Page 45 of Lady of Starfire (Lady of Darkness #5)

Sorin

“H ey, Prince,” Scarlett chirped as she flounced into their rooms. She took a bite from the pear she held, eyeing him with bright silver eyes.

Sorin slowly set aside the note he’d been reading from Eliza that Razik had brought back with him.

His general had told him of Bastien taking control of the Fire Court and the plan they had come up with, along with the Shifter siblings.

It was a good plan, even if he didn’t like her over there alone.

He knew Eliza was capable. Call it his Fae male protective nature, he supposed.

Keeping his Inner Court safe and unified had always been one of his highest priorities.

One he felt like he was failing at as of late.

Now his attention was fixed on his twin flame.

Her eyes danced with mischief, and the same radiated down their bond.

She was in casual attire—fitted black pants, a long-sleeved white tunic, only two visible weapons rather than the usual assortment, and those godsdamned gold shoes she insisted on wearing whenever she could these days.

She took another bite of the pear as she draped herself across the armchair, her feet swinging over one side.

He had filled her power reserves after he’d slept for two entire days.

Then, much to her dismay, he hadn’t let her accompany him to a training arena.

There was no way he was risking having her—or anyone, for that matter—around while he worked with the new depths of this power.

It felt like his, but it felt …wilder. More chaotic.

After centuries of having his fire firmly under control, it was a touch unsettling.

So every time he’d gone to train with it, he hadn’t let her come.

One time she tried to be sneaky, but their newly reinstated bond gave her away as soon as she was within a few miles.

And the way she was acting now had him narrowing his eyes at her in suspicion.

“How was training?” she drawled, not attempting to hide her irritation with him.

He stretched his legs out and propped an elbow on the arm of the sofa, resting his chin on his fist. “It was good,” he answered casually.

The glare she sent him had his lips twitching into a lazy smirk.

“Have you seen Cyrus today?”

That had his smirk fading. Cyrus hadn’t left his rooms since he’d returned.

As soon as Sorin had awoken, he’d gone to see him.

His Second had been sleeping. Cassius had said he’d woken a few times, but only to eat and use the bathing room.

He’d hardly spoken since his initial return.

Sorin had checked on him multiple times each day since.

Most of the time, he was resting, but the times he’d been awake …

Sorin knew that look on his friend’s face.

It’s how he had looked when Rayner had finally tracked him down as a thief.

It’s how he’d looked for years after Thia’s death. He knew what was coming next.

Sorin sighed. “This morning and when I returned from the training arena,” he answered. “I stayed with him for a bit while Cassius bathed and got fresh clothing.”

Scarlett nodded, fiddling with the half-eaten pear. “What do we do?”

“The same thing we always do, Love. We sit with him in the dark until he’s ready to fight for the stars.”

She nodded, taking another bite. “How many times are you going to read that note?”

Her change of subjects yet again had him blinking at her. She was avoiding something.

Razik had returned late in the night, power fully restored and pissy as hell. He’d shoved the note at Scarlett before he’d stalked off to find Cethin.

“I do not like us all separated,” Sorin said. “It is happening far too often these days.”

“Eliza is more than capable of handling this. Their plan is sound.”

“I know this. It does not mean I have to like it. It does not mean I do not wish we could do more from here.”

That deviant glint returned to her eyes. “Care to go on an adventure with me, Prince?”

Finally. She was finally ready to let him in on this.

“Do I need to change for this outing?” he asked, sitting up a little straighter.

She shrugged. “We may encounter a few of those things that attacked me.”

“The beings only Kailia can kill?” he replied dubiously.

“Mhmm.”

He rubbed at his brow with his thumb and forefinger, knowing if he said no, she’d go off on her own anyway.

“And where exactly are we going?” Scarlett waved a hand, and a map of starfire appeared in the air between them.

Avonleya and their own continent with a few ice crystals scattered across them. “What am I looking at, Love?”

“Locations of mirror gates,” she answered, finishing off the last of her pear.

“The mirror gates,” he repeated.

“Yes.” She pushed to her feet, moving to toss the pear core in the rubbish bin. “I suspect there are more. There has to be, right? Pyry? Other continents in this world that we do not know of?”

He studied her burning map for a moment, trying to figure out where she was going with this. “I suppose there could be. How did you learn of these? We knew of the two on our continent and the one your mother took you to, but the others?”

