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Scarlett

Her eyes ?uttered open. The rocking of the ship calmed her in the dark quarters. Sorin was curled around her, his knee pressed between her thighs and an arm draped over her middle. She attempted to slip from the bed without disturbing him,but—

“Where are you going, Love?” His voice was thick with sleep, and his grip tightened around her middle. She wasn’t sure when or how they’d been moved to their room. The last thing she remembered was being curled in his lap on the ship deck after falling into the black waters. It had been night then too. Was it the same night? The next? A few days later? She still wore the same clothing, but her cloak and boots had been removed, along with the weapons she’d had on her.

“I think we’re here,” she said, her voice sounding harsh in the quiet of their room.

Sorin stilled for a moment before pushing out a long breath. “And the reason you think we have suddenly arrived at Avonleya in the middle of the night is because...?”

“The Lord of Night told me.”

He sat up at that, golden eyes ?ickering with embers ?nding hers in the dark. Staring down at her, he said, “He was in your dreams again.”

“Mhmm,” she hummed, slipping from his hold easily this time. She began pulling off the old clothing, ?nding new pants and a heavy tunic before slipping her feet into her boots. Sorin was doing the same across the small space. He met her near the door a moment later, swinging a cloak around her shoulders. It was the fur-lined one he’d once brought her in the Fiera Mountains. How he’d known she was freezing down to her bones she didn’t care. She was just grateful for the extra warmth.

“He told you we were close?” he asked, his ?ngers making quick work of the buttons.

“He did. He told me Altaria would be waiting for me. That he would have something to unlock the wards by dumping it into the waters,” she replied.

Sorin had been reaching over her shoulders for her hood, but he froze at her words. “He said you can unlock the wards?”

“He said whatever Altaria has will let us in.”

He nodded, continuing his movements and pulling the hood of the cloak up over her hair. “Like a key, Princess?”

Scarlett clicked her tongue. “Still a queen.”

“My apologies. Like a key, your Majesty?”

She rolled her eyes, moving through the door to the main deck of the ship. She headed for the front of the ship, passing Cyrus and Cassius on the night watch as she went. They called out to her, but she didn’t slow. If they were both on the night watch it had to be a few days after they’d been to Rydeon, especially if Cassius had recovered enough to be sitting up with Cyrus.

She didn’t stop until she was standing at the bow of the ship, hands curling around the edge of the side. The water was as black as the night, and hovering above it all was a heavy mist.

No.

Not a mist. Shadows.

Like her shadows.

She lifted a hand, releasing her darkness from beneath her skin, and her shadows swirled around her. She could feel them vibrating, reaching for the shadows above the waters, and she fought to hold them back.

“Seastar...” Cassius ventured, his tone hushed as though he thought he would disturb the darkness.

“They know where we are,” she answered, her own voice just as faint.

She cut a quick glance at Cass. “You are all right?”

He nodded, moving to stand beside her. Sorin and Cyrus were a few steps behind them, giving them this.

This was their homecoming. This was their moment, at long last, of seeing where they came from. Where they should have called home. Her heart was hammering to an unsteady beat in her chest, and Cassius reached over, intertwining his ?ngers with hers.

“I’m good, Scarlett,” he rasped, his voice thick with emotion.

She could only nod as they stood and waited, watching the shadows move and drift along the dark waters. If she had felt like they’d come to a standstill in the days before going to Rydeon, she didn’t feel that way anymore. Their ship was cutting through the water at a quick pace, and the closer they got, the more she felt her magic thrashing inside of her. It was stretching, pushing at the edges of her being. She was ?ghting to control it, not wanting to let it free. They still didn’t know what to expect when they ?nally got there. She might need it to protect them, but there was no denying her power knew where she was. Cassius’s ?ngers ?exed around hers, and she knew he was feeling it too. Perhaps not quite as intensely, but without having any control over his gifts? She could imagine it was unsettling.

“Breathe, Cass,” she ordered softly. “In and out. You control it. It does not control you.”

He nodded, and she heard his next inhale. Cyrus and Sorin were murmuring behind them, and she heard Sorin ask Cyrus to go get the others, wanting to be prepared for anything. The Fire Second had only been gone a few minutes when an eagle’s cry pierced the night. It rang out loud and clear, and Scarlett couldn’t help the grin that spread over her face.

She lifted her arm, barely making out the dark shape against the inky sky, and a moment later, Altaria’s talons closed around her forearm. He clicked his beak, and Scarlett reached up, stroking her hand over his black feathers. His head tilted, a bright amber eye peering at her, and she stroked his head again. The eagle’s feathers puffed up, ruf?ing slightly, before it stretched a leg out towards her.

