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Scarlett gritted her teeth as he reached for the water skin he had attached to the saddle of the horse. He unscrewed the cap and dumped a little water on the wound. She hissed at the slight stinging. His eyes flicked to hers then returned to her arm. “She called me Sorin because that is my name,” he finally said as he patted her arm dry with the now torn hem of his tunic.

“What?”

Gods, is that the only word she knew right now? It was the only one she could think of to say every time he opened his mouth.

“My name is Sorin, not Ryker,” he answered, his focus on her wound. “I told you earlier today that I am not from these kingdoms. I am from the Fae Courts.”

“The Fire Court,” Scarlett said.

He stiffened almost imperceptibly. “Yes. I reside in the Fire Court.”

“Is she from the Fire Court, too?” she asked.

“No,” he answered.

“Then who is she?”

“A pain in my ass,” he muttered as he began wrapping the cloth around her arm.

“She seemed…formidable,” Scarlett mused.

“She can be when I—” He stopped himself again, and Scarlett raised her brows at him, waiting for him to go on. “When I am not prepared for her.”

“She can do magic.”

“She can.”

“How?”

He hesitated but then said, “There is always a work around when it comes to magic.”

“But humans do not have magic.”

“You also thought that humans did not reside in the Fae Courts,” he pointed out.

That was true.

“Why are you using a fake name?”

“Because there is a slight chance my real name could reveal where I am from, and I needed secrecy while I am here,” he said, gently beginning to tie off the wrapping.

“To find a weapon. For what?”

“To free my people from their oppressors.”

Scarlett wasn’t sure how to take that. “She sent you here. Is she your superior?”

“She thinks she is.”

“Aren’t there…Court Royals in the Fae lands?”

“There were, but they were all killed by Deimas and Esmeray after the war.”

“Well, yes, but new Royals have risen. Wouldn’t you answer to them?”

“Not necessarily,” Ryker, noSorin, answered, lowering her arm.

“So you are here under a false name to find some sort of weapon to free your people from someone oppressing them?”