Chapter 6 Scarlett
CHAPTER 6
SCARLETT
“W hat a surprise. You have your nose in a book,” Tava drawled from the doorway of the sunroom. Her long blonde hair was tied in a simple knot at the base of her neck, and her mint-green gown brushed the floor as she entered the room and plopped into the chair adjacent to where Scarlett sat.
Scarlett glanced up from her book. “Hmm. Book or tea with a bunch of girls gossiping about the latest goings on in court? I’ll go with the book, thank you.”
Tava rolled her eyes. “You left me to go to Kiara’s tea by myself… again .”
“I wish I could say I am sorry, but…” Scarlett shrugged her shoulders and returned her attention to her book.
Tava glared at her and crossed her arms across her chest. “I have hardly seen you lately. Do you want to see if the training barracks is empty?”
“No,” Scarlett answered, not even looking up from her book this time.
“Shopping?”
“No.”
“Anything?”
“No,” Scarlett snapped.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Tava demanded, eyeing Scarlett warily.
“I’m just—” Scarlett sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m tired from training with Ryker, and then my dreams… I’ve hardly been sleeping.”
“Have you talked to Mora? She could probably give you something to help you sleep,” Tava said, worry sounding in her voice.
“I don’t need to take another tonic. I need to figure out what these dreams mean.”
“Maybe they don’t mean anything. Maybe they’re just dreams, Scarlett.” Tava’s tone had grown tense at the tone of Scarlett’s own.
“I thought that at first, but they’ve changed. They’re different from the usual ones that wake me in the night,” Scarlett said.
The beautiful man had been in every dream since he’d first appeared a few nights ago. He was always there, as if he were watching her. He never spoke. He never did anything. He was just… there.
“Different how?” said a male voice from the doorway of the sunroom.
Scarlett turned and saw Cassius leaning against the door frame. His shoulder-length brown hair was tied back from his shoulders and his sword hung at his side. Ryker stood behind him, the usual look of annoyance firmly on his face.
“Scarlett is having dreams that she thinks mean something,” Tava replied, rolling her eyes again.
“Tava,” Scarlett hissed, glaring at her friend.
“Well you are. You have been acting strange for days now, and you said you have not been sleeping. And then you ditched Kiara’s tea today—”
“I always ditch Kiara’s tea,” Scarlett interrupted pointedly.
“True,” Tava mused, “but still. There is something going on, and if you are not going to talk to me about it, talk to one of the guys you seem to be involved with.” She gestured towards Cassius and Ryker still standing in the doorway as she stood from her chair. Both men gaped a little at what she implied. “Or talk about it with…her.” She winced, glancing at Ryker. “Avoiding tea at Kiara’s may be normal for you, but you are different, like you were months ago. I do not care who you talk to, Scarlett, but talk to someone. Before my father takes notice.”
She left the sunroom, giving Ryker and Cassius pointed looks as she brushed past them.
“Your father is looking for you,” Cassius said to Tava as she passed. “That’s why we are here.”
Tava only nodded and left the two alone with Scarlett. Ryker and Cassius stood awkwardly in the doorway, clearly trying to decide if they should stay or go, worry written on Cassius’s face.
“Well, don’t just stand there like idiots,” Scarlett snapped, gesturing to the chairs around the sunroom.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Cassius asked, not moving from the doorway.
“Not really, no,” Scarlett answered, her eyes fixed on the book. She wasn’t reading. She just didn’t want to look at either of them.
“When you’re ready…” Cassius trailed off.
“I will find you,” she answered, her voice quiet.
Silence, then she heard the sound of footsteps leaving down the hall. She let out a sigh and turned the page of the book.
“What kind of dreams, Scarlett?”
Scarlett jumped, the book flying from her lap. She swore as she realized Ryker was at her side. How had she not heard him? Gods, he was nearly as stealthy as Nuri sometimes.
“I thought you left with Cassius,” she said, scowling. “I heard you leave.”
“Then listen harder next time. You heard one set of footsteps, not two,” Ryker replied, picking up the book and handing it to her. “Is this the book you told me about last week? The one about the war with Avonleya?”
“Yes,” she said, taking the book from him. She leaned her head back in the chair and closed her eyes. She was so damn tired. The dreams had woken her every night since they started a week ago. She was always drenched in sweat. The maids probably thought she was ill. She was surprised they hadn’t said anything to Lord Tyndell yet.
“Why aren’t you sleeping?” Ryker asked softly.
“I do sleep. Just not well,” Scarlett answered, not bothering to open her eyes.
“You are crankier than usual when you do not sleep well,” he mused.
Scarlett opened her eyes to glare at him. “At least I have an excuse. You’re just an ass all the time.”
