Page 40

Chapter 39

Scarlett

"T ell me again why we have to do this?” Scarlett called from the dressing room in the princess’s suite.

They had been here since they’d returned from Rydeon. Eliza was still recovering in a guest room on this ?oor. The other Fae all had guest rooms as well, none of them willing to leave while Eliza was here. She was healing though. Cethin’s Healer was as skilled as Beatrix, even with Eliza being one of the worst patients Scarlett had ever witnessed. The female argued about having to rest and stay in bed, scowling whenever Cyrus or Sorin would bring her food. She was slightly more civil with Rayner, but that wasn’t saying much.

Scarlett had spent the better part of the last few days propped up beside her in her bed, which is why she knew that when Razik brought her food, she didn’t complain about it. She just ignored him, as if he were invisible. Not that Razik said much either when he visited. Scarlett hadn’t been brave enough to ask her about it yet. Eliza might be healing, but she was still terrifying. Scarlett did not want to provoke her in any shape or form.

Sorin had told her about Beatrix the day after Rydeon, speaking quietly across the pillow while they’d lain in bed that morning. She’d seen the grief of losing her, but it was more than that. He was struggling. She knew it had to do with losing his power, ?guring out what that meant for him as a prince, as a king, as a twin ?ame. She’d felt it down the bond. Felt his uncertainty and trepidation. Felt his hopelessness. She wanted to soothe it away, but didn’t know how. All her spare time was spent trying to ?nd an answer to this, but spare time was something she had very little of these days. She knew Cyrus was looking into it too, but his research was as fruitless as her own. At least his research had turned up hidden Rydeon heirs that had aided in bringing down the magical wards. It only rankled her a little bit that he had discovered that instead of her. And that he had been right about Queen Octavia being their mother and not their aunt.

What Beatrix had told Sorin had explained quite a few things, particularly learning that Sybil had been working with Alaric. Callan hadn’t said much about killing the Witch, but he had told her what she had said. That Sybil had told Alaric of Eliné’s plans to ?ee with her and Nuri and Juliette. That Sybil had aided Veda in luring Tava to the slums and hired people to abduct her. That Sybil’s spying and reporting back to Alaric had resulted in so much pain and heartache for so many. Juliette had loved her mother, had asked Scarlett to tell her as much when she had been dying in her lap. She wondered when she had stopped. When she became the Oracle? Did she see her true colors then? Whenever it had happened, there was nothing but contempt when Juliette had spoken to Sybil in the Necropolis.

“You know why this is happening, my Love,” Sorin called back from the bedchamber. “But if you do not hurry, we are going to be late.”

She was nervous. So godsdamn nervous.

She ran her hands down the sides of her dress, smoothing out nonexistent wrinkles. She hadn’t told Sorin about it. She knew he was wearing the same black pants and jacket he’d worn when Beatrix had Anointed their twin ?ame bond. When Cethin had told her this was happening, she had snuck away into Aimonway with Kailia, who had taken her to the best seamstress in the city.

The back of the dress was open, dipping low like the red one he favored so much. Sheer, full-length sleeves were intricately embroidered with silver thread to create the illusion of ?ames that matched the threading on his jacket. The bodice was ?tted with a wide neckline, and the gown went to the ?oor, draping around her hips and legs. Thousands of silver beads were sewn to the ?owing skirts that shimmered like starlight when she moved. A small train dragged behind her that was going to be a pain in her ass when they danced, but the beading made it worth it. The dress was stunning and well worth the money she’d paid the woman to make it in three short days.

Her silver hair was curled and pinned up off her neck, her crown nestled among the curls on her head. She wore silver slippers on her feet with extra grip on the bottom, because if they were doing this, she was damn well going to enjoy herself, which included dancing as much as possible.

She swallowed, not sure why her heart was ?uttering so fast. Probably because the last time she’d seen Sorin in the ensemble he was wearing, she’d literally been speechless.

“Love, we need to go,” he called again. “You are kind of the reason for this ball, you know.”

“I know, I know,” she muttered, taking one last look in the mirror. She sucked in a deep breath, exhaling slowly, and stepped out of the dressing room. Sorin was ?ddling with something by the bed, but when he heard her approach, he turned. Golden eyes swept over her.

Once. Twice. Three times.

“Are you going to say anything?”

He shook his head, twirling his ?nger in a motion telling her to turn around. She slowly spun, looking over her shoulder when her back was to him.

Watched his eyes trace the dip.

“Seriously, Sorin. You need to say something. Is it too much?”

“I am not saying anything, Scarlett, because there are no words to adequately describe how stunning you are. To try to ?nd them would be an impossible task.”

His voice was low and rough, and she turned back to him, her lips lifting in a small, soft smile. “But is it truly all right? Because Kailia said it wouldn’t be too much and—”

She was cut off. He’d crossed the room to her while she’d been speaking, and his lips landed on hers, silencing her rambling. His tongue slipped in at her surprised gasp, his hand coming up to grip the back of her neck and hold her to him. The ?ngers of his other hand slid down her spine, slow and sensual, then traced the back of the dress on his way back up. Her stomach dipped, heat pooling in her belly, and she gripped his jacket in her ?sts.

