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“I don’t know what is wrong with me today,” she whispered.

“There is nothing wrong with you, Scarlett. You just had a hard day. That is okay.”

The silence stretched on between them once more. She finally stood, and he rose beside her, a steady presence. She looked out over the river once more, saying quietly, “Briar told me you only drown if you stay in the river.” She swallowed as the last of the sun dipped behind the mountains, and the night enveloped them. How long had they been out here?

She turned to face him, pulling her cloak tighter around herself. “I don’t want to be in the river any more, Sorin.” Her voice cracked on the last words.

His arms were around her in the next breath, pulling her to him,like he’d been waiting for this moment. As if he’d known it was coming. “I am not going to let you drown, Scarlett.”

She let him hold her in the dark, breathing him in and soaking in his warmth. As he sent another flood of heat through her, she grumbled, “I hate the cold.”

Sorin huffed a laugh, pulling back to look into her eyes. “Are you ready to go back to where it is warm?”

She only nodded, and a fire portal appeared before them. He took her hand in his and led her through into the warmth of his sitting room. Reaching up, she pushed back the hood of her cloak and took off her gloves. Sorin was taking them from her a heartbeat later, and he sent a fire message of some sort as she reached up and unbuttoned her cloak. He took that from her, too, striding to the hooks near the main door and hanging them upon it.

“I asked Camilla to send up some food,” he told her as he came to her once more. “I am assuming you did not eat.”

“I didn’t. Thank you,” she answered, walking over to the fire and holding her hands out to it, watching the flames flicker and dance among each other. After several minutes, she turned to ask Sorin a question and found him sitting on the brick red sofa, his head propped on a hand on the arm of it, watching her, a soft smile playing on his lips.

That look she wasn’t willing to acknowledge was again glimmering in his eyes, and the question she had been about to ask flew from her mind as she met his eyes. “What?”

The smile turned into a slight frown. “You look tired.”

“My soul is tired,” she sighed.

“Yes, but you look physically tired as well. You need to rest more. The more magic you do, the more energy your body will use up. It is what feeds your magic. You need to make sure you are eating enough and getting enough sleep,” he replied.

Scarlett rolled her eyes. “I really thought we were past this whole mother hen thing.” His small smile made another appearance. “How was dinner?” she asked, turning back to the fire once more.

“It was fine, I suppose. As fine as it can be without you there.”

“Don’t say things like that.”

“Say things like what?”

“Like it makes any difference if I am here or not. I am not a part of this Court. It wouldn’t matter if I returned to Baylorin tomorrow.”

Sorin was silent for so long that she finally turned back again to see if he had left the room. He was still seated in the same spot, his head propped, but his eyes were narrowed slightly. “Come here.”

Scarlett wrinkled her nose. “No.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t want to.”

He huffed a laugh. “Please come here,” he patted the spot on the sofa beside him.

She sighed and crossed the small space. She sat down, tucking her feet up underneath her, propped her elbow on the back and angled to face him. He stretched an arm towards her, resting it just behind her elbow, and turned to face her as well.

“While I do not particularly enjoy you going off to be by yourself, I understand the need to do so from time to time. I understand hard days, Scarlett, I do, but do not for one second think that your missing presence is unnoticed or unfelt. Do not for one second think you do not make a difference. Do not—” Sorin broke off as she broke eye contact with him, her eyes dropping to her lap. His fingers brushed against her arm on the back of the sofa. His voice was even lower when he spoke again. “Do not for one second think that you do not matter.”

There was a knock on the door, and Camilla called out, “Prince Aditya? I have the food you requested.”

“Thank you, Camilla,” he answered, not moving an inch. “Please leave it by the door. I will grab it in a moment.” There was the soft thunking of a tray and light footsteps leaving down the hall. Still, he did not move to retrieve it.

His fingers were making light strokes on her arm. “Scarlett—”

“Don’t, Sorin. Please just…don’t,” she whispered.