards her mother.

“But you will do this, Saylah. You will find a way to fix all of this. You will find a way to restore Sorin his power. That is the price of my sacrifice.”

Saylah blinked at her. Her features were sharp and impassive. Eliné had never looked at her like that. Eliné had always looked at her with love and adoration. Saylah looked at her like …

Like she was a means to an end that was being uncooperative.

The goddess turned on her heel, the night seeming to part around her. “Come with me.”

“Love?”

Scarlett looked up from the chaise she was sitting on out on their balcony, wrapped in a blanket despite the temperatures getting warmer in the later weeks of spring.

She found herself wondering what Solembra looked like in the spring.

She’d only seen it at the tail-end of fall and into winter.

What did it look like when new life was blooming?

What was the Tana River like in the heat of summer?

What would the view look like from the chateau windows?

She pulled the blanket back to allow Sorin to settle down with her, and she started when his skin touched her own.

Cold. Even through his clothing she could feel his cool skin.

She was used to his constantly warm touch from the fire in his veins. She hadn’t processed the long-sleeve tunic and wool socks he was wearing until now, and she wordlessly passed some of the blanket over to him. He pulled her into his side, pressing a kiss to her temple.

“It will take time, but we will adjust to this,” he murmured.

She nodded against his shoulder, swallowing down the emotions clawing at her. This would be fixed. This wasn’t forever.

Clearing her throat, she said, “I just need a moment to breathe before I seek out Cassius.”

“I know,” Sorin replied, winding a tendril of her wet hair around his finger. She could dry it, but he always did that for her. Doing it herself just made all of this more …real.

Too real.

“I had food sent up for you,” he said softly.

“Thank you.”

“Scarlett.”

She tilted her head to look up at him. His eyes may not be as bright, but the love that shone in them was still the same. She reached up, skimming her fingertips along his jaw. “Before we talk about everything, can you kiss me?”

The hand playing with her hair moved to her nape, tugging her lips to his. “You never need to ask twice for that, my love.”

And Scarlett let herself drown in the taste of him. His tongue moved against hers as his fingers slipped up into her hair, fisting gently, and she shifted, sliding her hand up the bottom of his tunic, fingers gliding over the indents of his torso.

She pulled back first, her breathing ragged. “I am fixing this, Sorin,” she rasped.