Page 228 of Lady for Embers

“Why take her there though?” Scarlett asked.

“Because the islands are believed to be cursed. That if you visit them, The Reaper will come for you,” Razik said. He was standing near the hearth, and for once, he didn’t look bored out of his mind. He was looking at Rayner with a sort of respect Sorin had never seen from the male.

“I tricked the Baroness before I killed her,” Rayner supplied. “They are believed to be cursed because I made her connect me to the wards. I know if anyone enters those islands, and I kill them without question. Those islands are graveyards and will remain so. Only the dead will inhabit them. I can only assume the Wards around Avonleya are interfering with my ability to feel the wards there since I did not feel anyone cross them. I have not had to go there for nearly seven decades.”

“Then you can get me into the cliffs to ?nd her,” Briar said, stepping forward. “You or Queen Kailia?”

A snarl came from Cethin. “Kailia will never step foot on those islands again.”

Sorin could only imagine what the Avonleyan Queen had experienced there as an obviously powerful Ash Rider.

Rayner had tipped his head back against the wall again. “I have not been inside the cliffs in a very long time. Not since I killed the Baroness.”

“Rayner, please,” Briar pleaded.

“I am not saying no,” Rayner replied. “We will go get her.”

“When?” Briar demanded. “When can we go?”

Rayner scrubbed a hand down his face. “Two days. We take two days to plan and make sure our reserves are full. It would be foolish to go and not be properly prepared.” His gaze slid to Cyrus. “Very idiotic to go on a mission without proper planning.”

Cyrus gave him a sardonic smile while simultaneously ?ipping him off. “We didn’t know how long she would be there, jackass. We made a call.”

“Without discussing it with anyone ?rst,” Sorin interjected.

“They discussed it with me,” Scarlett cut in, leaning away from his touch.

“He is my Second,” Sorin retorted.

“And Cassius is my Hand,” Scarlett countered. “And Razik does not answer to either one of us.”

“Why are we even arguing about this? It is done and over with,” Cyrus said. “We went. We accomplished what we set out to do. We weren’t caught, seen, or injured. It was successful.”

“You were lucky,” Sorin bit back.

“Still successful,” Cyrus said with a shrug.

“The only part of the plan that failed was the fact that she still breathes,” Scarlett said, glaring at Sorin.

“This needs to be discussed later,” Sorin replied.

“It will be.”

From the look on her face and the emotions ?ooding down the bond, Sorin knew there would be no preparing for what was to come. That was ?ne. He had just as much to say to her. They could burn together.

The door clicked shut behind him, Scarlett walking straight through the sitting room to the bedchamber. They’d spent another hour planning before everyone agreed to get some sleep and resumepreparations in the morning when they were refreshed. Luan had not yet returned when they’d dispersed. He could ?ll them in when they met tomorrow.

Sawyer had promised Sorin he would try to make sure Briar slept, but they both knew it would be no use. Sorin knew better than anyone what it was to have the female you love in the hands of Alaric. To bring children into the mix? He could not fathom how he would be feeling. Rayner had said two days. He had a feeling this would be happening tomorrow, and he would support Briar in that if at all possible.

But ?rst he needed to deal with the female in the other room. He had felt everything she was feeling down the bond. He had given her a small pass for walking out on Briar. Knew she would be able to think clearer and more rationally if she had a few minutes to breathe away from everything that had happened in that arena. So he’d given her that, but this? This would be an entirely different battle.

He sighed as he removed his boots, setting them near the door before moving to follow his wife. He was exhausted. His power levels were a quarter of what they had once been, and it had been taking a toll on him physically as much as mentally.

Which made this little secret expedition to the continent all the more irritating. It felt like one more thing she was pushing him to the side on.

He braced himself, preparing for anger and fury and the whirlwind that she was—

And he fell still when he found her curled up in an armchair before the ?re, tears tracking down her face. Either she was blocking the bond or it was part of the bond fading, but he couldn’t feel her.

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