Page 35

Chapter 34

Scarlett

"G ood morning?” Cethin came to stop as he entered the dining room on the king’s ?oor of the castle.

“Kailia let me in,” Scarlett said sweetly, raising a cup of tea to him in greeting. “Hope you don’t mind.”

“Of course she did.”

The Avonleyan Queen had appeared from smoke and ashes the moment Scarlett had stepped into what was apparently the princess’s wing of the castle. Kailia had studied her for a long moment when Scarlett had told her what she wanted, before she’d ?nally said, “He will argue with you on this.”

“Lucky for me I am in the mood to argue then,” Scarlett had replied with a sharp smile. “Unless you want to tell me what I wish to know?”

“Why do you think I would know the answers you seek?” Kailia had asked.

“Because I see the way he looks at you. You keep nothing from each other.”

Kailia’s lips had twitched slightly. “A blessing and a curse, I suppose.”

“I could not agree more,” Scarlett had said knowingly.

She had been sitting in Cethin’s small, intimate dining area since then, eating from his breakfast spread and sipping tea.

Scarlett watched as he lifted a palm, a message disappearing amid shadows, presumably going to Kailia. “To what do I owe this early morning visit?” he asked, moving towards the table. He was dressed in his usual immaculate black tunic and black pants, but his boots were missing which made for an interesting picture.

“I need to speak with you and felt some of what I need to discuss might be better done between just the two of us,” she answered, setting her teacup down on the table.

Cethin poured his own cup of tea. “And Sorin is ?ne with this?”

She rolled her eyes. “He is not my keeper.”

“Of course not,” he said with a smirk.

She sighed. “He was not overly thrilled with the idea, but he understood my argument. He is also waiting to see if Cyrus was able to convince Cassius to take a Source.”

Cethin nodded, taking a seat across the table from her. “I do not understand Cassius’s resistance to this. Most Avonleyans would sacri?ce much for the opportunity to have a Source.”

“Do I need to be worried for the safety of the Fae I have brought with me?” Scarlett asked, deceptively casual.

“Has any harm come to them yet?” Cethin countered. “But I will not deny that Kailia has picked up chatter, even in cities farther inland. They know a Fae Queen is here and brought Fae with them. Rumors are swirling. They will need to be addressed soon.”

She chose to ignore all the stuff about announcing her as the Princess of Avonleya, instead answering his prior question. “Cassius and Cyrus each battle their own pasts. Cyrus has ghosts that haunt him, and Cassius had many of the same lessons ingrained in him by Alaric that I did. It is not as simple as asking and becoming a Source. It wasn’t for me and Sorin either.”

“Do you think it will eventually happen?”

“I think a lot will eventually happen when it comes to Cassius and Cyrus,” she answered. “But that is not what I came to discuss this morning.

Cethin’s brows rose. “By all means, do not keep me in suspense.”

He was reaching for a pastry when Scarlett said, “I need to go take down the wards around the mortal lands.” She held up a hand as he began to protest. “I know the decree you laid down about being able to best you before you’d share that secret, but if you do not tell me, I will start looking in earnest for the work-around. And I will ?nd it, Cethin.”

He sat back in his chair, pastry forgotten on the platter. “I have no doubt you will ?nd it, but you will not be willing to pay the cost of the work-around to leave these Wards.”

“You know the work-around?” Scarlett demanded.

“Of course I know the work-around,” Cethin said, his ?ngers drumming on the table. “There were two work-arounds. Only one remains.”

“The Avonleyan Keys?”

Cethin nodded. “The seven keys hidden on your continent were hidden before the Wards were put up. They were meant to be a safeguard that Eliné and Henna knew about, in case things went terribly wrong.”

“Things did go terribly wrong,” Scarlett said.

“There is nothing that can be done about that now.” That was true, but he spoke of it so... cavalierly.

“So those keys could have taken down the Wards?”

