Page 38
Story: Lady of Shadows
“It’s about Windonelle. What’s happening there, and what we can do about it,” she answered, her voice softening a little.
“Have you heard news?” Callan asked, looking up in surprise.
“Not exactly,” she answered hesitantly. Then she said, “Tell me of your father.”
“My father?” Callan asked, his brows rising.
“Yes. Do you know why he wanted a High Force to be trained?” she asked, leaning over Cyrus to take the sandwich that Rayner passed to her.
“Why don’t you ask the one who was actually training them?” Callan retorted sharply.
“I have, but he doesn’t knowwhyyour father felt the need to have a High Force.”
“Why would any kingdom want a group of elite, highly trained lethal soldiers?” Callan countered.
“To carry out secret missions,” Eliza cut in. “Our most skilled warriors are sent out when things need to be handled quickly and discreetly. Things we don’t want others to know about.”
“And you are wondering what those matters might be for my father?” Callan asked. He shifted his attention back to Scarlett. “If I knew,do you not think I would have already told you? Do you not trust that I have been trying to help you this whole time?”
“I do,” Scarlett said, “but maybe you don’t know that you know, Callan. Maybe it has absolutely nothing to do with the children disappearing.”
“Are you asking him to relay information about his kingdom that was discussed behind closed doors?” Sloan asked now, his voice hard.
“That is exactly what she is asking,” Sorin said, striding into the dining hall. He had on an elegant red tunic with gold thread throughout and charcoal gray pants. “You really could not wait an extra five minutes for me to get here before you started eating?”
“When you say we’re going to have a meeting at noon, perhaps you should be hereat noon,” Cyrus replied, grabbing another sandwich from the platter.
“Are those pears?” Scarlett asked, leaning over Cyrus's plate and practically crawling on the table to reach for them. Rayner sighed, picked one up, and, on a swirl of smoke, passed it to Scarlett. She sat back on the table, her feet swinging once more. She seemed so comfortable around them, as if she had lived with them her whole life, not merely stayed here for the past several days.
“Are those new boots?” Sorin asked, studying her swinging feet.
Cyrus barked a laugh, and a feline grin spread across Scarlett’s face. “I had some money to burn, Prince.”
“I have been with you all morning. When did you get to the city?”
“While you were bathing I paid Camilla to go to the city and fetch me a few things.”
“Boots?”
“And chocolates and books from the sound of things,” Cyrus said, amusement dancing in his golden eyes.
Callan watched as Scarlett tipped her head back in laughter, her shadows ebbing and flowing. Was this how she was when she was alone with her friends in the Black Syndicate? With Cassius and Death’s Shadow? She had said to him on so many occasions that he did not know all of her. He hadn’t wanted to believe her.He had wanted to believe that she had felt comfortable enough around him that she could be her entire self, with no pretenses, no masks.
Sorin settled into a chair beside Cyrus. Scarlett stayed perched on the table between them. Her eyes met Sorin’s, and she tilted her head to the side like she heard something. Sorin’s mouth quirked to the side.
“Well, now that we’re all here,” Eliza drawled from her seat, “maybe the mortal prince can tell us what he knows.”
All eyes shifted back to him now. “As I have already said, Sorin was the one training them. He would know more than I do. My father, it appears, had several secrets I was unaware of. It seems to be a common theme in my life as of late.”
Scarlett’s brows rose, and she spun to face him, now sitting cross-legged on the table. She met his eyes, her shadows darkening some, swirling a little faster. “I was planning to tell you so many things when we were to meet in the clearing, Callan. I know we are not on the best of terms right now, but we are on the same side.”
“Are we?” he countered.
“Why would you think we are not?” Sorin asked. He sat casually in his chair, his hand resting on the table near Scarlett.
“I have been told very little since we arrived here,” Callan said.
“And this meeting is to rectify that,” Sorin replied, sipping from his glass of water. “What do you wish to know?”
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38 (Reading here)
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144
- Page 145
- Page 146
- Page 147
- Page 148
- Page 149
- Page 150
- Page 151
- Page 152
- Page 153
- Page 154
- Page 155
- Page 156
- Page 157
- Page 158
- Page 159
- Page 160
- Page 161
- Page 162
- Page 163
- Page 164
- Page 165
- Page 166
- Page 167
- Page 168
- Page 169
- Page 170
- Page 171
- Page 172
- Page 173
- Page 174
- Page 175
- Page 176
- Page 177
- Page 178
- Page 179
- Page 180
- Page 181
- Page 182
- Page 183
- Page 184
- Page 185
- Page 186
- Page 187
- Page 188
- Page 189
- Page 190
- Page 191
- Page 192