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Scarlett felt the wards lower, but Talwyn didn’t move a muscle, and Scarlett could appreciate the power and control despite the rage surging through her. The males burst through the door, stopping short as they took in the scene before them.

“Scarlett.” Sorin’s voice was low, like he was trying not to spook a skittish dog in an alley. “Scarlett, put the sword down. We will go home.”

“Thisshould be her home. The Black Halls should be her home,” Talwyn cried, whirling to face Sorin. “It wasn’t enough for you to take my aunt and Tarek from me and then abandon me. You had to takeherfrom me, too? How dare you even speak his name, let alone toher.”

Sorin froze, his eyes wide, his face paling slightly.

Scarlett lowered her blade as she looked between her twin flame and her cousin. The guilt that roiled across Sorin’s face was enough to crush her, but to hear Talwyn’s own anguish…

“Get out,” Talwyn spat, crossing the room to the door. Azrael came to her side, his face hard and unforgiving. “Both of you.” She leveled her gaze at Scarlett on those last three words.

“Talwyn.” Azrael’s voice was grim beside her. “There is a full council room downstairs waiting for information.”

Talwyn’s jaw feathered as she gritted her teeth. “Fine,” was all she said, striding from the room, and Azrael trailing her out. Scarlett could hear her murmuring to Azrael, but even with her new Fae hearing, she could not make out what they were saying.

Scarlett moved to follow, but Sorin stepped into her path, gripping her shoulders. “You are truly all right?” he asked, his golden eyes sweeping her body for any sign of injury.

Scarlett’s face softened, and she brought her hand to his cheek. “I am fine, Sorin.” She rose up to her tiptoes and brushed a kiss to his lips.He didn’t say anything in response as he pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed the top of her head, and Scarlett murmured into his shoulder, “The mother hen thing has really got to go.”

She felt him huff a laugh against her hair, and he drew back, looking into her eyes. “I understand that you stepping into the role of queen will require you to do things without me by your side at times, but when I couldn’tfeelyou down the bond… Not only are you my wife and twin flame, you are my queen. I will always worry when I cannot be with you. Always.”

Scarlett, not knowing what to say, just brushed her fingers along his cheek once more and murmured, “So fussy.”

Sorin flicked her nose as she took his hand tightly in hers and let him lead her from the room.

TALWYN

They were only a minute or two behind her, but Talwyn had to swallow down a snarky comment when Sorin and Scarlett entered the council room, hand in hand and eyes on each other. It had been an age since all the Inner Courts had gathered in the White Halls. Had she known that Scarlett was going to be brought to the plane as well, she would have warned Azrael. She would have anticipated the panic of both queens going missing for a period of time.

Talwyn, however, was used to Maliq showing up and taking her to unknown places. Most of the time, no one knew she was gone. Azrael was sometimes there when Maliq would show up, but she had always played it off as though it had been planned. Sorin had likely come straight here upon realizing Scarlett had again been whisked away by Shirina, thinking she commanded the animal to do as before. Sorin’s panic would have alerted Azrael. And this, she thought, staring broodingly from the head of the table at all the Fae gathered in her home,is the godsdamn result.

Ashtine was seated to her left, looking at her with that peculiar expression she always had on her face. Talwyn was used to it by now, and it didn’t faze her as it did others. Azrael was to her right, as always. When they had walked to the council room, he had only murmured, “You are all right?”

“Fine,” she had replied curtly, and Azrael had fallen quiet. He studied her now, his earthy brown eyes seeing right through her walls, and she ground her teeth together. She felt like she was only half present while she and Scarlett told the others about the plane they were taken to and the rip in it that they saw. She waited for Scarlett to mention the man, but she never did.

Talwyn kept the same slightly annoyed look on her face that she always did. Her jade eyes glowed sharply and her lips pursed. No weakness was ever shown. Not in front of the Courts.

“And we do not know how many of these rips there are or where they go?” Neve was asking across the table.

“No,” Talwyn replied, her tone clipped. Neve fell quiet, throwing a look to the rest of the Water Court.

“Can it be closed?” came Eliza’s sarcastic drawl.

Talwyn gritted her teeth harder. She hated when they were there. At least Azrael’s Inner Court rarely spoke a word, letting their Prince handle everything. When Briar and Sorin brought their Inner Courts, they were allowed to speak at will. It’s not that she didn’t value such input, but there were so many people, so many voices. “I imagine that is why Scarlett and I were taken there,” Talwyn replied tightly. Gods, her temper was barely leashed at this point. She needed to get out of this room. Away from everyone. She needed to get out.

“But how?” This time it was Sawyer from Briar’s right.

Talwyn felt her lips form a thin line. Everyone was looking at her.

When she had first learned of Scarlett, she had felt a deep sense of relief. She wouldn’t have to bear the burden of ruling alone any longer. She had never once felt threatened by the idea of ruling together.And yet here she sat, everyone still looking to her for answers. Here she sat, still a baby in Fae years, ruling entire lands and being expected to know the secrets of the world and its gods. Here she was, shoved onto a throne she wasn’t prepared for, with magic she had mastered and somehow still barely controlled at times.

That leash on her temper was so taut now, her power roiling just beneath the surface. Lightning was crackling at her fingertips under the table. She felt a vine wrap around her wrist and glanced down to see little purple flowers sprouting from it. Her eyes slid to Azrael, his eyes slightly narrowed and fixed on her. To anyone else, he looked like he always did— a scowling bastard. But to her, she saw the tensed shoulders preparing to intervene if she lost control.

“I do not know yet,” Talwyn replied, the restraint sounding in her voice. “But I have ideas I will be looking into as soon as we are done here. However, I do believe our new queen likely has more insight than I do.”

Fuck it. If Scarlett wasn’t going to bring up their guide on that little adventure, she sure as hell would.

All eyes swung to Scarlett, who was now glaring at Talwyn from the other end of the table.