Page 218 of Lady of Ashes

“Considering he has put up with you for the last how many decades, I’m delightful by comparison,” Scarlett retorted, making her way towards the food.

“Darling, you literally growl if someone gets in the way of your food.”

“The males in this room, save for Cassius, literally growl all thedamn time,” she replied without looking up from the plate she was ?lling.

“Stop speaking, Cyrus,” Eliza cut in before Cyrus could say anything more in response.

“Eliza, dear, are you feeling left out?” Cyrus teased.

“No, but I only seem to acquire a headache when you open your mouth,” she retorted.

Scarlett snorted a laugh, giving a taunting smirk to Cyrus.

“Why do I feel like I am refereeing children?” Sorin drawled from down the table.

“The actual children in these Halls are better behaved,” Rayner grumbled, pulling out a chair for Scarlett as she approached the dining table.

“Rayner!” Scarlett cried with glee. “Did you just join in the bantering?”

“We should declare this day a holiday to memorialize the moment,” Cyrus called from the food spread.

“Can I do that?” Scarlett asked.

“You are the queen. I don’t see why not,” Cyrus replied.

“We should get cake to celebrate,” Scarlett mused.

“For the love of Anala,” Eliza muttered, plopping into a seat at the table.

Scarlett laughed, feeling a lightness in her chest she hadn’t felt in days. Sorin sank into the seat beside her a moment later, leaning over and pressing a light kiss to her cheek.

What was that for?

You slept for two days, Love. You are lucky that is the only place I am kissing at this moment.

I wouldn’t exactly call that luck …

Scarlett watched as his pupils instantly dilated, followed by swift glances from the rest of the Fae at the table.

Cyrus cleared his throat from across the table where he sat next to Cassius. “Care to share how Hazel showed up at the River Estate, Darling?”

Scarlett scowled at him. There went the lightheartedness she’d felt moments ago.

She took a bite of cheese before she said, “She came when I summoned her.”

“You summoned the High Witch,” Cyrus repeated dubiously. “In the middle of that ?ght.”

“Obviously.”

“How?”

Scarlett sighed, setting down the bread she’d been about to take a bite of. “Bringing Juliette with us was a risk. She is the Oracle, after all. She may have died a mortal death, but I am assuming she can die a more permanent one. And I do not wish to know what would happen if the Oracle died before being replaced or whatever happens with that. I had Hazel brew up a potion that would signal her if she was needed to come in and get Juliette.”

“But how did she know where we were?” Sorin asked.

“I sent her a message when Talwyn Traveled us upstream from the manor. The same time I let Rayner and Eliza know where we were.”

“But she cannot cross the wards without an escort,” Eliza cut in.

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