Page 80 of Lady of Ashes

His arm around her waist tightened, tugging her against him more ?rmly. Then he wrapped ?ames around her shadows just as tightly. She groaned in clear ecstasy, her entire body relaxing into him, the ?ght going out of her. Her nails raked sensually along his arms, and gods, feeling her touch again …

He took a deep breath, forcing down the desire coursing through him. She was riding some kind of high. She wasn’t in the right state of mind. He didn’t know what she’d endured at the hands of Mikale and Alaric. He didn’t know if she would be ready for anything like that any time soon.

And there were other people present, so fucking her on the ?oor with their magic swirling together probably wouldn’t be the best choice at the moment.

“Enough, Scarlett,” he ground out when her hands dropped to his thighs, ?ngers slowly dragging up. “You need to rest, and we have things to discuss.”

“No,” she breathed, shaking her head, pushing her ass back into him, grinding against his hardness.

“Scarlett.”

“Please, Sorin,” she begged, reaching back and looping a hand around the back of his neck, trying to pull him down to her. “Please. I need more.”

He shook his head again, standing and bringing her with him. “No, Love. Not now.” He kept her back to him, knowing if she got her mouth anywhere near his ?esh, she’d sink her teeth back into it.

“Sorin!” She said his name half in rage and half in pleading.

Hazel stepped forward when Scarlett started thrashing in his arms again, her shadows raking down his face. “I can make her sleep.”

“No!” Scarlett shrieked, her entire body locking up. “No! Please don’t, Sorin! Please don’t!”

“Scarlett, I’m sorry,” he rasped. “Gods, I am so sorry.”

She will not be the same as when she left.

He didn’t recognize her. He hadn’t recognized her since he’d laid eyes on her at the Fellowship. She had hardly spoken while they’d fought their way out. Then she had exploded with rage at not having her chains off. Grief and panic had dragged her under, and now this.

This wild, feral thing in his arms.

Tears fell from her face, dripping onto his hand still grasped around her throat, her shadows clawing at him, ripping open his ?esh. The fresh scent of his blood making her even more crazed.

Scarlett!

“I need more,” she wailed. “Sorin, please!”

Before he could reply, Hazel’s hand landed on her cheek. It took longer than it usually did for a Healer to make someone sleep. He watched as the High Witch gritted her teeth in clear concentration, ?ghting against Scarlett’s strength and power, but she ?nally went limp in his arms. The hand from her throat dropped, his arm looping behind her knees so he could cradle her to his chest.

“Take her to sleep somewhere,” Hazel said sharply, going back to Cassius’s side. “When she wakes, she will be calmer. In control.”

“You are sure? She will be in control, I mean,” he clari?ed, because he would do just about anything to be alone with her right now.

Hazel nodded. “You have seen Night Children when they are starving,” she replied. “She will no longer be that.”

Sorin nodded, glancing at Nuri and Juliette. The Oracle took a step towards him, seeming to hesitate. “I …” She stopped, clearly debating whether she should say something or not. She cleared her throat before saying, “I know you love her, Prince of Fire, but you cannot shield her from everything.” She held up her hand before he could say anything. “You cannot shield her from what you are feeling, Sorin.”

“I do not know what you are talking about,” he bit back, holding her stare.

Her lips tilted in a sad smile. “You should rest, too. You should both be fully rested for what is to come.”

Sorin didn’t say anything. He simply turned and left the room. He knew these halls. He could ?nd his way around with his eyes closed, even if he hadn’t been here in nearly two decades. In a fewshort minutes, he had climbed a set of stairs and walked down a short corridor, pushing open the door to the queen’s chambers with his shoulder. He crossed the space, refusing to notice how absolutely nothing had changed since Eliné had lived here.

He went straight through to the bedchamber, pulling the heavy quilt back, and laying Scarlett among the sheets and blankets. Then he crossed the room, spinning an armchair around to face the bed so he could watch over her while she slept.

Because despite saying he didn’t know what the Oracle had been talking about, he did. Now that Scarlett was back with him, now that everything with Cassius seemed to be settling down, and now that it appeared she was going to be okay, his relief at ?nding her was shifting. It was morphing into something hot and acidic that had been overshadowed by his panic and terror for his wife.

She had blocked their godsdamn bond. She had kept things from him. Big things. After they’d had a lengthy discussion about not doing that exact thing. She had promised not to keep things from him like Eliné had. He had promised the same. They had promised things to each other.

She will not be the same as when she left.

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