He pulled back ?rst, speaking onto her lips in a low rumble. “The dress is perfect, my Love. The dress is perfect. You are -perfect.”

“We already knew that,” she murmured back, ?ngers sliding along his jaw.

He chuckled low in his throat. “That tongue of yours will be perfect for other things this evening too.” His thumb brushed across her bottom lip, and her tongue darted out to lick the pad of it. He groaned. “Now you are teasing me, Love.”

“Never. Just a preview of what’s to come.”

He brushed his lips over hers once more before he said, “We are also perfectly late.”

She sighed. “Let’s go.”

His hand came to her lower back, ushering her out of the bedchamber to the main doors of their suite, but she held up her hand before he opened the door. A crown of ?ames appeared atop his brow. She’d be able to keep it burning all night without a problem. She hadn’t asked him about his reserves since they’d returned and he’d re?lled her own. She hadn’t asked Cethin either.

Tomorrow.

She’d worry about that tomorrow.

Tonight, she just wanted to shut out the rest of the world and breathe in what they were.

He interlaced his fingers with hers as they made their way down the halls and stairs. There was a small lounge off the great hall that was reserved for the king and queen. A door on the opposite side would lead out to a balcony that overlooked the hall with a set of stairs leading down into the room. Even with the heavy wood doors closed, Scarlett could hear the commotion of the hall when they stepped into the lounge.

“I was starting to get worried, Seastar,” Cassius said, appearing at her side.

“In that dress? Fuck, we’re lucky they’re here at all,” Cyrus quipped. He bent down, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “You look gorgeous, Darling.”

“Thank you,” she said, feeling her face heat.

She looked around the room, seeing all of them gathered here in such ?nery. The Fae Princes. The Mortal Kings. The Avonleyans. The Fire Court, other than the recovering Eliza.

“Where are Cethin and Kailia?” she asked, trying not to ?dget.

“Already out there,” Cassius answered, passing her a glass of water.

“We have been waiting for you. He will start introducing everyone soon.”

“I do not understand why there needed to be this grand affair,” she said, sipping at the water. Cassius gave her a droll look. “Okay, ?ne. I understand, but I do not like it.”

Tybalt slipped through the door on the opposite side of the room. Scarlett just caught Cethin’s voice speaking about alliances across the sea when the door clicked shut again. Tybalt’s eyes landed on her, and he smiled warmly. “You look beautiful, Scarlett,” he said with a bow of his head. “He is addressing his people. The kings and Princess Tava ?rst,” he said, nodding at the mortals. It was still jarring to think of Tava as the Rydeon Princess. “Fire Court next, then the Princes. Then Cassius before you two. If you will.”

He motioned to the mortals to follow him out, and little by little, the room cleared until it was only Scarlett and Sorin. Their own little bubble in their own little world, and she wanted to stay here in this space forever.

“You are ?dgeting,” Sorin teased gently, reaching over and pushing a curl back that had fallen forward.

“I do not like this.”

“Do not like what, exactly?”

“All of this. The attention.” He arched a brow at her. “You know what I mean. Royal attention is different from chaos attention.”

“Chaos attention?”

She shoved his shoulder at the smile he was ?ghting to keep from forming. “Stop teasing me. I do not know how to do this, Sorin. I do not know what I am doing. They are going to expect things from me, place all their hope in me.”

“Calm down, Love.” He spun her, pulling her into him, hands settling on her hips.

“I can’t do this,” she rasped, her breaths starting to come faster and faster.

He took her hand, placing it over his heart. “Breathe in and out. Feel me and match my breaths. In and out, Scarlett.”

She nodded, focusing on her breathing. He brought his brow to hers, holding her hand in place against his chest. “You have faced loss and pain. You have battled the shadows and won. You have created stars when there were none. You are Death’s Maiden, Princess of Avonleya, Queen of the Western Courts, and a Lady of Darkness. You can face a hall full of people who will rejoice at your return surrounded by your family, both old and new. We do this together. Always together.”

The door opened behind them, Tybalt sticking his head through. “It’s time.”

Sorin nodded at him over her shoulder, and he brushed a quick kiss to her lips as he whispered, “All the way through the darkness.”

She nodded, looping her arm through his, and let him lead her through the door. The black marble ?oor was gleaming beneath her feet. Banners of black with silver moons and stars hung from the ceiling. Cethin and Kailia were off to the right of the balcony overlooking the hall, and her brother looked over as they approached, smiling broadly. He extended an arm in their direction as they reached the top of the stairs.

“Welcome home your princess,” he said, his voice ?lling the entire hall. “Scarlett Sutara Aditya, Queen of the Western Courts, and her twin ?ame, Prince of the Fire Court, Sorin Aditya.”

