Page 73 of Lady of Starfire (Lady of Darkness #5)

“I do not know if they still live,” Razik interrupted. She heard his boots scrape against the road, then crunch on the grasses beside the river. “They left me with Tybalt when I was seven years.”

“Left you with him? Where did your parents go?” she asked softly.

He pushed out a long, harsh breath. “I was not born in this realm. We did not come here until I was four.”

“What?” she gasped, turning to face him fully. She knew her mouth was hanging open, but how else was she supposed to react to that kind of statement?

“I am older than Cethin by three years. When he was born—” His hands curled and uncurled at his sides.

“It took Tethys and Saylah nearly a year after he was born to figure out that he had the ability to not only let people in the Wards, but also into the realm. Granted, entering the realm cost more than a vial of Cethin’s blood, but it could be done if the right cost was paid.

Not anymore, but at the time, it was possible.

Before they bound the gift to his Avonleyan magic to reawaken at a later time, my parents entered this world with me. ”

“And your father was Tybalt’s brother?”

“Yes. He is also Temural’s Guardian.”

That was …new information. It was information that she wasn’t entirely sure why he was sharing with her.

“Guardian bonds are much like Source bonds or twin flame bonds. They operate outside of the normal bounds of magic to a certain extent. It is incredibly complex, and I have studied it for centuries.”

“To find your parents?” Eliza asked.

“Fuck no,” Razik spat. “I was left here because they had never wanted me, but when I was born? Another direct descendant of Sargon?” He released another harsh breath.

“We are coveted across the realms. Guardian bonds are stronger with direct descendants. We are stronger, more powerful, and, of course, we can summon dragon fire at will.”

Eliza had slid her hands into her sleeves, her fingers curling around the ends. “I do not understand. They brought you here to hide you? To keep you safe?”

“They brought me here for several reasons. One of those reasons was to be left with Tybalt.”

She wanted to ask the other reasons, but the harshness of his features and the flare of his nostrils told her this was not the time.

Then she asked herself when she had come to know him well enough to know how to read him like that.

But after an extended silence, she did ask, “Where were you born, Raz?”

“It was once called Noidrir, but now it is known simply as The Requiem.” Before she could say anything else, he turned and strode back to the road. “We should keep moving. I suspect you will be getting hungry soon.”

She glared at him as she made her own way back to the road, but he wasn’t wrong.

They crested a hill a few minutes later, and Lightmere was spread out before them. A tall wall of stone surrounded the trade town. She could see warriors patrolling along the top of the wall …and there were a few seraphs among them. Fuck.

Hands on her shoulders were spinning her to face him, and Razik tucked her hair back farther before tugging on the hood to hide her features even more. “I know it will go against every instinct in you, mai dragocen , but you need to let me do the talking.”

“I know that,” she retorted as he pulled her cloak tighter around her too.

Fretting. He was fretting over her.

“You don’t think you won’t stand out more? Especially if your eyes shift?” she countered.

“We will secure our ferry passage first, and then get some food,” he answered, starting down the hill.

“You don’t even know where you’re going,” she snarked, hurrying to keep up with his long strides.

He gestured to the town before them. “I’m assuming we need to first enter Lightmere before I am in need of detailed directions.”

Eliza muttered a foul name under her breath, and she saw his lips twitch the smallest amount. Gods, he really was an ass.

They entered Lightmere without issue, and Eliza was forced to adopt a role of appearing to be a timid female visiting the trade town with her partner.

This was worse than when she’d had to pretend to be a servant in the Tyndell manor.

She murmured directions and instructions to Razik as they moved around the town, his hand resting on her lower back and keeping her tucked in close.

Just as he’d said, they immediately purchased their passage for the first departing ferry of the morning, and then he was telling her to find them some place discreet to eat.

A tavern of some sort seemed their best bet at picking up gossip and information, so they wandered until they found one not completely off the beaten path but not too popular.

Razik secured them a table in the back, and they kept their hoods in place while they ate.

His general air of annoyance with everything kept others from bothering them, despite the curious glances they were receiving.

