Page 209 of Lady of Ashes

Feathered wings of the same color swept out from both sides, before fur shifted to feathers of ivory and paws became taloned feet at its front half.

The Witches actually ?ew on grif?ns. Scarlett let out a breath of laughter.

The grif?n was taking Juliette gently between its talons, and since Juliette didn’t seem at all panicked, she’d clearly been around the grif?ns before. Hazel looked back at Scarlett, nodding once before the grif?n rose to the sky and ?ew from that battle still raging below.

Right. Battle.

With a tug on the reins, the shadow dragon shifted and began making its way back to the ground.

She leapt from its back, landing on her feet next to Sorin, who was shoving his sword through the gut of one of the winged males before pulling the sword back and slicing through his neck and setting his wings on ?re. Then he whirled to Scarlett, whowas sucking the last of her shadows into herself. No more shadow armor. No more shielding with it. She needed to conserve that power from here on out.

Which also left her more vulnerable to Lord Tyndell. He had to still be here somewhere.

“You are utterly reckless, utterly stupid, and utterly brilliant,” Sorin seethed, his free hand snapping out and grasping the front of her leathers, tugging her into him. His mouth slammed onto hers, his tongue forcing its way in. The kiss ended as quickly as it had started and well before Scarlett could get over her surprise.

Sorin pulled back, already throwing a dagger over her shoulder, and she glanced back to see it sink into the thigh of … a Night Child.

“Really? Now there are vampyres here? Fantastic,” she said with a slight whine.

She and Sorin pivoted so they were back-to-back. She’d unsheathed her sword, her other hand holding a long knife that Sorin had tossed to her.

“Why hasn’t Auberon called them off ?” Scarlett demanded, meeting the blade of one of the Night Children, her foot planting into its gut to shove him back.

“I do believe these particular Night Children have defected from the Contessa,” Sorin replied, another knife leaving his hand.

“Where are Nuri and the Contessa?” The same vampyre came at her again, and she let him get close enough that his fangs grazed her arm before her knife went into the side of his head.

“Stop playing,” Sorin growled, his eyes dipping to the shallow wound on her arm.

“It’s a scratch,” she shot back. “Where is Nuri?”

“Auberon told her of some place to take the Contessa. She said she would get in contact with us when Rosalyn was safe,” Sorin replied. “Why was Hazel here?”

“To get Juliette obviously,” Scarlett retorted. Three Night Children were converging on her. One look back told her four more were coming for Sorin.

And she was so,sodone with this shit.

She threw her weapons to the ground and spun, grabbing Sorin’s arm. Before he could react, she was shoving up his sleeve and her canines were piercing his forearm. She took three big swallows, enough to feel her reserves swell the smallest amount, before shereleased him. His eyes were wide, but the shock quickly became understanding, those golden irises ?ickering ?ames.

Collars of white ?ames appeared around every Night Child she could see, shadows slithering up their bodies before going up their noses and down their throats. No room for screams. Shadows shaped like eagles were soaring for the three remaining winged men. They were back-?apping, trying to get out of range, but they weren’t going anywhere. When the shadows caught up with them, they shifted to ?ames. Feathers caught alight and then they were plummeting to the ground, where Cyrus and Sorin were waiting, swords wreathed in ?ames severing heads.

“Behind you,” Cyrus yelled, and she spun to ?nd a Night Child less than ten feet away. Water sprang from her palm, freezing on contact with the vampyre. She let the ice encase him, freezing him solid. She’d let one of the males take care of him from there.

“Talwyn and Azrael?” she panted.

“Still outside the gates,” Sorin answered. “We need to go before more show up.”

“We cannot leave them here,” she said, sinking to her knees to give her trembling legs a break, trying to catch her breath.

“Luan will make sure she gets out,” Sorin said, sending ?ames to the man she’d encased in ice. He stood over her, his eyes scanning every direction, watching for more threats. “We need to go.”

“Is that who I think it is?” Cyrus asked suddenly, and Scarlett lifted her head. Her gaze followed Cyrus’s to a section of the perimeter wall where the air seemed to be shimmering slightly.

Where Lord Tyndell stood staring back at her.

And beside him a ?gure, his face hidden by his cloak and hood. Alaric.

“Motherfucker,” Sorin snarled, gripping her arm and hauling her to her feet. A ?re portal sprang to life beside them. “We are going, Scarlett.”

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