Page 156 of Lady of Ashes

“And we are taking care of that,” he answered. “As I told you before, we do not want or need your help.”

A knock on the main door had them all going still before it opened a crack, and Tava slipped through along with Drake.

“We came as quickly as we could,” Tava said, rushing into the bedroom.

“How did you—” He turned to glare at Scarlett. “You gave her a warning, but not me?”

“I didn’t know how amicable you would be,” Scarlett replied. “Apparently, it was the right choice.”

“What is this about?” Drake asked, pushing the bedroom door closed behind him.

“As I was just telling Callan, we need help retrieving something I believe is at the Lairwood Estate,” Scarlett answered.

“What is it?” Tava asked, moving to Callan’s side.

“A spirit amulet,” Scarlett answered. “It was Juliette’s. She would have been wearing it the night she died. We were never given her body. We do not know what Mikale did with it.”

“Sybil does not have her personal effects?” Tava asked, reaching up and unbuttoning her cloak. Callan reached for it as she removed it from her shoulders.

“I don’t know. If it’s not at the Lairwood Estate somewhere, my next guess would be Alaric has it. Maybe he gave it back to Sybil. But I am unable to Travel into the Lairwood Estate, and it would be unwise for me to enter the Black Syndicate right now,” Scarlett said.

“Again, I fail to see how this affects me or my people,” Callan cut in coldly.

“We believe the amulets to be keys that will enable us to enter Avonleya. Alaric is also trying to get into Avonleya,” Scarlett answered.

“And?” Callan said.

Scarlett huffed a sigh of frustration as Sorin silently came to her side. “They’ve already in?ltrated your kingdom, Callan. We do not know what they want, but I can only assume it is nothing good, considering they went to war centuries ago over whatever it is,” she said.

“Maybe whatever they are after is not something Avonleya should possess alone or at all,” Callan countered.

“Callan.” All she said was his name, clearly not knowing what else to say to that.

Delicate ?ngers landed on his arm, and he found Tava looking up at him. “You said you wished to ?ght back,” she said, her eyes searching his. “Here is a way to do that. Help Sorin and Scarlett ?nd something Mikale and my father clearly want.”

He glanced back at Scarlett and Sorin, trying not to roll his eyes at their perfection as they stood there, side-by-side.

“You do not know what they want?”

“Not yet, no,” Scarlett answered.

“Will you share the answer when you ?gure it out?” Scarlett looked up at Sorin, who only shrugged slightly.

“If it will not needlessly endanger anyone, yes,” she answered.

“The secrets you keep tend to needlessly endanger everyone,” Callan retorted.

Sorin’s hands slid into his pockets. “This will be your only warning, Mortal Prince. Speak to her like that again, and her secrets will be the least of your worries.” Flames ?ickered in his eyes, embers seeming to ?it amongst his hair.

“How will we know if we ?nd it?” Drake cut in, stepping closer to his sister.

Scarlett reached into a pocket and pulled a necklace out. A black stone spirit amulet hung from an ivory chain.

“The chain will be ivory with silver in it, and the amulet itself will be black.”

“You just described an amulet you can buy from any peddler on the street corners,” Callan said.

“Whose symbol will be on it?” Tava asked, her ?ngers reaching for her own necklace and sliding Falein’s amulet along the chain.

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