Cethin shook his head. “No. Those keys would have allowed the holder to pass in and out of the Wards, along with anyone they allowed through.”

“Then how do we take down the Wards?”

A muscle feathered in Cethin’s jaw, and he glanced out the window. “Saylah will not tell me. I know it is connected to the mirror gates, but other than that...” He met her gaze again. “I have not been able to learn much more than that.”

“The mirror gates?” Scarlett repeated. “You said they are mirrors, not literal gates.”

“Most of them are.”

“ Most? ”

“All but one from my understanding.”

“I am going to need you to be more forthcoming with information, Cethin,” she ground out. “I do not enjoy prying it from your lips.”

His ?ngers drummed again at the same time Scarlett drummed hers.

The two locked eyes at the uni?ed mannerism.

“Him or her?” Scarlett asked, bringing her hand to her lap.

“Our father always did that,” Cethin answered. “When he was deep in thought.”

She nodded, resisting the urge to bring her hand back to the table. “Why do you feel the need to take the magical wards down around the mortal lands now? Why not wait until you can properly defend against Alaric?” Cethin asked.

Scarlett bristled at this entire exchange. She hated that she was basically asking her older brother for permission to leave this -continent. She hated even more that him telling her she could not leave made her feel trapped, even if the cage was as large as the continent the kingdom spanned. She forced herself to shove her frustration down.

“Because I know Alaric and you don’t,” she answered. “They are getting smarter. I guarantee he has plans for his plans. So do we. But I cannot implement them if I am stuck behind these Wards. If I can take down those magical wards around the mortal lands now, it strikes a blow against him. He will have to take the time to address the issue, buying me more time here to learn to defend against him. And,” she continued, raising her voice when Cethin tried to interrupt. “It will give my allies there the ability to carry out their own attacks.”

Cethin’s ?ngers drummed on the table again. “You speak of the Witches and Shifters.”

“I do,” she agreed. “And Princess Ashtine is still there. I know she stayed for... her , but if I know the princess at all, she will aid us when it matters most. The Fae will be better able to defend themselves. Everyone will be better able to defend themselves there while I am hiding out here.”

Cethin’s features shifted at her words, softening some. “You are not hiding, Scarlett. You are preparing.”

“And while I sit here, protected behind wards preparing , my people suffer. You cannot tell me you would not ?ght for the same if roles were reversed. You love your people as much as I do.”

“You understand if you do this and are caught, the fate of this entire world hangs in the balance?” he asked after a long moment of silence.

“It already hangs in the balance, Cethin,” she replied. “And it will continue to do so until someone makes a move. I would prefer that someone be us instead of them, but I guarantee he has already been making small moves that we know nothing about.”

Cethin said nothing, reaching once more for the pastry and taking a bite. It took everything in Scarlett to sit silently while he ate the entire damn thing. He poured himself a glass of juice and took a long drink before he ?nally spoke again.

“The Avonleyan Keys were created as a safeguard for the Fae Queens, but the true keys were created by our parents. I control who can enter the Wards, but we learned too late that I can only allow Avonleyans in.”

Scarlett’s nose scrunched in confusion. “Then how did the Fae come with me? And Auberon? And the children?”

“Honestly, I do not know. I was hoping that since they traveled with you that would be enough to get them in. I am assuming since you are... who you are, it made a difference,” he answered, watching her carefully.

“What does that mean?”

“I control who enters the Wards. You control who leaves, Scarlett. We are the true keys.”

Scarlett sat back in her chair. “If I control who leaves, why the hell was I stashed away across the sea?”

“A question we would all like an answer to, but one Saylah refuses to give.”

“If you could get me in with your blood, why were you so insistent on me ?nding the keys before I came?” Scarlett asked.

“The work-around needed to be destroyed. As you said, the Maraans are getting smarter, more creative,” Cethin said. “That option needed to be eliminated.”

“Why would they make children the true keys? Why lay that responsibility on our shoulders?” Scarlett asked, more to herself than Cethin, but he answered anyway.