As one, the entirety of the room dropped to a knee. There had to be at least a thousand people in the vast space, if not more. Her family was at the bottom, off to the side, on a knee with the rest of the room. Sorin reached over, squeezing her ?ngers with his other hand, and she swallowed back her nerves as he nudged her forward.

The moment they stepped onto the ?rst stair, the entire room rose, excited murmurs breaking out as every eye in the room watched them.

“I swear to Arius,” she muttered under her breath, “if you let me fall down these stairs... ”

There had to be thirty of them.

“I will catch you, Scarlett. Tonight and tomorrow and the day after that. Even if I do not have my ?re, I will still catch you.”

When they reached the bottom, the crowd began parting, letting them make their way to the middle of the hall. They turned to face the stairs when they reached it, Cethin and Kalia descending the stairs. If Cethin was a Lord of Night, then she was his Lady. Her black hair flowed around her, ashes seeming to flit among the black strands. Her dress was black and strapless with black pearls sewn across the bodice and dripping down the skirt. A pearl and diamond circlet sat atop her head, a matching onyx crown inlaid with diamonds upon Cethin’s. Her hand sat in his where he held it aloft as he escorted her down the stairs, everyone staying down on a knee while they descended. Cethin had talked her through this earlier that day. She and Sorin would not be asked to bow to them; but she certainly felt awkward staying on her feet.

“How many times have you done this?” she murmured out of the corner of her mouth.

Sorin glanced down at her quickly before his gaze went back to the king and queen. “I have been the Fire Prince for a very long time, Scarlett, and I have been royal from the day I was born.”

“How long until it felt natural?”

But Cethin and Kailia stopped beside them before Sorin could answer her. Her brother and his wife faced each other, seamlessly preparing for the next part of this extravagant display.

A dance.

That she and Sorin would be doing with them.

She turned to Sorin, her hand going to his shoulder, the other sliding into his palm. He tugged her close, hand on her hip. The music started. Her eyes locked on his, and the world faded away as she fell into golden eyes that held her entire world.

“So, should we do something similar when we return home?” Sorin asked after a minute. She didn’t know what her face did, but he chuckled. “I am joking, Love.”

“I hate you,” she grumbled, letting him lead her around the dance ?oor. It was clearly a dance he’d done a number of times, and she trusted him to lead her through it all.

“Still telling yourself such sweet lies after all this time,” he teased. He twirled her under his arm before pulling her back to him. “Relax, Scarlett. This night is for you. You deserve it. Enjoy it and show them why you are their princess.”

Cethin had told her this part too. That at some point in the night she needed to showcase her star?re, to show the people that she was indeed their princess and his sister. That some would doubt the return of an unknown princess without proof.

So when Sorin twirled her once more, she tossed star?re into the air above them. It ?ared brightly, ?lling the space above the entire hall. There were gasps and small screams quickly hushed as it burned above them. She sent more star?re ?itting among her crown and then into Sorin’s crown of ?re. She wound the silver ?ames around her arms, letting embers trail her footsteps. Then she let her shadows out. The dark mist swirled about their feet, her star?re slowly raining down as embers around them, merging with her shadows.

Her very own stars in the darkness.

The murmuring and shock was turning to awe and wonder. A chuckle of laughter, that was surely Cyrus’s at her over-the-top -display, ?oated to her. Then Cethin’s dark magic was mingling with hers, Kailia’s ashes ?itted among their shadows, and Sorin’s bright ?re lit up all of it.

Sorin spun her again, and she was laughing, her heart light for the ?rst time in ages. He caught her when she came back to him, his brow coming to hers.

The ?rst song ended and another began, but they didn’t let go of each other. If anything, he tugged her closer. Her hand slid from his shoulder to his neck, ?ngers toying with the hair at his nape. What he said to her as they were coming down the stairs came back to her.

I will catch you, Scarlett. Tonight and tomorrow and the day after that. Even if I do not have my ?re, I will still catch you.

“I love you, Sorin Aditya,” she whispered into the space between them.

“All the way through the darkness, my Love,” he answered, their hands clasped between their bodies as he moved her around the ?oor. Other couples had joined in now, the noise of them barely registering.

“Even if we do not ?gure this out, even if there is not an ember left in your veins, I will love you, Sorin. You make my world brighter, and it has nothing to do with your magic. It’s you .”

She saw his throat bob as he swallowed. “Scarlett—”

But she was shaking her head against his brow, tears pooling in her eyes. “I just want you, Sorin. I do not need your ?re. I do not need your power. I just need you. That’s it. I don’t care about the rest. You know that, right?”

“But I am your Source, Love,” he said hoarsely. “Your power needs that. You need that.”

Scarlett was vaguely aware of the music changing again, something fast-paced, but they were in their own world.

A world of ?re and shadows that had nothing to do with magic and power.

“I just need you, Sorin,” she repeated. “You set my world on ?re just by being in it. You don’t need magic to do so.”

His lips brushed across her brow, her temple, her cheek. Finally they found hers.

The kiss was short and sweet and simple, sealing more promises between them.

Always together. Tonight.

Tomorrow.

And the day after that.