She tugged on the twine tying the vial to his leg, closing her ?ngers around the smooth glass container. With another piercing cry, Altaria took back to the sky, disappearing into the dark.

And she couldn’t move. She couldn’t believe they were ?nally here. It was too surreal, and for the briefest of moments, she questioned if it was real. Was she dreaming? Had Lord Tyndell found his way to her? Gotten into her mind?

Hands were turning her, ?ngers gently grasping her jaw and turning her head. Golden eyes grounded her, their bond soothing every fear and worry.

“Hey, Love,” he said, a soft smile lifting on his lips. She let out a shuddering exhale, her eyes falling closed, and when she reopened them, he asked, “Ready?”

She nodded, and Sorin pulled the cork from the vial, holding it out to her. She knew in her bones it was blood, could smell the coppery liquid. The Lord of Night’s blood.

She looked at Cassius one ?nal time, his features mirroring all the emotions she felt warring inside of her, before she held her hand out over the black waters and emptied the vial.

She heard it drip quietly into the sea, a soft splash of liquid on liquid. She was holding her breath, and then she was unable to contain her shadows. They tore free of any restraint she had on them, spearing out into the darkness. White ?ames swirled above her head, settling above her hair like a crown.

And the dark, shadowy mist was parting, clearing a path for the ships. Minutes later, it cleared completely, and Scarlett’s eyes widened in wonder. Towering buildings stood with ?ames of various colors in the windows. The ?re re?ected off the buildings, lighting up the harbor that stretched out before them. She couldn’t see beyond the buildings. A dark veil of shadows was beyond them, obscuring anything else from view.

It took nearly an hour to get their ships to the docks, the others arriving during that time. As they got closer, people appeared, preparing to receive them, but she was searching for a head of silver hair like hers.

It wasn’t until the gangplank was being lowered from the ship to the dock below that she saw him. He stepped from the air at the base of the ramp. His silver hair was hanging past his shoulders, and eyes just as silver were pinned on her. He looked exactly as he always had in her dreams, dressed in black, from his tunic to his pants to his boots.

Another male stood to his right. He had messy brown hair that brushed his cheekbones and piercing blue eyes. He was as tall as the Lord of Night but broader. His head was tilted, watching them all intensely, and Scarlett couldn’t tell if it was curiosity or annoyance that flickered across his features. But those features... They looked familiar somehow.

Sorin’s hand pressed slightly along her lower back, and she looked up at him.

We are all right behind you, Love.

She looked past him, seeing her Court, her family , standing behind her. All of them— Cyrus, Cassius, Eliza, Rayner, Briar, Sawyer. Her gaze shifted from the Fae to Callan, Tava, and Drake standing next to them. Callan’s head dipped slightly in acknowledgment and encouragement, and Scarlett swallowed against the burning in her throat as tears stung her eyes.

She turned back, meeting the Lord of Night’s eyes once more. Lifting her chin, she took the ?rst step towards him.

“Cethin Sutara,” the beautiful man said, reaching for her hand as she neared the end of the ramp and helping her over the small lip at the bottom. “My name is Cethin Sutara. King of Avonleya and your brother.”

“My brother?” she blurted, jerking her hand out of his. She bumped into Sorin’s hard chest behind her.

“Brother?” Sorin repeated.

Cethin nodded. “Everything about our kingdom is a secret. I could not tell you outside of our wards,” he replied, apology shining in his silver eyes. “I wanted to tell you, Scarlett. Gods, did I ever.”

“You are the king?” Sorin asked.

“I am,” Cethin replied.

“So that would make Scarlett an Avonleyan... Princess .”

She whipped her gaze to Sorin’s. “So not the time,” she hissed.

“Just making an observation,” he said innocently.

“Observe this,” she snapped, lifting her middle ?nger in front of his face.

“How unprincess-like of you.”

“Oh my gods,” Scarlett moaned, dragging a hand down her face. “Why are you choosing now to be an intentional pain in my ass?” When his only answer was an arrogant smirk, she rolled her eyes, gesturing vaguely in his direction. “This is my husband, Sorin.”

“I know who he is,” Cethin said, eyes glittering with amusement. “Prince of the Fire Court, husband, King of the Western Courts, and twin ?ame.”

Her nose wrinkled. “It is unsettling that you know all of that.”

Cethin chuckled, then jerked his chin over her shoulder. “That is your Guardian?”