Her eyes darted to the window in a way that told him she was about to reveal something that would alter everything, and Sorin braced himself for it. He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees and hands loosely clasped. “Love?” he prompted.

“Saylah told me of them. That night in Shira Forest. But even she does not know if these are all of them in this world,” she answered. “They were once all gateways, as the one in Shira Forest is.”

He stared at her, knowing there was more. But she didn’t offer it, so he said, “And what is your interest in them? Why do they matter?”

“If they once were that, could they not be that again?”

He got to his feet but didn’t move towards her. “Why would you want that? Are we not trying to keep Achaz and others out?”

“Yes, but …” She trailed off, biting her lower lip. “When this is over, maybe it wouldn’t have to stay that way. Maybe beings of other worlds that wish to visit would be able to.”

“What aren’t you saying, Scarlett?”

She finally met his gaze, and he could feel her trying to keep control of her emotions down the bond. “Because if I cannot change fate, I will be forced to leave this world, and I would like to think I could come back some day.”

“What do you mean you will have to leave this world?” he demanded, moving to stand in front of her. She tipped her head back to look at him and crossed her arms. He gripped her shoulders, needing to touch her, as if she were going to disappear at any moment and leave him behind yet again.

She held his gaze as she said quietly, “Achaz will not stop, Sorin. This is an ancient war. Even if we defeat Alaric and the Maraans here, Achaz will still come. He will not leave this world in peace as long as a descendant of Arius still lives in it.”

“But that would mean Cethin—”

“Will leave too. Kailia and Razik with him.”

“He knew? This entire time?”

She nodded mutely.

“Where will we go?”

Tears pooled in her eyes. “We?” she whispered.

Sorin pulled her closer, one hand cupping her face. “Always together, Scarlett.”

“I cannot ask you to leave …everything,” she replied, a tear slipping free.

“I once told you I would cross deserts and oceans for you. I would cross the realms for you. I choose wherever you are. That has not changed.”

“But your people—”

“ Our people,” he corrected.

“They can’t lose both of us,” she argued. “One of us has to stay.”

“A you and a me is not an option, Scarlett. Not ever.”

“This is bigger than you and me, Sorin. It has to be.”

“I will not accept it, Scarlett. If you try to leave me behind, I will come for you. I will find you. I will always find a way.” He brushed away more tears with his thumbs. “So instead of making me do that, tell me of your plans and let me scheme with you, Princess.”

She huffed out a laugh. “What makes you think I’ve been scheming?”

He gave her a frank look. “You are always scheming.”

“True,” she said with a small smile. “Let’s change and scheme then, Prince.”

“Just to clarify,” Sorin said, reaching down to haul Scarlett over the edge of the rocky incline they were climbing up. “You knowingly Traveled to snowy terrain, and now you are complaining about the cold.”

“No one likes the cold, Sorin,” she retorted irritably, adjusting the hood of her fur-lined cloak.

“And you wanted to explore Pyry for a mirror gate? You wouldn’t have lasted more than five minutes,” he teased, reaching over to flick her nose.

She batted his hand away with a scowl. “Need I remind you that Cassius and I spent plenty of time in Pyry a few months ago?”

He chuckled, sending heat into her cloak, and the moan she let out was godsdamn orgasmic. “You have your own fire magic, you know,” he said, his voice gruff as ways to elicit that same sound tonight started forming in his mind.

“I know,” she sighed. “I just prefer yours.” She was peering around when she added down the bridge of their bond: I’ve missed it .

This was the first time he’d used his restored power around her. It was the first time he’d felt like he had enough of a grasp on it. She’d tried to coax it out of him a few times, her shadows and starfire calling to his flames, but he’d only let the smallest amount of magic answer.

I’ve needed time to readjust. That is all, Scarlett.

I know , she replied, beginning to walk into the snowy expanse before them.

They were somewhere between a mountain range on the west side of the continent and some expanse of cliffs and canyons that reminded Sorin of the Wind Court.

The cliffs seemed to connect the Nightmist Mountains with the other mountain range and ran along the northern part of the continent.

And somewhere around here, there was supposed to be a mirror gate.

Sorin set off after Scarlett, falling into step beside her. “Which other mirror gates have you visited?”