Page 65 of Lady of Starfire (Lady of Darkness #5)

Scarlett

“A re you ready to go train, Love? We have the next two days to spend in here.”

Scarlett looked up from the text she was reading through.

Or trying to read through. The language was Avonleyan, but it also wasn’t.

It seemed to be a mishmash of a couple different languages, and she’d spent the better part of the last week frustrated.

Which worked out, she supposed. Because while they spent the mornings in these damn catacombs in the Elshira Castle, they spent the afternoons training, and she could work out all of that frustration.

Rayner’s power was nearly back to where it needed to be.

He hadn’t completely depleted his reserves when he’d come to the Runic Lands, so it hadn’t taken nearly as long as it had after the battle on the ships.

In two days they were going to the Southern Islands to find this lock.

Tonight she would draw from Sorin, and for the next two days, no one was touching their magic.

This would give everyone time to replenish any lost power and tunnel down to whatever place they needed to be to carry out this mission.

Hell.

For her, that place was hell.

It was tunneling down to the place where Death’s Maiden dwelled. For what she was going to do in two days, Death’s Maiden was who she needed to be.

She brushed the stray hair back from her face, blowing out a harsh breath.

There was so much here, and Saylah refused to say anything else until she retrieved this godsdamn lock.

Any almost-bonding they’d done on that beach had been negated by the goddess’s complete lack of help right now.

But some of the things she had said that night …

“Love?”

Scarlett shoved back from the table, stretching her arms above her head. “That depends. Are you going to actually use that mighty power today?”

Sorin sent her a dry look as she arched her back to stretch her spine. “That power does not need to be unleashed unless necessary.”

She rolled her eyes, unclasping her cloak.

It was cold down here, and Saylah refused to let fire near the ancient texts.

The little light they had down here was small flames in enchanted globes, but she’d be plenty warm soon enough.

“I want to play with that power, Sorin. We need to train with all of it. I cannot believe I’m having to explain this to you. ”

“Scarlett, there is no need to endanger everyone.”

“You do remember a week ago when we killed Hunters with our combined power, right? I’m still alive. Rayner’s still alive. We’re fine.”

Sorin dropped an arm around her shoulders, guiding her to the stone stairwell that would lead up and out of the catacombs. Saylah had impassable wards around the place. Once they reached the main levels of the castle, Scarlett could Travel them out.

“As I have repeatedly told you, it is impossible for me to use the full extent of my power against you. The twin flame bond simply does not allow it. Only if your life is in danger would I be able to fully access it around you.”

She sighed. “Yes, yes. I know.”

“Did you find anything interesting today?” he asked, passing her a pear she begrudgingly took from him.

This elicited another huff of irritation. “Yes and no. There are entire passages about Chaos that I cannot decipher. Saylah said that is where her power comes from. But if the power of the gods comes from Chaos, wouldn’t that mean all magic comes from Chaos in some way or another?”

“That sounds reasonable,” Sorin agreed. “Anything about the mirror gates?”

“No. How did they come to be? Who put them in every world created? Are they even in every world created? Are there worlds without them?”

“We will figure it out, Love.”

“Maybe,” she murmured, taking a bite of the pear. “I did read something interesting about the Runic Lands, though.”

“Oh?”

Cethin had told them he and Razik had been searching for the Runic Lands for decades but they had never been able to find them.

Even when Scarlett went back with them, they couldn’t see the strange marks on the ground.

Even stranger, the city had again disappeared, as if some glamour kept it hidden from the rest of the world.

She’d again had to spill her blood across the marks to get the city to emerge.

“According to the texts, it was the first city in this world,” she answered Sorin, climbing the steps. “The being that created this world lived here for a time, and the Runic City was their home.”

“Did it say which god or goddess created this world?” Sorin asked.

Scarlett shook her head, taking another bite of the fruit.

“No, but that’s not the most interesting part,” she went on excitedly.

“The being that created this world has the power to truly lock it. Something about their essence being so intertwined with the world they created, they have the power to keep others out if they wish. The only exception would be a god or goddess of equal or greater power.”

“Are you saying if a First created this world, then they could keep out all others except for the other First gods?”

