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Rayner appeared from ashes and stilled at the panic and rage and utter terror written all over his prince’s face. His family was frozen as Sorin…just stood there. He couldn’t form complete thoughts. He could hardly breathe. She had gone. She had left.

“Sorin?” Cyrus's voice was hesitant. “Where is she?”

But he couldn’t form words. They were foreign to him as he stared at that ring floating on a pillow of darkness.

“What is that?” Rayner asked in his quiet voice of cold. He was pointing below the shadow.

To a drawing. The drawing she had been doing in the dirt.

Sorin stumbled towards the ring and the symbol. With a trembling hand, he reached out and took the ring, the shadow immediately dissipating. He closed his fist around that band of metal and precious gems, his chest constricting as if he were gripping his own heart instead. He drew in a breath and jasmine and lavender and citrus and night filled his senses.

“What is it?” Eliza asked.

His Inner Court stood around him now in stunned silence.

Sorin dropped to his knees before that symbol. That Mark.

“What is it?” Eliza demanded again, sharper. Bordering on hysterical.

“It is a Blood Mark,” Sorin rasped, finally finding words.

“That’s not possible,” Cyrus blurted, stooping down to study the Mark.

But it was. It was possible. Because that was blood splattered on the carefully drawn Mark. Her blood. It was possible because she hadn’t just been learning about Blood Magic for research purposes these last months while sneaking down to that chamber.She hadn’t just been translating the Avonleyan and Maraan languages. She had been learning how to read the Blood Magic spells and Marks.

She had learned how to use them.

She had indeed become a weapon.

A weapon that could start and end a war.

CHAPTER 58

SCARLETT

Scarlett crept along the trees of the forest. The camp of mortal soldiers was precisely where she expected they’d be— as close to the southeast corner of the Earth Court as they could be without having to be in Dresden Forest.

The forest ran along the entire eastern border of the Kingdom of Toreall with the Witch Kingdoms on the other side. It was an expansive forest with oak trees so thick you knew they were ancient. Growing up, they’d been told stories of spirits and wicked animals that roamed these woods. Now she suspected such rumors were likely the Witches moving about the forest. And the griffins, she supposed. She still wasn’t sure she quite believed Sorin that those creatures were what the Witches flew on. But he did have a good point. Griffins seemed much more fitting for the terrifying females she’d encountered on her brief visits to the territory.

She pushed aside thoughts of the Witches and griffins as she watched the forces before her. There were less here than were camped at the Fire Court border.

Something had not sat right since she had seen those reports in Talwyn’s council room a few days ago. Sorin had confirmed that Ashtine had learned that forces were being moved to all the borders,but no one could gather why. No one had any idea as to why the mortals had suddenly decided that they needed to add security along the Fae borders.

Scarlett was beginning to suspect it had nothing to do with the mortals. There were at least two Maraan Lords in Baylorin. What were the odds they were only in Windonelle? The odds were as likely as coincidences had become in her life. Nonexistent.

There had been three Night Children at her own border and three at the Water Court. Their demand had not been for her. The others had assumed that was what they would want, but their demand had been to speak with the princes. When they’d arrived at the border, and she’d discovered only three vampyres present, her suspicions had only grown. If they had been there for her, more than three Night Children would have been there. Lord Tyndell and Mikale knew of her powers. Mikale had seen her since she had fled for the Fire Court. He knew she was working to master her magic. Three Night Children would have hardly been a challenge, even without her magic. No, they were not there for her.

Sorin had thought she was worried about her own safety, but her thoughts had been on anything but her wellbeing. If they weren’t moving into place to take her, then what were they doing? Sorin hadn’t recognized any of the mortal soldiers stationed near the Fire Court. None of his High Force was there.

The High Force was a small, tight, and impeccably trained unit. One soldier from the High Force was likely equal to ten regular soldiers. They had been learning about the Night Children.

And was likely right in front of her.

Scarlett had watched as Sorin had spoken to the three Night Children. She had watched as they had gone back and forth verbally. She had seen the fury cross Cyrus's face when the one vampyre had spoken of her being stabbed months ago. She’d smiled at the arrow he’d loosed in vengeance for her. She’d listened as the leader had told Sorin they’d expected to see her there. As he’d tried to enrage Sorin enough to tell him her whereabouts. Not because they wanted her, she’d realized, but because they’d wanted to make sure she was, in fact, in the Fire Court.

They were the distraction while something else was going on.

The High Force had not been learning about the Night Children to invade their territory. They had not been training to fight against them, not in the end. They only needed to fight against the ones who wouldn’t join their own forces. They only needed to get to the ones who would want to get revenge on Avonleya and feast on the Fae.