Page 44 of Lady of Ashes

“You cannot touch them,” Scarlett sneered, her lip curling. “They are hidden away and protected from all of you.”

Mikale’s smile widened. His hand came up, and he propped his head on his ?st, continuing to study her. “I am well aware that theyare currently inaccessible. After the matter of Callan is settled, they are next, my pet. The children and Death’s Shadow are next on his agenda with you.”

Scarlett leaned her head back against the wall, shifting to ease the ever-present ache in her tailbone from sitting on a hard ?oor. “Then he shall die waiting.”

Mikale clicked his tongue. “We both know that is not true. I may have failed to break you, but he will not. He does not fail.”

Scarlett closed her eyes, trying to tune him out. Trying not to let his words burrow their way into her mind. Trying not to let their truth settle into her soul. Trying not to let her world crash in around her. Grasping for the stars. Grappling for the hope that threatened to ebb away a little more every day.

She heard Mikale shift in his chair as he spoke again. His tone was low, almost consoling. “This is your opportunity to make it hurt a little less, my pet. This is your chance to stop it all before it begins. You know the more you resist him, the harder the fallout is going to be.”

And she did. Alaric was biding his time, yes, but the longer he took to come at her, the more it was going to hurt. He was formulating the best way to bring her to heel. She had endured so much suffering at his hands, but nothing would compare to what he was preparing to do to her this time. It would be ten times worse. It would not be a drawn out game of who would break ?rst. He was growing impatient. She had messed with his plans when she’d ?ed to the Fire Court. When he struck this time, it would be swift, and it would be designed not just to break her, but to crush any sense of hope. Any type of resistance. He would be coming to ensure that she would not stand against him again.

And she did not know if she would be able to endure it.

Her days were spent appealing to the Fates that she did not believe in. Praying that she could hold out long enough to end her own existence before he could use it against those she loved. If she were out of play, if her power were gone from this world, if the ability to ?nd these godsdamn keys and get into Avonleya was no longer an option … It would at least give the others more time to ?gure out a way to defeat the Maraan Lords before they could formulate a new plan.

A hand brushed down her hair a few times, and Scarlett ground her teeth together, enduring Mikale’s touch and how wrong it felt.“I have no doubt that you are willing to sacri?ce your own wellbeing to keep innocents safe, to keep your dear friends from harm, but think of all those who will get caught in the cross?re, Scarlett. Think of all those like Cassius and Callan and Nuri. Think of those children who will be used, who will be hurt, who will suffer, because you choose to stand against him.”

She pressed her lips together, her throat burning as tears welled behind her closed lids. She felt him lean closer, felt his hot breath against her cheek as he whispered into her ear, “He is not coming, Scarlett. And if he does, we are prepared. You have experienced a fraction of what Balam can do. You have seen some of what I can do, but you have yet to experiencehispower. You are not the Fire Prince’s. You are not even mine. You arehis. Just as you always have been.”

She heard his boots on the stone ?oor, heard the door slide shut, the lock click into place. Then he was gone.

She swallowed, forcing down the sob that wanted to fall from her lips. She would die before she gave those children up to the Assassin Lord. The sacri?ce would be her own life. And she was okay with that. She was okay with giving up her own life for theirs. She hoped she could end it before they came for her. She knew they would. She knew Sorin would tear the Syndicate apart to get to her once he ?gured out where she was. She hoped she was gone before he could face whatever they had lying in wait for him, that she could give him that one ?nal gift.

But she wished she could have seen him one last time. She wished she could have tasted his lips just once more. She wished she could feel safe, feelhome, one ?nal time in her life.

She let two tears slip down her face. They were the only two she allowed to escape. She breathed in deep, allowing air to ?ll her lungs, calming her racing heart.

In and out. In and out. In and out.

A tiny squeaking sound had her opening her eyes to see a little brown ?eld mouse scurrying along beside her ankle shackles. Scarlett tilted her head to the side. She had never, in all her time at the Fellowship, seen any type of rodent in the building. Certainly not in one of Alaric’s rooms, even if it was a dungeon study.

The mouse cautiously stretched towards her, its whiskers twitching while it sniffed in her direction, squeaking once more.

“You are a brave little thing,” she murmured as it crept forward,its tiny claws scratching on the stone floor. It skittered over her bare feet, and she cringed back at the feeling of it. “That wasn’t an invitation to come closer,” she muttered, shaking her foot out and sending it flying a few feet away from her.

The mouse seemed to squeak indignantly before it came scurrying back towards her, slipping behind her just as the click of the lock sounded again. Scarlett’s gaze shot to the door.

No. Alaric couldn’t be back yet. He hadn’t even been gone an hour. There hadn’t been enough time to think about what she was going to do. Not when Mikale had hung around, trying to sow seeds of doubt in her mind.

But Alaric indeed walked back into the room, a covered plate in his hand. He was alone, and when the door had shut behind him, he reached up and pulled his hood back. He set the plate down on his desk then slowly removed his cloak, draping it over the arm of the sofa. He walked to the water pitcher, pouring her another glass of water before picking up the plate and coming to stand before her. He lowered himself to the ?oor like he had every other time he brought her a meal. He set the plate off to the side, his eyes coming to settle on her. He bent his knee, resting his arm on it again, leaning back on his other hand.

“It occurred to me,” he said, “that perhaps if you were allowed to ask questions, if you were able to understand a few things, you may be more amicable.”

Scarlett gave him a dry look, her brow arching. “I don’t think we will ever see eye-to-eye on things.”

“Perhaps not, but it would be worth the effort to try, would it not?” he countered.

“What do you want in Avonleya?”

Alaric chuckled. “Jumping right into it then, are we?” He reached for the plate, lifting the lid and letting the smell of roasted vegetables and meat waft towards her. He picked up a piece of bread, bringing it to her lips. She bit off a bite as he said, “Did you know the Avonleyans weren’t always what they are now?”

“You were in charge of my education,” she replied drolly around the food. “You know the lies I was taught to believe.”

Alaric tilted his head, appearing to contemplate her words. He cut a piece of venison, bringing it to her mouth. “The Avonleyans are called something different in other worlds.”

She chewed the meat, swallowing before she said, “I do not carewhat they are called in other worlds. I do not care what they are called on other planes. I do not care what they were before. I care about what you want there. I care about the innocent children you are slaughtering to get to them.”

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