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“We need to get going,” was all Eliza said, turning to go to her mare.

Sorin reached Eirwen as Scarlett reached up to the saddle horn. He brought his hands to her hips to help her up, and she froze at his touch, her eyes fixed straight ahead. “You have a deep wound up your side, Scarlett. Let me help you up so you do not strain it until we cross the border.”

“Maybe she should ride with me,” Callan said from behind them.

“She is not riding with you, Prince,” Sorin clipped out, his hands still on her hips.

“Maybe she should make that decision herself,” he replied snidely.

“She needs to ride with the—” Eliza stopped abruptly as she came up beside Eirwen on her mare. “She needs to ride with Sorin,your Highness. As we near the border, there will be threats that he is better able to protect her from.”

Silently, Scarlett lifted her foot to the stirrup, and Sorin caught the slight grimace she tried to hide. “Do you want a cloak before we go? I do not know when we can stop again.” She lowered her leg back down in acceptance, and Eliza tossed him a folded bundle from her horse. He quickly unfolded the brown cloak and placed it around Scarlett’s shoulders, then gently turned her to face him so he could do up the buttons. When he was done, he hooked a finger under chin, lifting her face to his.

“Can you say one word to me, Scarlett? Just one,” he asked softly. “Please.”

Her eyes finally met his and held for a moment before she whispered hoarsely, “It hurts.”

She turned back, placing her foot in the stirrup and hoisted herself into the saddle, reaching back to pull her hood up over her silver hair.

CHAPTER 45

SCARLETT

They had been riding for hours. The sun was starting to set as they kept on. They had stopped twice to see to their needs and let the horses drink. Scarlett had been silent the entire time, allowing herself to be helped in and out of the saddle. Sorin or the one he called Eliza stayed by her side each time. One time Callan came and spoke to her, but she couldn’t talk to him. She could hardly hear any of them. The roaring in her head was excruciating. It was taking every effort not to clamp her hands over her ears and scream. The shadows kept brushing against her, and she was counting down the time until she would take her tonic.

Gods, she hoped they had her tonic.

Actually, she hoped they had her stronger dose so she could sleep and sleep and sleep and not feel a godsdamn thing.

Sorin shifted behind her, the arm that was wrapped gently around her waist, moving so that his hand rested on her hip. “Are you hungry?” he asked, dipping his head to speak softly in her ear. “We have cheese and nuts until we stop to camp.”

She ran her fingers over the saddle horn, focusing on the feel of the leather beneath her fingertips. He’d known. He’d known for days that she was the weapon his queen desired,that he’d been searching for. He’d known her mother. He’d known so much and hadn’t told her. No, he hadn’t lied. Keeping this from her was so much worse. She’d shared pieces of herself she’d never shared with anyone else, not even Cassius, and he had kept these things from her.

She shifted at the ache in her chest, and the movement sent a wave of pain lancing up her side. She knew the wound was still steadily leaking blood. She could feel it soaking into the dressing. A hiss escaped from her lips, and she silently cursed the sound as she felt Sorin tense behind her.

“Can you make it a few more hours? If we go a little farther today, we will be at the border by tomorrow afternoon,” he said quietly.

She only nodded her head once, trying not to focus on the feel of his body behind her. The feel of his chest pressed against her back and his arm curled protectively around her middle. She could still feel his fingers on her bare abdomen when he’d tended to her wound, holding her still while he’d disinfected it.

They continued on in silence before she felt him dip his head to her ear once more.

“I can handle it,” he said quietly. His lips brushed her ear as he spoke, and she fought the urge to shiver against him, to lean back into him. “I can handle what you want to say to me, Scarlett. I can take it.”

She swallowed, and she felt him urge Eirwen forward. He must have given Eliza some sort of signal because Scarlett heard her tell Callan and his guards to hang back and let them go ahead. When they were a ways down the path and far ahead of the others, he spoke again. “It is just us now, Scarlett.”

She said nothing, only stared ahead at the darkening sky. It’d been ages since she’d slept outside on the ground. With her wound, it was going to be excruciating. The first few hours had been the best, when Sorin had apparently been using his magic to keep her wound from being fatal. He had somehow kept the pain at bay. Whatever ointment he had put on it had helped at first as well, but the effects had worn off hours ago,and now she could feel the burning every time she took a breath.

“You have to have questions,” he said after more silence. “I know you do after everything Lord Tyndell said to you.”

She stiffened at the Lord’s name. He said he’d known her mother. That he’d known she was Fae since she was born insinuating her mother had been Fae. She opened her mouth to ask Sorin if that was the case, but snapped it shut once more.

Talking was too much work, would require too much effort. She was exhausted.

She settled back into him once more. It didn’t pay to keep space between them. It would just result in a stiff back and her side hurt enough the way it was. She nestled into his hips and tipped her head back against his shoulder, closing her eyes.

“Please, Love. Talk to me,” he murmured into her ear. His chin grazed her cheek.

She ignored the dip in her stomach at the contact and said quietly, “Don’t call me that,” as she sank back into the darkness once more.