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“What?” he balked.

“Was my question confusing?”

“No.”

Eliza waited, flipping pages slowly.

Callan sighed. “I cannot help that I love her. I cannot help that, despite having tried to move on, no one comes close to her. I cannot help that a part of me will always hope she will come to my side and become my queen.”

“And what will it take to quell that desire?”

She did not look at him at the question. The general just continued to flip pages of that damn book.

“I suppose,” he said through gritted teeth, “that should she marry another than my hopes will die.”

“Where does she find these books?” Eliza asked suddenly, sitting straighter.

“I do not know. She has them with her when she arrives, but the last time… We went for a walk in the gardens and argued. She apparently did not come back for them,” Callan answered.

“She has had a busy couple of days,” Eliza murmured, half-listening as her eyes flew over the pages before her.

“What has happened?”

Eliza stood, her eyes still on the book. “If I know her at all, she will seek you out soon and explain everything. You truly do not know where she found this book?”

“No,” he said slowly. “Why? What is it about?”

“Blood magic. Old, ancient, powerful blood magic.” When she lifted her eyes to Callan’s, her gray eyes were a storm of shock and terror. “She knows far more than she is letting on. She knows where they’re coming from,” she whispered, more to herself than him.

“Where who is coming from?”

“I must go, Callan. I am so sorry. I will find you later.”

Callan could, once again, only stare as another female left him standing alone in the dark.

CHAPTER 46

SORIN

Sorin gripped Scarlett’s hand tightly as they stepped out of the air into the center of a tree grove. The skies were grey and stormy like they always were in the Witch Kingdoms. Every one of his senses was alert, and his fire crackled just below his skin. When they were alone, he had tried again to convince Scarlett they needed to wait to come back here, but she had insisted. They had instructed Rayner to send word if the summit day and time were set, and they would deliver the request to the High Witch while they were here.

He looked to his twin flame who stood beside him, bedecked in the witch-suit and witch-leathers that she had been given when she was here yesterday. How was that only yesterday? The witch-clothes seemed oddly fitting for her, though. The winds rustled and the hair on the back of his neck stood up. He thought of telling Scarlett again they should go and come back at another time, but the High Witch likely already knew they were here. The enchanted trees of the realm were as beautiful as ever…and delivered messages on the winds.

“Come on,” Scarlett said grimly, starting to walk towards the castle that loomed before them.

Sorin tugged her to a stop with the hand he still gripped. “Come on where?”

She looked at him as if he were dimwitted. “To the castle, of course.”

“We are just going to walk up to the castle doors?”

“How else will we find Hazel?” Scarlett asked, annoyance in her voice.

“She will find us,” Sorin murmured, glancing around the clearing. Everything was still now. Even the winds had quieted. He strained his hearing.

“We don’t have time to wait for her to find us,” Scarlett hissed in a whisper.

“Then I apologize for keeping you waiting.”