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She had known then what she needed to do. She’d known Sorin would object, would fight her on it. He would have wanted to meet with Talwyn and Azrael, but there wasn’t time. The distraction was staring them in the face, which meant whatever they were up to was happening now. There was not time for meetings and correspondence.

But she also didn’t know what she was facing. Nakoa had been right when he’d flung accusations at her. She was a novice who had no fucking idea what she was doing. She was an assassin who hunted down Fae and those who didn’t want to be found. She was an expert at taking out one person. She could fight her way out of a crowd. But facing down trained soldiers by herself? A unit that had been trained by Sorin? This could all go very, very badly, and if it did, if she were hauled back to Baylorin, she didn’t want it known that she was married. She didn’t want Sorin to follow until she knew what she’d be facing. So she’d left her wedding ring behind, and she’d used the Blood Magic she’d been studying in that chamber in the dark hours of the night. She’d used a blocking Mark to create a barrier in their twin flame bond to keep him from sensing her and her from sensing him.

The cost had been having to kiss him and knowing it could very well be the last time. The cost had been having to act completely natural, argue with him, and watch him cross that border without her at his side. The cost had been the trust she very well could have irrevocably broken the second she’d sliced her palm and let her blood drip on that Mark she’d so carefully drawn in the dirt.

She glanced down at her now clear skin. The Mark hidden as a demand of the glamour in the mortal lands. She gritted her teeth,straining to hear the men beyond the trees. How had Sorin lasted three years in these lands with diminished Fae senses?

All the people she’d seen among the small camp were covered head to toe so any of them could be High Force or vampyre. She couldn’t scent them this far away, so here she sat, watching and waiting. Something had to happen soon if the Western Courts were currently being distracted.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, all the men began to congregate near the edge of the forest. Scarlett had slunk back farther into the trees as their leader began speaking and giving orders. The leader was the closest to her. The scents of blood and night-kissed wind drifted towards her. A Night Child then. Nine others were hanging on the edges of the group, watching not the leader but the surrounding lands. An escort, she realized. They were an escort of Night Children to lead them through the lands, but they had to cross a small section of the Earth Court first. Prince Azrael would destroy them. Either that or they’d have to cross through a small section of the Witch Kingdoms, which was arguably more terrifying.

This was all assuming they could get past the wards.

Scarlett carefully crept closer.

“Our sole goal when we get into the territory is to find the Contessa,” the leader was saying. “We have reason to believe she is not in her palace, but in her private residence. We have someone on the inside close to her who knows where it is. He’ll be meeting us as soon as we cross the border. He will fill us in further and tell us how to tell which Night Children to kill and which are on our side.”

The Contessa?

Scarlett racked her memories. The Contessa ruled the Night Children. Other than that, she knew little of her. To rule over such a bloodline, though, she had to imagine she was not an easy target and would be incredibly dangerous.

“As soon as the queen arrives and is taken care of, we move,” the leader continued.

Scarlett sat up at that. They hadn’t moved yet because they were waiting for her? No. They were waiting for Talwyn. Talwyn would kill them all by sucking the air from their lungs.They wouldn’t stand a chance against Talwyn.

And they wouldn’t stand a chance against her.

Scarlett took a deep breath, calling her shadows forward. They swirled and danced and nearly trembled at being allowed out, waiting to pounce and attack and kill. Then she plunged down deep into that well of magic in her soul. She pushed down and down and down, drawing every ember and drop of water and cold ice to herself. She had summoned her witch-suit and fighting leathers before she’d left the Fire Court.

Drawing the Spirit Sword from her back, she sauntered out of the woods to the waiting forces. They all froze, turning to stare at her as she propped the sword blade on her shoulder, one hand going to her hip.

“If you’re waiting for the queen, then here I am,” she drawled.

The leader’s lip curled back under his hood and his nostrils flared. “You are no queen,” he purred. “You are something so much better.”

The hand on her hip came dramatically to her chest. “I’m flattered that you think so.”

Four of the men guarding the small unit had come to flank the leader. The other five had closed in tighter, herding the men. Not herding them at all really. The High Force was getting into a formation.

“How cute,” she smirked. “Practicing those moves that General Renwell spent years teaching you.”

“Do not speak to them,” the leader hissed, taking a step towards her. “Where is the Fae Queen?”

“Now, now,” Scarlett chided. “We just agreed I’m much better. Don’t offend me by asking for her when we can play.”

A smile curled on the leader’s face. “And play we shall, but we cannot make another move until the Fae Queen arrives and is…handled.”

“Have you met the Fae Queen? She will destroy you all in a single breath. Literally,” Scarlett answered, her tone bored as she flipped her sword hilt in her hand.

“We are well aware of the Fae Queen’s gifts,” the leader gritted out. “We are prepared for her.”

“Pity,” Scarlett said with a shrug.

“Why is that a pity?” the leader demanded.

“Because I really like to play,” she purred. Flames encircled their entire company, the Night Children hissing back towards the men.

Scarlett stalked forward, her shadows growing thicker with each step creating a shield of darkness locking out all threats. She stopped on the outside of the fire enclosure and gave the leader a simpering smile…as two of the Night Children flanking him froze from the inside out. She sent a whip of her shadows at them, breaking them into chunks of frozen blood and gore.