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She gave him a light shove as she muttered, “Prick.”

He merely turned, now leaning back against the railing, and pulled her to him. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head as she leaned into him. Again, those shadows flickered. She pulled back to look into his eyes, and he reached up to stroke her cheek, but he was met with a burning, biting swirl of shadows as they darkened around her.

“Scarlett?” Her eyes were wide as she stared back the way they had come.

Where Prince Callan was walking towards the bridge.

He had planned to visit the prince tomorrow, but apparently it was to be now. There was a problem, though.

He leaned over to speak into her ear. “Scarlett, if you do not want to talk to him right now, I understand. I can summon Briar, and he can take you back to our rooms.”

She shook her head, her eyes still on the human prince.

“The thing is, the moment he steps foot on this bridge, my entire Inner Court will be summoned. One will be here almost instantaneously. The other two will not be far behind.”

She turned to him. Her eyes were dark, as though her shadows had infiltrated them. “Can you tell them not to come?”

He grimaced. “I could, but they will not listen.” The look of bewilderment caused him to add, “You will understand when you meet them tonight.But if you do not wish to meet them here, I can request Briar come and escort you back, and I will talk to Callan.”

“If he does not step onto the bridge, will they still come?”

“No, not unless he takes that step. It is part of the wards and protection spells to the private wing.”

“Can I talk to him first?”

“Of course, Love. You are free to do as you wish. Always.”

She looked at him, almost as if seeing him for the first time. Those shadows of hers stroked down his cheek. Then she took a step forward, and they speared from her towards the end of the bridge.

CHAPTER 6

CALLAN

Callan had been watching them for nearly ten minutes. He had seen them rounding a corner in the guest halls. Finn had tried to grab his arm, but he had shrugged him off and trailed them. He had hidden in an alcove as they crossed onto the bridge. She was so relaxed with him. So…carefree. As if nothing could go wrong as long as he was beside her. She had never been that relaxed, that comfortable, around him. She was always prepared to flee. Always prepared to fight her way out of anything. Even when she had been naked in his bed, daggers had always been within reach.

He watched as she lightly shoved the Fire Prince, and he heard her endearingly call him a prick. She was still a wraith, her eyes still haunted, but even the shadows that trailed her had dimmed. And when he had pulled her to him, they flickered. Callan had been sure they were going to go out.

And he couldn’t help himself. He had to talk to her. He had to know. She had said she and the general were friends. She had said she couldn’t be tied to a throne. If she chose him, wouldn’t it be the same? Was she choosing him?

He had stepped from the alcove and had begun walking towards the bridge when she had spotted him. Her eyes had widened, and those shadows had swirled. As he came closer, Sorin had bent down and whispered into her ear. Some discussion was had, and when he came to a stop at the edge of the bridge, Sorin’s voice floated down to him. “Of course, Love. You are free to do as you wish. Always.”

Love. He had called her that the entire trip. A pet name. That’s what he had told himself. A name to get under her skin, to tease her like he seemed to like to do. He hadn’t meant it asLove. Right?

Callan had stilled as Scarlett had begun walking towards him. He made to move toward her, but shadows speared from her and created a wall at the edge of the bridge. He watched as she stopped a few feet from him, cocking her head to study the wall of shadows, like she was unsure of how they had created such an obstruction.

The guard beside the bridge started at the shadowy wall, but Sorin said coolly from down the way, “It is fine, Talis. No need to worry.” The guard nodded at his prince and stood back.

Her eyes slid to him. “Hello, Callan.” Her voice was as it always had been, yet was far away. Her ears were pointed now, and he couldn’t help but notice elongated canines that peeked out when she spoke. She seemed taller. Fae. One of them.

“Scarlett,” he breathed. “You are…different.”

“Different?” She seemed to mull the term over in her mind. “I suppose. I am not clad in black and armed with weapons. Then again, I’ve been told I am a weapon.”

“That’s not what I mean,” Callan said, shaking his head. “Come and talk to me.”

“I cannot talk to you right now,” she whispered.

“Cannot or will not?” he asked, the question coming out sharper than he had intended. She flinched at his tone. He had never seen her flinch in his life. What was Sorin doing to her?