Page 181 of A Flame of the Phoenix

“Oh, that’s pretty!”

Tauria dropped her hand to release the attention from it. “Thanks for being my friend, Edith. I hope you know you’ll be safe here.”

The dark fae frowned. “Are you going somewhere?”

“I have to leave for a while. Lycus will be in charge in my stead, but no one will harm you.”

“Please let me come with you.” Edith tugged at her good arm like a child.

Tauria exchanged a reluctant look with Nik. He said, “It’s not safe where we’re going. We can’t afford to have more people in danger for no reason.”

“But I’m excellent at finding things. And building fires! And I can look out for myself! Oh, please? I’ve been locked away in this castle all my life.”

Tauria’s mind spun with her frantic pleas. She shrugged at Nik and could practically hear his internal groan.

“If that’s what you wish,” Tauria agreed.

Though she didn’t feel right about it, she couldn’t be another person in power shackling her to servitude where she didn’t want to be.

“We’ll leave at first light,” Nik said, taking her hand.

“Where are we going?” Tauria asked as he led her away.

“I’ve been separated from my wife far too long,” he said, his voice dropping to a seductive murmur. “We’re going to find a room where I can exhaust you until dawn.”

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

Tarly

When Tarly retuned from relieving himself, he didn’t expect to find another tall, broad human in the room. The man wore a pirate tricorn, with lengths of dirty blond hair poking out the bottom. When he turned at Tarly’s intrusion, thethudas he stepped in drew Tarly’s attention to one leg made of wood.

“Who are you?” Tarly inquired. Scanning Jakon and Marlowe only firmed his defenses when he detected some kind of upset in them at this man’s presence.

“Augustine,” he answered easily. “It’s an honor to meet you, Tarly Wolverlon.”

He was taken aback to be addressed by his full name.

“Is everything okay?” Tarly asked Marlowe, who seemed the most uncomfortable.

“He’s my father,” she informed him.

Once again, Tarly was slapped with surprise. “This is opening more questions than answers,” he said.

He was prevented from gaining any more information when someone burst into the room right behind him.

Tarly spun to find Izaiah, who scanned the room, glossing over them all like he expected to find someone else.

“What’s wrong?” Jakon demanded.

Izaiah was panting as if he’d sprinted around the whole castle in his search. Tynan was right behind him.

“The Light Temple Ruin is gone,” he said though gritted teeth, seeming to conclude something else as he followed with, “and so is Reuben.”

Jakon swore, and Tarly’s stomach plummeted.

“He must have followed me to know where it was, the little rat,” Izaiah seethed. Bottles and instruments clanged when his fist slammed the nearest counter.

“It couldn’t have been long ago. Maybe this is your sign to leave and track him,” Tynan said in a tone that was sensitive to how volatile Izaiah was acting right now.

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