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She carefully pushed open the bedroom door and stepped inside. Sorin still lay in bed where she’d left him. She unbuckled the dagger from her thigh and slid her feet from her slippers. Then she stood, debating whether a hot bath would ease her aching middle.

“Take the tonic on the nightstand for the pain,” came a voice from the darkened room. She scowled at him in the darkness, and he chuckled, rising from the bed. He grabbed the vial from the bedside table as he came to her, uncorking it and extending it to her.

“When did you learn I was gone?” she asked, tipping back the vial, its honey taste trying to mask the bitterness of it.

“Love, I felt you get out of this bed,” he replied with a smirk she could just make out in the glow from the hearth.

“You did not,” she scoffed, handing him the empty vial.

“I did. Granted, I thought you were going to the bathing room and did not want the door slammed in my face again. When you did not return after an hour, I sent word for a pain relieving tonic to have ready for you. She added a sedative to help you sleep.”

Scarlett rolled her eyes, making to move towards the bed. Dammit. She was so damn sore.

“I’m surprised you didn’t try to stop me when you heard me leave the room then,” she ground out, trying and failing to hide her grimace of pain. She didn’t fight him as he gently lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed.

“Scarlett, I understand it is hard for you to let yourself be taken care of. I understand that Fae protectiveness is new to you and takes such a thing to a whole new overbearing level. It took every shred of self-control to let you leave this room tonight and fight that urge to make you stay in bed, despite knowing you would come back in this state,” he said pointedly, pulling the comforter up and around her. “I am trying though.”

“The mother hen look is not good on you,” she said softly, feeling the tonic begin to take effect.

“I’ll try to remember that,” he said with a soft chuckle, as he climbed back into the other side of the bed.

“I just couldn’t sleep. I was getting restless,” she murmured into the dark.

“I know, Love, but maybe one hour in the library would have been wiser than three?”

“You know where I was?”

“I am the prince of the palace, Scarlett, and you are, for all intents and purposes, a princess. I was sent a message by every night watch you passed.”

“Why did you not tell me Callan went with Talwyn willingly?” she asked. She wanted to roll onto her side and face him, but knew that would be impossible, so she turned her head.

He seemed to know though, and propped himself onto an elbow,looking down at her. It was somehow more intimate than kissing, laying in the dark, staring into his golden eyes. “He told you?”

“He did. Why didn’t you?”

“Because I know he is important to you. I did not want this to fracture your relationship with him further.”

“I think he is still hoping things will return to how they were,” she said quietly, feeling the tug of sleep.

“I think you are right,” he agreed, gently stroking soothing lines down her cheek, along her jaw.

“I do not know how to tell him that…that I do not know if I will remain in Baylorin when we take him home,” she said, her eyes growing heavy.

Sorin’s finger paused its movement for a split second before continuing. “Oh?”

“He is researching things. In the library,” she murmured. She hardly knew what she was saying any more.

“What kinds of things?”

“Mainly history.”

She heard the smile in Sorin’s words as he said, “Is he now?”

“Yes. He is also researching twin flames and soulmates.”

Sorin’s fingers stilled completely this time. Her eyes fluttered open at the interruption, and she found him watching her closely. “What has he learned?”

“We didn’t discuss it much.” She couldn’t read his expression, although her mind was so muddled from the tonic, there was probably nothing to read there, anyway. She was just babbling at this point. “He said he thought someone here might think I am their twin flame or soulmate, and that’s why you all are so protective. I couldn’t tell him the truth.”