Eliza dug into her bread and stew, listening to the various chatter. Incoming goods. Passing thoughts on the brewing unrest with the mortal lands. New trade agreements with …the Earth Court?

That had her spoon pausing halfway to her mouth.

There had long been tension between the two Courts.

It had been exasperated by Sorin’s feud with Talwyn, but the turmoil between Fire and Earth predated Sorin and Azrael.

She didn’t even know when it had fully started or how, only that both Courts continued to feed it. Her own history hadn’t helped matters.

But new agreements? That would mean Bastien was working with Tarek and that couldn’t mean anything good.

She didn’t hear anything else about it, but there were mentions of more and more seraphs appearing in their towns.

Solembra, Aelyndee, and Threlarion in particular.

The three largest cities in the Fire Court.

There was division, it seemed, as to the fate of the Inner Court.

Some still believed Sorin was dead and the rest of them had fled.

Some believed the “silver-haired female” that had been seen briefly in Solembra was responsible for all of this.

Still others said they were waiting for the opportune moment to strike back, while others said they’d all left like cowards, Sorin included.

Eliza tried not to let it affect her, but when it was again muttered that “maybe the Fire Royal and his most-trusted had never truly cared for their Court,” she was ready to go.

She didn’t bother finishing her meal. She muttered something about the bathing room to Razik, but instead, she slipped out onto the street, needing some air.

She tipped her head back, breathing in deep.

A seraph passed by overhead, and the sound of footsteps had her turning to her left.

A group of warriors— her godsdamn warriors—were ambling along, far too inebriated for this time of the day.

She was choking down the feral growl in her throat as she forced herself to turn away to avoid being seen.

And she turned right into a hard wall of muscle.

“Gods,” she gasped, Razik’s hand landing on her waist to steady her. “Why are you standing so close?” Then she noticed the large bag in his hand. “What is that?”

“You hardly ate anything,” he said. “It is late afternoon. Let’s find an inn. You can eat properly and rest before tomorrow.”

“You have enough reserves?” she asked, wondering what food he’d ordered to bring with them. It smelled like roast beef and bread and— “Did you get chocolate cake?”

She couldn’t see his face beneath his hood when he said, “I am not going to draw from you when you are to fight for your lands tomorrow. I’ve hardly used my magic since refilling it days ago.” He stepped to the side, nudging her down the street. “There was an inn down the way.”

“Not that one,” she muttered, shoving him lightly in the other direction.

“My mistake, Milady.”

She rolled her eyes even though he couldn’t see it and directed him towards an inn closer to the Tana. It would certainly be pricier, but if she was spending the night in the Fire Court, she wanted to see the Twilight Wildfires tonight.

Ten minutes later, Razik was unlocking the door to their room (of course, he only got one room) and ushering her through.

She’d insisted on a room facing the river, and when she saw he’d gotten one that not only faced the river but had a small balcony as well, her chest did the exact thing she didn’t want it to do.

It tightened, and her stomach flipped, and that godsdamn bond sparked to life, her flames swirling in excitement.

There was a small table and two chairs set near the balcony doors, and Razik was there, setting the bag of food down after he’d placed their packs near the small armoire.

There was an attached bathing room with a privy and a small tub that Eliza would scarcely fit into, let alone Razik.

That was fine. They’d bathed that morning before they’d left Siofra, and it’s not as if they’d done anything straining aside from the short walk to Lightmere.

Eliza pushed her hood back, undoing her cloak and looping it over a chair. Razik immediately picked it up and hung it on a hook near the door. She always forgot how tidy he was.

She was emerging from the bathing room where she’d changed into more casual attire and taken her hair out of her braid, when there was a knock on the door. Razik answered it, and a moment later, he turned back to her with a bottle of wine and two glasses.

“I don’t drink the night before a mission,” she said with a slight frown as he moved back to the table.

“Great. This is for me,” he answered.

“Really? With two glasses?” she replied dubiously while he uncorked the wine and poured a glass.

“I didn’t want to hurt your feelings by only getting one.”