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“Truth rarely does,” Sorin answered, reaching up and tucking her hair behind her ear this time. “Did you know silver hair is incredibly rare here?”

“What?” Scarlett asked, startled by the change in subject.

“Your hair. I have never seen silver hair in the mortal lands. Grey in old age, yes, but never silver.”

“It is my most recognizable feature, I suppose,” she said slowly.

“It is beautiful but not nearly as fascinating as your eyes.” At his words, her gaze flew to his. There was a small tilt to his lips as he watched her.

“Are you…flirting with me?” Scarlett asked incredulously.

“Would you be upset if I am?”

“Yes,” she cried, but her pulse quickened and her stomach dipped.

“Liar,” he purred. “I said my Fae senses were diminished here, but they are not entirely gone.” Slightly confused by that statement, he continued before she could ask. “Anyway, as I have mentioned before, I have to return home soon.”

Scarlett stiffened at the words. “I know that.”

“So this training you wish to continue…” he trailed off as he lazily slid his eyes over her.

“Are you suggesting that I return to the Fae lands with you because that—”

“No, Love,” he chided. “I am not suggesting such a thing. I am just simply stating that it is rather tempting to stay here. I have grown rather fond of certain things from this land.” He brought a hand to her waist and gently tugged her to him.

How had this happened? How had they gone from arguing about history to…this?

Unable to help herself, Scarlett swallowed once, then said, “Oh? Like what?”

“Hmm…” Sorin’s other hand was playing with her hair again. It hung loose around her shoulders, and he twined some around his finger. “Drake is a pretty good guy. I would rather miss him. Cassius is growing on me, too. That tavern in town on the corner brews their own ale that is quite outstanding. But…” He leaned in and kissed her, slow and lazy, as if they had all the time in the world to do so. He pulled back and said, “That is quickly becoming one of my favorite things in this realm, even if it is just an act to make Mikale jealous.”

Scarlett gave him an unimpressed glare and retorted sarcastically, “Then you better get your fill before you head home.” She broke the stare as she said it. The thought of him going back to the Fire Court made her inexplicably want to vomit.

She felt him hook a finger under her chin, bringing her eyes back to his. He kissed her again, then said, “I will not leave you alone.”

They were quiet a moment. Then Scarlett remembered some damn common sense and stepped out of his hold. She was about to ask more about the queen when Sorin whipped his head to the window. A few seconds later, Nuri swung in and fell to her knees. Scarlett and Sorin stood frozen as they watched her curl over herself. Scarlett had only seen her like this one other time.

“Nuri?” she said cautiously, taking a step towards her.

Sorin gripped her elbow. “She is not okay,” he muttered.

“I can see that,” Scarlett snapped back, trying to jerk her arm from him, but his grip only tightened.

“Let go of me,” she snarled in warning.

“Scarlett, there is something you do not know yet.” As he spoke, Nuri reached up and jerked back her hood. Her pale face was twisted in pain and rage.

Still held in his grip, Scarlett said from Soirn’s side, “Nuri, what happened?”

“They… We found them. The children that have been missing.” She said the words as if she could hardly get down a breath.

“Where?” Scarlett gasped. Again she tried to jerk free from Sorin, but his grip was ironclad.

Nuri snarled, and as she did so, fangs appeared. Scarlett stifled a cry and instinctively stepped back into Sorin, pressing into his body. “She is one of the Night Children,” he said softly.

Scarlett swallowed hard. One of the Night Children? She’d deal with that matter later. Right now, she needed to know what Nuri had learned. “Where, Nuri? Where are they? How do we get them out?”

The laugh that came from Nuri was void of any emotion. It was dark and desolate and hopeless. “We cannot get them out,” she sneered.“They are dead. All of them. We found a new tunnel into the castle, through the sewers. There is a mass grave at the end of it where they have all been dumped as if they were nothing.”