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“You,” she whispered. “I was ordered to kill you. The day after we spoke in the training quarters, but I didn’t know it was you until you told me your real name that day I saw you speaking with the Fae Queen. I do not know why. He refused to tell me, but I couldn’t do it, Sorin. I couldn’t kill you. I couldn’t, despite being threatened with this punishment months ago. I still can’t. Please. Go home. Where he cannot touch you.”

“Scarlett.” Her name was a curse and a plea on his lips.

She rose up onto her tiptoes once more and pressed her lips to his one last time, and gave him a soft smile. “Goodbye, Sorin.”

Before he could stop her, she opened the door and left, not allowing herself to look back.

CHAPTER 38

SORIN

“Dammit!” Sorin bellowed, hurling a ball of flame at the fireplace. It exploded upward, radiating a wall of heat into the room.

She had left. She had left without a fight. No sarcasm. None of her damn attitude. Her insufferable arrogance had been nonexistent. It was as if she had already conceded, already admitted defeat. Of course she would sacrifice herself for her friends, her family. Wouldn’t he do the same for his family at home? He knew exactly what she was doing because he’d done the same to keep them from harm.

Only she had done this to keephimsafe.Hehad been her target.Hehad been her assignment. He had been what had pushed her master over the edge and initiated this punishment to be set into motion. He had been used against her for whatever reason. The fact that a hit had been put on him made it very likely her master also knew what he was. She had certainly had plenty of opportunities to complete her task. How many times had he sat around her unarmed? How many times had they been alone, especially these last few days? She could have taken him out at any time.

And he would have let her. He wouldn’t have raised a hand against her.But to let fucking Mikale have her? After what he had done to her? After how he had nearly broken her? Made her wish he had killed her?

It is a game we play, he and I.

He would be damned if Mikale won.

He had tried to tell Scarlett about her past, who she was. He’d tried multiple times, but the conversations kept getting diverted and going down different paths that led to other topics. Other times she had flat out refused to discuss her magic or the fact that she was Fae.

She’d let him in in other ways though. He was one of the only people who had ever seen past all the masks she was forced to wear. He should have just said it before she’d left. Maybe then she wouldn’t have gone. Maybe then she wouldn’t have looked so defeated when she left, knowing she was a princess, possibly queen, of the Fae lands.

“Fuck!” he swore again, hurling another ball of flame into the hearth.

There was a tsking sound from behind, and he whirled to find a female with red-gold hair standing in the doorway. “Careful,General, or your temper shall burn down this entire building.”

“What are you doing here?” Sorin demanded, resuming his pacing.

“I have not heard from you in nearly four days other than our brief meeting the night the Crown Prince came here. She returned this morning, so I came to see what the hell is going on and why your scent was all over her,” the female said coolly. “I also came to take a proper bath and get out of these clothes for a while.” Disgust curled her lip.

The homespun dress she currently wore was nothing like her usual attire. In fact, it was jarring for Sorin to even see her in such. When the female did wear dresses, they were far more scandalous and revealing than this simple gown. When Sorin did not stop his pacing, the female strode over to the alcohol cart and poured him a glass of whiskey.

“Drink it, you temperamental ass,” she said warily.

Sorin took the glass of alcohol from her and sipped at the whiskey,its bitter taste warming his stomach in a way even his flames couldn’t muster. It did its job as he finished off the glass. Anger still coursed through him, but he’d calmed enough to focus.

“Are you going to tell me what the hell happened?” the female asked as she leaned against the table.

“She is being forced into something by a complete bastard. The things this man has done to her, and she just accepted it. She just…”

He stopped pacing and looked up. The female’s gray eyes were slightly widened as she watched him carefully. “I’m a little worried that you have started to actually care for her.”

“Of course I care for her,” he bit back. “She is important to our people.”

“Have you forgotten your task, Sorin?” the female spat, coming to stand before him. “Have you forgotten what is on the line here? Have you forgotten what the queen has demanded of you?”

“No,General, I have not forgotten any of it.” He held the female’s stare, challenge glimmering in her eyes.

“Then why are we still here? Why are we not on our way home?”

“You are just ready to get back to swinging a sword,” Sorin smirked.

“You wear this garb every day for weeks. I thought I was done doing kitchen tasks decades ago,” she grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.