“I do not believe it was their intention. From what I have been able to learn over the decades, they did not completely understand the cost of this.”

“A goddess did not understand the cost?” she asked skeptically.

“She may be a goddess, but she does not control the workings of magic and power. She does not control the balance,” Cethin answered. He held out a bowl of fruit to her. “Did you get enough to eat?”

She swiped a pear, taking a bite as she mulled over everything he’d told her. “I came here for two reasons,” she said when the fruit was nearly gone.

“Oh?”

“I would like Razik to come with me, and I need...” She set the pear core down in front of her. “I need Sorin to stay behind.”

Cethin barked a harsh laugh. “Sorin will never agree to such a thing.”

“I know, but I cannot have him there with me, Cethin. You were right yesterday. My focus will be too split if he is with me. He is weakening. I will have to ?ll my reserves before we go, which means I will have to draw from him, making him even weaker.” She swallowed down the tears burning at the back of her throat. “Ineed Razik to come, and Sorin to stay.”

“Hey, Love,” Sorin said when she stepped from the air into their rooms back at the Greybane Estate. She tried to smile at him, but of course he saw through the effort. He stood from the sofa he’d been sitting on, quickly crossing the room to her. “He did not tell you.”

She settled into his chest as his arms came around her, listening to his heartbeat beneath her ear. The sound, along with the twin ?ame bond, soothed something deep in her soul. She felt his lips brush the top of her head, his ?ngers winding into her hair.

“We will ?nd the work-around, Love,” he said softly. “We will ?gure this out.”

She shook her head, her ?ngers ?exing into his back where she clung to him. “He told me how to leave, Sorin.”

A gentle tug at her hair had her looking up at him. “He did?”

She nodded. “It’s me. I’m the key. He is the key to get in. I am the key to leave.”

He blinked at her once before saying slowly, “That is a good thing then. We can leave whenever we wish.”

“Yes,” she replied, but he picked up on the hesitation in her voice immediately.

“What else, Scarlett?” he asked, unwinding his arms and leading her to the sofa he had just vacated.

When they were both seated and she had tucked her feet up underneath her, angling to face him, she said, “I will need to ?ll my reserves before I go.”

“That is a given,” Sorin answered, reaching over and tucking her hair behind her ear.

“You will be weakened even more.”

She felt the guilt down the bond, and she reached over, her ?ngers running along his jaw. “I will not survive losing you again, Sorin.”

“Love, that is not—”

“Do not tell me it will not happen, Sorin. You cannot promise me that.”

He tensed, and she could see the moment he realized what she wanted. “What are you trying to tell me, Scarlett?” Her eyes darted to the window, but he gripped her chin, guiding her gaze back to his. “Say it.”

“I need you to stay back,” she whispered.

“No.”

“Sorin, I—”

“What if you need your Source?” he interrupted, shooting to his feet and beginning to pace in front of her.

“Cassius will be there. And Cethin said Razik could come too.”

“That is not the same,” he growled.

“No, it is not,” she agreed, reaching for his hand. “You will be here when I return, to take care of me.”

“Do not do that,” he snarled, yanking his hand from her. “Do not try to appease me in that way. You are asking me to stay behind while my wife, my Court, my family, go into danger. What am I supposed to do here, Scarlett? Knit a godsdamn scarf?”

“Only if you make a matching pair of mittens.”

“Not the time for that smart tongue of yours,” he snarled.

She reached for his hand again, snagging his ?ngers this time and tugging him closer. “We have had this planned for days, Sorin.”

“Plans mean shit, Scarlett. You know that. We can plan for every possibility and still face something unexpected.”

“All the more reason for you to stay back,” she insisted. “I do not want this. You have to know that.” She got to her feet, standing toe-to-toe with him. Reaching up, she framed his face, holding his gaze. Embers ?ickered in his irises as he stared back at her. “In a perfect world, you would be by my side, Sorin. We would take on Alaric and the Lords and all the seraphs together. We would take it all. But the world is not perfect. Not yet. And taking down these magical wards? That is one step closer to righting the balance. You know all the reasons this needs to happen.”

