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Scarlett shut the door behind her. “What’s wrong? Do you know what time it is?”

The clock over the mantel said it was nearly six in the morning. “Yes, I do. What are you wearing?” Tava answered, eyeing Scarlett’s attire.

“Not the time, Tava,” Scarlett replied in annoyance.

“Right. You need to come home. Right now,” Tava said. Her voice rang with urgency.

“What? Why? Is everything okay?” Scarlett glanced to Sorin. He remained by the sofa, but he had stood, taking in the scene.

“No, everything is not okay,” Tava answered, wringing her hands together.

“Spit it out, Tava!”

“Mikale is going to call on you at nine this morning,” Tava answered, the words spilling out of her mouth. “The Assassin Lord summoned Cassius away, forbidding him to intervene.”

Scarlett’s blood went cold. In fact, the whole room went cold despite Sorin’s fire.

“Scarlett…” She heard Sorin say her name, almost as if in warning.

“Why is he coming to see me?” she asked, her voice as cold as the room. Tava didn’t answer, but her eyes told her enough. They were full of pity and sorrow. “Say it, Tava.”

Tava bit her bottom lip, glancing again from Scarlett to Sorin. “They also have Nuri. Mikale said they know you have been meeting with Prince Callan, and if you do not show, they will kill her.”

“What does he want?” Sorin demanded.

Tava’s eyes flicked between them again. “Say it, Tava,” Scarlett repeated, barely a whisper.

“He will ask my father for her hand in marriage,” Tava replied quietly. “If Scarlett refuses, he will kill Nuri.”

Scarlett felt as though she were underwater. Sound was muffled and distorted. The roaring in her ears was just like that night a year ago. She could see Tava’s lips moving, but couldn’t make out what she was saying. She had never believed Mikale would actually get a hold of Nuri again, not with the knowledge that he would start a war with the Black Syndicate. How had he done it?

And the Assassin Lord had held true to his word. He wasn’t waiting until tonight to bestow her punishment. He was handing her over right now. She had brought this about.

Her whole body felt cold. She could see her breath in front of her, but it didn’t register as odd. She didn’t take note of the look of terror on Tava’s face, her lips turning blue. She didn’t notice the frost coating her own fingertips. She felt the little food she’d eaten that morning turning in her stomach. She brought her hands to her ears, trying to drown out the muffled sounds of the world around her. They sounded like rushing water in her ears.

And then Sorin was before her. Scarlett saw him point Tava to the couch, saying something that she couldn’t register. The look on her face was so similar to her look of horror in the bathing room that night. Sorin’s hands wrapped around her wrists. They were hot, as if invisible flames encompassed them. He gently pulled her hands from her ears.

Scarlett.

She jerked her head up. He had said her name, but he hadn’t. His lips hadn’t moved.

“Scarlett.”

This time, she saw his lips move as she stared at him. Heard her name across his tongue. She must have imagined it the first time. She was in shock. She wasn’t processing anything correctly.

“Scarlett, say something,” Sorin said, searching her eyes, gently pushing stray hair back from her face.

The room was warm again, her breath no longer visible. The heat of the fire in the fireplace seemed to have been turned up.

“Scarlett.” This time when he said her name, there was command in it. Her name sounded like an order. She could hear the general in his tone.

Scarlett took in his face a moment longer, not really looking at him but rather through him, before she turned to face Tava. “Go back to the manor. I’ll be along shortly,” she said, striding toward the bedroom.

“Wait. What?” Tava demanded, her hands going to her hips.

Scarlett paused at the doorway of the bedroom. “I need to gather my things and freshen up to return to the manor. You go. I’ll be along shortly.”

Tava opened her mouth to argue, but Scarlett had already entered the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. She could vaguely hear the muffled voices of Sorin and Tava in the living area as she walked straight to the washroom and vomited the contents of her stomach.