“If I translated everything right, yes.”

“That is interesting,” Sorin replied as they neared the top of the stairs.

“If I could connect any of that history back to the mirror gates, that would be great,” she grumbled.

Sorin chuckled softly. “It sounds like we have much to look into these next few days.”

“It feels utterly pointless right now.”

He pulled a door open at the top of the stairwell, waving her through, but when Scarlett reached for his hand to Travel, she found herself backed against the stone wall. He had a hand on her hip, the other was tipping her chin up, and his golden eyes were molten as he leaned in close.

“What are you doing?” she gasped around her surprise, heat flooding her and her stomach dipping.

“Taking a moment. With you,” he answered, lowering his mouth to hers.

Cloves and honey assaulted her when his tongue dipped between her lips.

She curled a hand in his tunic, dragging him closer, somehow remembering she still held a pear in her other hand.

The hand on her hip slid down, hoisting her thigh up and allowing him to come impossibly closer.

The pear thudded to the ground.

All thoughts of mirror gates and Chaos, of the lock and the Southern Islands, were gone as Sorin kissed her deeply, lazily. As if they were not running out of time. Not facing an impossible task. Not leading entire continents into war.

When he pulled back, his fingers tangled in her hair and lips swollen and glossy, it was pure love shining in his golden eyes.

A love she would burn the world to ash for.

A love she would save the world for.

A love that promised her the world.

There weren’t words that needed to be said, so she didn’t speak as she steadied her breathing and then Traveled them to the training arena in the Nightmist Mountains.

They were still staring at each other when they appeared in the center of the ring, and Cyrus whistled low under his breath. “You two sure you don’t want to finish whatever this was?”

Sorin’s smirk was sinful as he replied, “I will certainly finish this later.”

Scarlett’s lips lifted coyly, her shadow armor sliding into place. “Perhaps I’ll come up with a new use for my tongue, Prince,” she chirped as she slowly backed away from him.

His eyes darkened. I’m holding you to that, Love.

Use all that power today, and I’ll come up with two , she purred back.

Starfire flared and her spirit sword appeared in her hand at the same moment she sent flames at Rayner, who she’d sensed appearing behind her a moment before. She whirled, a dagger at his throat when his shield of ashes faded away, and the Ash Rider blinked in surprise.

“Well done, Scarlett,” he said after a moment.

She slowly lowered her blade. Rayner had been training her hard on this.

They did not know who or what they would face in the Southern Islands.

They did not know if Alaric had a seraph with Ash Rider gifts.

Perhaps a seraph had the same gifts as Kailia.

She wanted to be prepared for all of it.

Rayner and Kailia had been ambushing her at random moments for days now.

“I should hope so,” she huffed, sliding the dagger back into her belt. “After Kailia knocked me on my ass multiple times, I had better be improving.”

Rayner was somewhat careful with her, always catching her before her face hit the ground or she took a hit to the gut. The Avonleyan Queen didn’t have such qualms.

“Are we ready?” Cethin asked.

He was there to help Cassius and her utilize their Guardian Bond more.

She wished he could keep training her to defend against his draining power—the same magic Alaric had—but he was still replenishing his power after using the last of it to dream walk to her.

She had wondered if he would find a Source when the Wards were down and the Fae and Avonleyans would coexist once more.

But as Kailia appeared at his side, and he looked at her the same way she and Sorin had been looking at each other moments ago, Scarlett knew he wouldn’t.

The next hour was grueling. Their group trained hard with magic and weapons, knowing this was the last time they could do so before they left on their mission.

Cassius was in the sky with Tybalt. She was shielding against Sorin’s fire, while Cyrus and Rayner were assaulting him with counterattacks.

Her world was fire and darkness, ashes and ice.

Cethin was barking commands at her, at Sorin, at all of them.

“More, Sorin,” she ground out, purposely letting his wild flames get closer. He immediately backed off, as he had been doing the entire time.

“The bond won’t let him, Darling,” Cyrus panted, appearing at her side and throwing up a shield of flame when Kailia sent an arrow at him. The fire didn’t stop the deathstone arrow, but it did slow it enough for Cyrus to catch it in mid-air before it found its mark.