His ?ngers wrapped around her wrists and he tugged sharply, pulling her against his chest once more. “You do not understand what you are asking of me, Scarlett.” It was an agonized statement, and she could see the same on his face. “It goes against every instinct. Everything I am as a Fae and as your twin ?ame.”

“We will ?gure it out, Sorin,” she whispered, her ?ngers brush ing over his cheekbone. “I swear we will ?nd an answer to your power, but until then... ” Her thumb slid over his bottom lip. “If I lose you again, then this was all for nothing. The world will not get a second chance. I will burn it all.”

His mouth crashed into hers, and she didn’t ?ght when his hands slid beneath her thighs, hoisting her up against him. There was no slow work up. This was fast and harsh and full of the anguish they were both feeling. It was tongues sliding together and teeth grazing skin.

She grunted softly when he pressed her up against the wall, her ?ngers tightening in his hair as his ?ngers tugged at her tunic. He made a sound of frustration to ?nd a band around her breasts, quickly taking care of it with a burst of ?ames.

“Sorin,” she gasped.

“Love, I am going to use my power as long as I still have it,” he rumbled into her mouth, his lips ?nding hers once more before they moved down her neck and to her now bare breasts. She tipped her head back when he took one into his mouth, his thumb ?icking over the nipple of her other. Her legs were still wrapped tightly around his waist, and he rocked into her, heat ?aring from every part of her.

He slowly moved back up her throat to her mouth again, then his brow fell against hers. “You speak of what will happen if you lose me, but have you thought of what will happen if you do not come back to me?” he rasped, amber eyes searching hers. His ?ames scraped against her soul, and her shadows wound around them, pleasure darting down her spine.

“What?” she gasped, trying to think through her lust-addled mind.

“What will happen if you do not come back to me, Scarlett Aditya?” Her hand slid from his hair, cupping his cheek.

“That’s an easy one, Prince. You will end the stars themselves to ?nd me again, ?re in your veins or not. You are mine, and I am yours.”

“All the way through the darkness.”

Then he was kissing her again, the rest of their clothing burning away amid his ?re.

“Stop burning everything,” she murmured against his lips. “We need clothing.”

“I’ll knit you something new while you’re gone,” he replied.

She hummed in response, bringing her feet back to the ?oor. “Make sure there are extra pockets for daggers,” she said, lowering to her knees in front of him. His hands trailed up her ribs as she went, brushing the sides of her breasts. His ?ngertips traced along her jaw as she looked up at him, wetting her lips.

Then, with a wicked smile, she held his gaze while she brushed her tongue along his tip.

His golden eyes went even darker, hips pushing forward slightly as he chased her mouth. “As many dagger pockets as you want, Love,” he said roughly, thumbing her bottom lip. “Whatever you want,” he added, the head of his cock pushing against her lips in an insistent request.

She huffed a laugh as she took him between her lips, sucking on him for a moment before trailing wet kisses along his length. She dragged her tongue back up the underside of him, and he groaned when she ?nally drew him in deep. He fell forward, one palm bracing himself on the wall above her, while the ?ngers of his other hand threaded into her hair, cupping the back of her head. His heavy-lidded eyes watched as she drew back, maintaining the pressure of her lips as she went. She swirled her tongue around his tip before her mouth slid back down him. Her other hand came up, gripping his base, and he cursed low under his breath, his hand beginning to guide her as she worked her ?st in tandem with her tongue. She could feel his thigh quiver the smallest amount under her other hand, and she slid her palm around to dig her nails into his ass, humming around him as he thrust deeper into her mouth.

