Page 121

“That is not what I meant, and you know it,” Callan bit back. “Come talk to me in private, where you can be…not this.”

Scarlett tensed beside him, and Sorin resisted the urge to put a hand on her back.Not this.Not the mask he wanted her to wear.

“This is who I am, Callan. It’s who I have always been.”

“No, it’s not,” he insisted, stepping towards her again.

“It is,” she snapped. “You can’t pretend I’m only the person I am when we’re between the sheets when we both know that’s not all of me. You can’t pretend away the parts you don’t like.”

Callan paused, pursing his lips. “Please come talk to me.”

Scarlett sighed, turning to Sorin. “They’re as big a threat as they look,” she said, gesturing to Finn and Sloan.

“You mean not a threat at all?” Sorin asked, his tone bored.

“Precisely,” she answered with a smirk at them. Sloan glowered at her as she began walking toward the spare bedroom.

Callan began to follow her, but Sloan halted his movement. “You can’t go into a separate room with her alone. Not when she’s armed.”

Scarlett paused with a questioning look at Callan. He winced. “She is not going to give you her daggers, Sloan.”

“Then we’re not letting you be alone with her,” he answered.

“Sloan—” Callan began.

“No, Callan,” Sloan said, cutting him off. “For a year, we’ve been able to breathe easier knowing there wasn’t some insane woman sneaking into your rooms and leaving notes and books for you.Why is she suddenly showing up again? She’s using you, Callan, and you can’t even see it. My job is to keep you safe, and I do not put it past her to stick one of those daggers in your heart that she holds in the palm of her fucking hand as soon as she’s done with you. We’ve played along. We let you drag us down here, but you will have to literally fight me before I am letting you behind a closed door again with her.” To emphasize, he pointed his sword at Callan.

“Sloan!” Finn barked, his eyes widening at the gesture.

“You will threaten me?” Callan asked, his voice low.

“I will draw my weapon to defend not only my prince but my friend,” Sloan answered.

Sorin’s eyes had been on Scarlett during this whole exchange. He had watched her take in the guard’s words, had watched her wince at the partial truths he’d slung at the prince. Her eyes flickered to his, and he held them.

I see the stars.

He willed her to hear the words, but he started at the next words that came from the guard’s mouth.

“How can you not see she’s using you when you find her sitting with her consort, clearly more comfortable with him than when she visits you?”

Callan looked from Scarlett to Sorin. “She has told me they are friends,” he replied slowly.

Sloan sneered. “Anyone can look at them and see they are far more than that.”

“Enough,” Scarlett said, stepping between Callan and Sloan. “You either trust me or you don’t. I don’t really care at this point. You can clearly see I am fine, Callan, and none of you need to be seen here so I suggest you leave before this becomes a bigger mess than it already is.”

“No. Not until you tell me how you can still trust him,” Callan said.

“Quit being stubborn,” Scarlett said, her eyes flashing. “If I am seen with you by anyone but a select few, you put numerous others in danger.”

Callan closed the distance between himself and Scarlett, and Sorin forced himself to stay put as the prince gripped her shoulders.“Tell me why. Tell me what this danger is so it can be dealt with, and this can all be stopped.”

“You cannot stop it, and it will change nothing, Callan,” she cried, shrugging out of his grip. “Even if this danger were dealt with, there shall always be more. This danger is not what is keeping me from you.”

Callan stepped backwards, almost as if she had slapped him. “You sound as though you are choosing to stay away from me.”

“I am,” she snapped. Her eyes were hard, her face grim.