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Sorin’s smile faded and a look of concern passed across his features. “This is real, Scarlett.”

“You came for me?”

“I will always come for you.”

He stilled as her shadows reached out for him, swirling around his legs, his arms, his torso, searching him. She could feel him beneath her own hands as they moved, as if they were an extension of her own being.

Slowly, Scarlett brought her hand to the shield and placed her palm against his. The flames flickered a few times, then disappeared entirely. They stood there, palm to palm, eyes locked on each other. He certainlyfeltreal, but so had so much else in her dreams.

When Sorin reached to bring a hand to her cheek, she stepped back, out of reach. “This is real?”

“This is real, Scarlett. It is not a dream,” Sorin answered gently.

“Callan, Finn, and Sloan? They are here. That was real?”

Sorin’s jaw tightened. “Yes, they are here.”

“Eliza. Is she real, or was she a dream?”

“Eliza is a very real person.”

“Cassius. Is Cassius here? I want to see him.”

“No, Scarlett,” he said gently, shaking this head. “Cassius and Nuri are back in Baylorin, safe and protecting the children.”

Scarlett fell silent, tendrils of her shadows reaching out to the prince once more. Sorin didn’t move as they swirled over his chest, stroked down his cheek, coiled around his throat.

“Do you want me to summon Beatrix?” the man asked quietly.

Shadows pounced on the man, and he winced as they wound around his wrists.

“Here, Love,” Sorin said, his voice low. “Stay with me.”

“Sorin,” the man said, his voice low and urgent. “She cannot control it.”

“She will not learn if she is asleep,” Sorin argued.

“We cannot keep doing this. She needs to ease into it. Train her in the courtyards, not in your drawing room,” the man countered.

“I will not shove her into a cage to be tamed,” Sorin snarled, his voice going steely.

“She is standing right here,” Scarlett snapped. They both whipped their heads to her, and she scowled at them.

“The choice is yours, Scarlett,” Sorin said. “I can summon Beatrix, our Healer, to help you sleep through more of this, or you can try it on your own.”

“I do not need to sleep any more,” she sighed, her shadows reeling back to her. “What I need is a bath.”

“I agree,” Sorin answered. Scarlett leveled an unimpressed stare at him, and he shrugged. Then he leaned forward until his face was inches from hers. Her breath caught at his closeness. She thought he was going to kiss her, and she readied to punch him right in the godsdamn face, but then he whispered, “You smell.” She brought her fist up to do just that, but he caught her wrist with a smirk. “A necessary touch. To protect myself.”

“You are still an ass,” she replied with a roll of her eyes, jerking her arm back and out of his grip. The man behind them barked a laugh, and she turned to face him. “Who the hell are you?”

The man straightened at being directly addressed. “This is Briar.You sort of met him when you first arrived,” Sorin cut in. “He was here anyway.”

Scarlett studied the man a moment more before saying, “Have you known Sorin long?”

“Since we were children,” Briar answered, curiosity lining his face and glimmering in his blue eyes. “We were practically raised together.”

“Did you also know my mother?” She heard Sorin suck in a breath beside her.