Gods, she could get drunk off the taste of him— the cloves and honey and smokey taste of his blood and kisses merging with salt and heat of him. She’d be lying if she said she didn’t get drunk off the power of this. Of watching him come undone from her knees. Of watching his eyes falling closed, his breath getting sharp and uneven, his chest heaving as he muttered another curse when she felt him hit the back of her throat.

She knew he was close, his ?ngers ?sting tighter in her hair and pulling at the strands as he swelled even more between her lips, but then he was tugging her off of him. She protested as he drew her up to her feet, herding her back to the bedchamber.

“You are going to possibly face Alaric tomorrow. There are no guarantees about how everything will turn out. If you think I am coming anywhere but inside of you, you are delusional,” he growled, kicking the door shut behind him. She was already on their bed, leaning back on her elbows, watching as he prowled towards her. He stepped between her legs hanging over the side of the bed. Calloused palms landed on her knees, pushing them wider, before dragging up her thighs. His thumbs brushed along her aching center before his hands moved on and gripped her hips. She whimpered in protest again, but it quickly turned into a moan as he bent down, taking a peaked nipple into his mouth. She arched up into him, seeking any type of relief between her legs, but she found nothing.

He chuckled low against her skin, canines nipping at her other breast. “I know what you want.”

“Then give it to me,” she demanded breathlessly, reaching between them and wrapping her ?ngers around his cock and stroking him.

“Gods,” he barked as she dragged him along her slick center, some kind of a garbled sigh coming from her throat at feeling him press against her. He had a breast in each hand now, kneading them with his ?ngers as she ground herself against him, taking any friction she could get.

“Please, Sorin,” she said, her voice a keening thing as she arched up again when he rolled her nipples between his ?ngers.

Then he was looping an arm under her, rolling her on top of him as he fell back onto the bed. “Take what you want, Love,” he rasped, hands steadying her as she adjusted to the sudden change in position. She wasted no time doing exactly what he said. Her ?ngers closed around his cock again as she lined herself up and sank down onto him. Her head tipped back, eyes ?uttering closed at feeling him ?ll her.

“Fuck,” he spat, when she ground down on him even more, moving her hips in a tight circle, searching, searching...

Sorin tilted his own hips, and she gasped when the movement hit that spot she’d been seeking. Then she was rocking against him, feeling him drag along that spot over and over with every pass.

“That’s it, Love,” he coaxed, his voice nothing but gravel. His ?ames licking along her bare skin had her palms coming to his chest, ?ngernails leaving crescent-shaped indents as she steadied herself, moving faster and letting her shadows loose to play with his ?re. “Gods, yes,” he groaned.

She was hissing her own curse when she felt his hand gliding up her thigh again. His thumb pressed down on her center, and he worked her with small, ?rm circles that had her legs trembling as she squeezed her thighs around his hips. His other hand slid up her back until he found her long hair. He wrapped the ends around his ?st, pulling her head back and forcing her to arch her back, her breasts pushing out.

“Come for me,” he said in raspy demand, thrusting up into her.

There was just him and her and them and what they were together as he drove into her hard, his thumb continuing to work her center. Embers ?ickered on the edges of her vision when release crashed through her so hard she fell forward onto his chest. Sorin buried his face in her neck. He bit down as she felt him pulsing inside her, his canines piercing the spot between her neck and shoulder, as a low guttural groan came from him. Her entire body was already oversensitive, still coming down from her high, and she cried out again when the aftershocks of her pleasure ?ared more intensely from the unexpected bite.

“You will come back to me, Scarlett,” he murmured onto her skin, tongue laving away the hurt. “But know that I will hate every single second you are away from me.”

“I know,” she whispered, peppering kisses along his chest before she settled on top of him. Her ear was directly over his heart, and she could hear it hammering away, slowly returning to its normal, steady beat. She sighed deeply as Sorin lightly brushed his ?ngertips up and down her spine. “I will come back to you.”

He didn’t ask her to swear it, and even if he had, it was something she wouldn’t do. They both knew that such a promise was too easily broken these days.