“It is even more disturbing that you know that ,” she said, her brows knitting together. “Seriously. How do you know that?”

“A hunch. Based on the way he is hovering protectively.”

“You are a liar,” Scarlett purred, stepping closer to who was apparently her brother.

Cethin’s lips twitched again. “A hunch, among other things. To be discussed when we are not on the docks.” He looked past her to the water. “How many more ships accompany you?”

“A few,” she answered. “Many with Fae and children who were not safe to stay behind.”

“We will ?nd accommodations for all of them,” Cethin assured her.

Scarlett nodded, watching all the people move about the docks. “And where exactly are we staying?”

“There are quarters being prepared at the castle as we speak,” he answered.

“Fancy,” she quipped, eyeing the male at his side. “Who is this?”

“Razik Greybane. Hand-to-the-King, among other things.”

Razik ?ashed her a tight smile but didn’t say anything, continuing to watch them all closely.

“Other things,” she echoed dryly.

“Again, something that would be better discussed away from the docks,” Cethin said.

“You are awfully worried about being overheard on the docks,” Sorin observed. “Do you not trust your people?”

Cethin sent him a ?at look. “Implicitly. However, I assumed your wife would want some time to process everything before alerting the entire kingdom that an unknown princess has returned home, and like any other docks, there are eyes and ears everywhere. We rarely receive ships from the east. There will already be rumors swirling.”

That all seemed logical enough, but—

“You do not truly expect me to leave my people here while I go off to a castle?” she asked.

“I have people on their way to escort them to accommodations,” Cethin explained.

“I cannot just leave them here,” Scarlett insisted.

“I will stay with them,” Briar said from behind them. “Sawyer too.”

“And I can stay,” Rayner added.

Scarlett glanced up at Sorin, who seemed as con?icted about this decision as she did.

“Not a very trustworthy thing, are you?”

Scarlett’s lip curled up into a sneer as she glared at Razik. “Says the male who has spoken a whole seven words since we arrived and is watching us as if we were thieves.”

A small, dark smile pulled at his lips, but Cethin spoke ?rst. “Stop being a prick, Raz.”

“I want to know where they will be housed before I leave them,” Scarlett said.

“There are several manors near the castle.”

“Noble households?”

“Something like that.”

“I seem to remember you saying there would be no more vague answers when I arrived.”

“She is certainly as annoying as you are,” Razik said.

“Shut up, Raz,” Cethin snapped. He exhaled sharply. “What would you propose then, Scarlett?”

“Well, Lord of Night —” She paused as Razik snorted a laugh at the term, blue eyes landing on Cethin, mirth shining in them. “I would like to see where my people are going to be housed, to make sure they will be safe there.”

“I can do that. We will pass by on our way to the castle.” He gestured to the right. “There are horses waiting.”

“Horses?”

“I assumed you would not trust me enough right away to Travel us all somewhere.”

He was right about that.

“However, I underestimated the number of people who would be in your company. How many will be staying at the castle with you?”

Scarlett glanced behind her, quickly tallying in her head. “Fourteen, including myself and Sorin, but some can share space if needed.”

“It is a castle, Scarlett,” Cethin drawled. “They can each have ?ve chambers if they wish.”

“If you have so much extra space, then perhaps everyone with me can stay there.”

“If that is what you wish.”

She was about to say yes, that is exactly what she wished, when Tava spoke softly behind her.

“Scarlett, if I may?”

She turned in surprise. “Of course, Tava.”

“I think it would be easier to keep an eye on the children if they were in a more con?ned space rather than a large castle. Not that I know how large the castle is,” she continued on in a rush. “But I assume it is much larger than a manor house.”

“The Fae would likely be more comfortable in the manor houses as well,” Briar agreed. “Rather than feeling on edge in another kingdom’s royal space.”

“If that is what you all feel is best,” she said. “But you will stay at the castle?”

Briar nodded. “After we get everyone settled, someone can escort us there. We will send messages if we need anything or there is any trouble.”

She looked at Sorin, who nodded once in agreement. “Well, I guess that is settled then,” she said, unease still making her stomach tighten at leaving her people with those she didn’t know.

“I assure you they will be taken care of, Scarlett,” Cethin coaxed. “Shall we?”

They followed Cethin and Razik down a road and around a corner, where several horses stood, tied to various posts. Cethin made his way to a large black stallion, running his hand down his nose as he said, “A few of you may need to share.”

“I can ride with Sorin,” she said, already calculating in her head.