Page 217 of Lady of Ashes

“We wait,” Scarlett answered simply.

“And the brooding Fae at your back?” he asked in amusement.

“I have found it best to let him throw his temper tantrum before we discuss things.”

A snicker told her Cyrus was with him, and a glance over her shoulder found Eliza and Rayner there as well. They looked wary, but Sorin was livid. Flames ?ared in his eyes. Embers were ?oating among his black strands, and his hands were curled into tight ?sts at his side.

“Well? Go on, Prince,” she said, leaning back on her hands and waiting for his tirade.

“Sometimes I cannot decide if you are brave or stupid,” Eliza commented, her eyes darting from her to Sorin and back.

“Sometimes I question the same thing,” Scarlett replied nonchalantly with a shrug.

“You were doing Blood Magic,” Sorin cut it, his voice lethally calm.

“I was,” she agreed.

“Without a discussion ?rst.”

“I discussed it with Cassius.”

His answer was another growl.

“Gods, you’re like an animal,” she sighed, pushing to her feet and moving to stand in front of him. Reaching up, she took his face in her hands. “Sorin, that Mark is nothing bad. The Mark I gave him matches the one on my arm. It will awaken his Avonleyan magic.”

The ?ames in his eyes slowly banked. His breathing slowly returned to normal. “How can you be sure?”

“Because despite what you seem to think, not all Blood Magic is bad,” she answered, running a thumb along his cheek. “I will not deny that Blood Magic can be incredibly dangerous, obviously, but so can your own magic until you understand it and learn to control it. Just as I was taught the Fae were the enemy, you were taught falsehoods about Blood Magic.”

“You truly believe that?” Eliza asked curiously.

Her hands slowly slid from Sorin’s face. “I do,” she answered, facing her friend. “When used properly, it is just as valuable as a spell a Witch casts or the gifts we all use.”

Cyrus was running a hand along his jaw. “She makes a valid point, Sorin. Look at everything that has come to light in the last few months that we knew nothing about. She’s full-blooded Avonleyan for fuck’s sake. We thought they were all locked away across the sea, and yet here she stands. And the son of the High Witch stands beside her, Avonleyan blood running in his veins too.”

“On the way to the Fire Court when this all began, you said to me that history depends on which book you are reading. This is nodifferent,” Scarlett said, stooping down to pick up the books from the sand, passing them to Cassius. “Darkness is feared because you cannot see where it leads. Blood Magic is the same. But I would venture to guess there are stars to be found within it, too.”

Sorin swallowed thickly. He reached for her, pulling her back into his chest, his hands settling on her waist. “All I can think of, all that ?lls my head when I see you doing Blood Magic, is you being taken from me.” His brow fell against hers. “I cannot unsee that Mark in the dirt. Your blood splashed across it. Your ring ?oating on shadows …”

“I know, Sorin,” she murmured, her hands resting against his chest. “That is not happening again. I swear to you I do not use those spells, those Marks, unless I am certain I understand all the costs. Never again like before. I promise.”

His eyes fell closed, and he inhaled deeply. “Do we need to leave or …?” Cyrus asked.

Scarlett pulled back, shooting a stream of water into his face from her palm as she shifted her attention to Rayner. “Do you have news from Nuri?”

Rayner nodded, his grey eyes swirling. “She said the Contessa is still well, but it is not safe to bring her out yet.”

Scarlett nodded. As long as Nuri was with the Contessa, Scarlett wasn’t worried about Alaric getting near her. And if these tunnels were as hard to enter as Auberon claimed, Nuri should be able to keep her hidden as long as necessary.

She turned back to Sorin. “Lunch?”

“Who fed you when we were not around, Darling?” Cyrus asked, a ?re portal opening to the left. Scarlett stuck her tongue out at him as they all ?led through and stepped into one of the private dining areas of the Halls, a lunch spread already set and waiting for them.

She looked up at Sorin, batting her lashes knowing he was the one who had made sure this would be waiting for them. “You really do love me, don’t you?”

“Perhaps,” he agreed.

“Or he does not wish to deal with you when you are ravenous,” Cyrus interjected. “I’m sure it is one of the two.”

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