Page 123

Sorin cleared his throat as she trailed off. “My shield prevents them from hearing us, but they can see us, Scarlett.” She pulled back and looked up at him with a scowl. “Breathe. Take a breath.” He knew he shouldn’t, but he brought a hand up and stroked her silver hair, sending a pulse of heat through his palm. He could feel the prince’s burning gaze upon him, could hear Nuri’s ring of maniacal laughter, but Scarlett visibly relaxed beneath his touch.

“I am ready,” she said, blowing out a breath. She moved to turn from him, but he lightly gripped her arm. She brought her eyes to his in question.

“You are not alone in the darkness. Remember that,” he said. Her lips curved up in a partial smile before she stepped from beyond his shield.

“Here’s what’s going to happen,” she said, crossing the room to rejoin the group. He followed, stopping a step behind her. To his surprise, she stepped back to his side. “You three are going to leave. Discreetly. She will go first to make sure there’s no one around who shouldn’t be,” she said with a jerk of her chin to Nuri. Nuri was out the window at her words, the two guards’ mouths falling open slightly at her speed and stealth.“Tomorrow we will meet in the clearing, and we will put all the cards on the table.”

Callan took a step towards them. “Will you still come tonight?”

“No,” she said softly. “The general and I need to look into some things we learned today. I will fill you in tomorrow.”

Callan’s hazel eyes went to Sorin’s, and he stared right back at him. “He is the reason, isn’t he?” he finally said, his eyes still on Sorin.

“No,” Scarlett answered sharply. Then more gently, she added, “I only met him a couple months ago. This thing you and I have was doomed from the start, Callan, you had to have known that. That throne is still a cage. You are still light, while I am still dark.”

His attention went back to Scarlett, and he took another step towards her. “I am not ready to accept that.”

Scarlett stepped from Sorin’s side until she was toe-to-toe with the prince. Finn and Sloan tensed behind him, their weapons still drawn. Sorin merely crossed his arms with a feral smirk at them. “My dear Prince, do not forget that I am Death’s Maiden.” Finn and Sloan swore viciously at the revelation. “Much of what made me what I am today was forged in darkness, and it is a darkness I do not entirely wish to leave.”

“You would stay in the dark?” Callan challenged.

“I would stay where I can see the stars,” she replied.

And Sorin could have sworn that thing that stirred within his soul sat up at her words.

CHAPTER 34

SCARLETT

Scarlett watched as Callan looked over his shoulder at her one last time. She couldn’t read his eyes. They were full of not sadness or anger but a resolve of some sort. She held his gaze until he broke it, and Finn pulled the door closed as he followed his prince out.

She felt Sorin come up behind her and press something into her hand— a glass of wine. “I’ve never seen wine here,” she said with a raise of her brow. He waved his hand and a swirl of flames had a glass of wine in his own hand as well. “Handy trick,” she remarked, making her way back to the couch.

“One you could learn, you know,” he answered, following her.

She sat gingerly onto the sofa, tucking her feet underneath her. Whatever balm Sorin had rubbed into her stomach was phenomenal. There was still a dull ache, but the sharp pain whenever she took a breath was gone.

It was almost as phenomenal as it had felt to have his hand on her bare skin.

Almost.

“Stop bringing that up. It’s too much. I can’t process everything at once. I can’t… That was a disaster.” Sorin sat down beside her,setting his glass of wine on the side table. Scarlett drained hers as she replayed the last half hour, and everything that had happened. What had Callan been thinking?

A wine bottle appeared in a small burst of flames, and Sorin refilled her glass. She hadn’t even realized she had emptied it. “I would just like to point out,” he said, setting the bottle back down and turning to fully face her on the sofa. “Thatyouare the one who brought it up last, and I was pleasantly surprised as it is something that needs to be discussed.”

“That was before a prince showed up at your door,” Scarlett replied dryly.

Something flashed in his golden eyes. Amusement maybe? Probably. Although the half grin that usually accompanied such amusement was not present.

Not that she knew what his facial expressions meant or anything.

“You handled that beautifully, by the way,” Sorin said

“I really feel like social interactions are very different in the Fae lands because that was a disaster,” Scarlett answered.

The missing half grin now made an appearance as the corner of his mouth kicked up. “Perhaps. Our…disasters tend to end with magic being flung around unnecessarily with buildings sometimes being destroyed.”

Scarlett’s mouth fell open. “You cannot be serious.”