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“I do not know,” he said slowly. “Why the sudden interest in such things?”

“Inquisitiveness, I suppose,” she replied, waving her hand dismissively.She sounded as if she were half-listening at this point, clearly pondering something.

Secrets. She was keeping secrets from him. He had startled her a few times in their rooms when she had been poring over those ancient texts she kept hauling up from the library. She kept them hidden somewhere. He had gone back down to that passageway himself, to see if he could glean what books she was reading, but the shelf was always full, not one book missing.

She was staring out over the balcony again, playing with her shadows that swirled around her, lost in her thoughts.

“You have been preoccupied these last few weeks,” he said cautiously, leaning against the balcony rail once more.

“Have I?”

He clenched his jaw, not knowing how far was safe to push her yet. “What have you been researching in all those books you have been reading lately?”

“Various things,” she answered vaguely as she shaped her shadows into flowers.

“Such as?”

“The territories. The Avonleyans. Deimas and Esmeray.”

“Deimas and Esmeray?” he asked, unable to hide his shock at the admission.

“You said Talwyn has been upset with you because you didn’t find the weapon for her to seek her revenge. That is what caused your…mood that day,” she said, glancing at him sidelong.

He had told her about that meeting, about some of the things that Talwyn had said to him that had put him in such a state of mind. He didn’t know she had started researching things because of it.

She shrugged. “I thought if we could find something to give her to seek that revenge, maybe she would stop being such a raging pain in your ass.” She shrugged again, as if it were nothing.

He swallowed. “Have you learned anything?”

“About Deimas and Esmeray? Not much,” she admitted.

“But you have learned other things?”

Scarlett took a step back from the railing as she said, “I suppose we should go find Rayner.See if he can help me learn how to Travel.”

Too much. He had pushed her as far as she was willing to go today.

“I was thinking we could take a night off,” Sorin said, a half smile curling on his lips.

“I don’t need a night off,” she replied without looking at him.

“You may notneeda night off, but I would like to show you the city.”

Scarlett turned to face him. “You’ll take me into the city?”

“I did tell you that you could go into the city whenever you wanted to,” Sorin reminded her.

“I know, and I have been a few times on quick errands with Eliza, but never out for fun. There’s just been so much going on, and we were going up to the courtyards every day. And now there’s the— I just forgot there were other things to see,” Scarlett said, looking out over the balcony once more. From up here, you could just see the start of the city beyond the sprawling grounds.

“There will always be something to tend to or something to train for. There will always be people vying for your attention and places to run to, but it is just as important to take the time to look at the stars and feel the sun on your face and enjoy good food with excellent company,” he said.

“Excellent company? Are Eliza, Cyrus, and Rayner to join us as well then?” she teased with a smirk.

“My dear Scarlett,” he purred, coming up behind her, “when shall we find a better use for that wicked tongue of yours?”

Her citrus and embers and jasmine scent filled him. The Mark on his left hand burned as desire coursed through him, and he hid his grimace. She turned to face him, her composure more alluring than ever. Her voice was low and sultry as she said, “Oh Prince, you shall find out just how wicked I can be when you see what I’m wearing out tonight.”

Sorin had no doubt it was true as she sauntered past him, swinging those damn hips of hers just right, and went to dress for a night in the city.