“Ah, that is probably true.” Ryker reached across the distance between them and pulled the book from her hands. He studied it for a moment and then said, “You can read this?”
“Of course I can read it. What kind of question is that?”
“You do know it is in a different language, do you not?” Ryker asked, angling his head.
“What are you talking about?” She snatched the book back from him, studying the title. “It’s in the common tongue.”
“Interesting,” he said, settling back in his chair.
Scarlett rolled her eyes. Massaging her temples, she muttered under her breath, “What’s interesting is that I’m going crazy because I’m reliving hell while you think a book is literally written in a different language.”
“You are having nightmares?” Ryker asked quietly.
“I…” Scarlett hesitated. She hadn’t spoken loud enough for him to hear her. How did he do that? This wasn’t like their little sharing sessions after training. This was a reminder she entirely deserved. This was not something she would let herself work through. These nightmares were the least of what she should be experiencing. “They’re nothing. I’m fine. But I should skip training tonight and try to get some decent sleep.”
“Tell me about the dreams, Scarlett,” Ryker said, his voice low.
“They’re nothing. Maybe I do need to talk to Mora for something to help me sleep,” she mused, propping her chin on her fist.
“No,” Ryker said, his tone commanding. An order from a Captain.
Scarlett raised her eyebrows in surprise at him. “No? I didn’t realize you had any say in the matter.”
“Do you really think the answer is another tonic in your body? What if it interferes with the one you’re already taking?” he asked. He was leaning forward now, his elbows resting on his knees with his hands clasped in front of him. His eyes were fixed on hers.
Scarlett didn’t say a word, just stared at him. He seemed to be struggling to keep his breathing even, to leash his emotions. This was new. She’d never seen him so…close to losing control. She sat back in her chair and crossed one leg over the other. “Why do you have such an interest in my dreams?”
Ryker sat back in his own chair, trying to appear nonchalant and relaxed. She almost laughed at how unsuccessful he was. “I just thought it would be more information to pass along to the Healer where I am from. The more information she has, the more she may be able to help.”
“Liar,” Scarlett said. She stared at him expectantly, her lip curling. She watched as Ryker fought to control his rising temper. She’d learned a few ways to read him these last few weeks. Despite his seemingly immovable mask, he had other tells. His hands were balled into fists, and Scarlett felt oddly satisfied to have elicited such a reaction from the warrior who always controlled everyone around him.
“Tell me about the dreams, Scarlett,” he bit back through gritted teeth.
“We’re not in a sparring ring,” she answered flippantly. “You don’t get to tell me what to do outside of training.”
“Then maybe we will just be done training,” he retorted, glaring at her.
Scarlett huffed a laugh. “Don’t be stupid. We both know that won’t happen. You like seeing my pretty face too much.”
“You can be ridiculously vexing at times,” Ryker gritted out, his eyes flaring with anger.
“It must be incredibly annoying to have someone not care about that temper you appear to keep on a very tight leash,” she retorted with a smirk.
“We shall see how much you care in our next training session,” he answered, violence glittering in his eyes.
She answered with an apathetic smile as she leaned her head back against the chair once more and closed her eyes.
“How often do you have them?”
“Still none of your damn business,” she replied, not even opening her eyes to look at him.
“Should I ask Cassius then?”
Scarlett snorted in amusement. “Cassius will tell you nothing.”
“He has already told me plenty.”
“Liar,” Scarlett said once more. “Honestly, Captain, should you wish for me to ever share anything of value with you, perhaps the lies should cease.”
“You want a truth?” Something in his tone had changed, hardened. It caused Scarlett to open her eyes and look at him. He was studying her intently. A lock of his hair had fallen into his eyes, brushing his brow. He pointed to her lap. “That book is written in the language of lands I am from.”
“Do you know what the definition of truth is?”
“It is written in a different language, Scarlett. My home has thousands of books written in that language. It is not a language found here.”
“Whatever,” she sighed. “Even if that were true, that’s not a good enough truth .”
“Everything in that book is a truth.”
Scarlett rolled her eyes. “There is no way to know if the things in this book are true unless you have been to the Fae Courts. This is a book of theories and speculation.”
“How do you figure that?”
“Because it is detailed information about the Courts. One would need to be close with one or more of the Court Royals to be able to confirm or deny the things in this book.”
She watched him as his eyes searched hers. “I am not from the mortal kingdoms.”
Scarlett’s mouth went dry as it fell open in shock. “Bullshit,” Scarlett whispered. If he was not from the human kingdoms, then that could only mean he was from the Fae lands in which case…
“You wanted a truth, did you not? There it is,” Ryker answered.
“If that were true, then that would mean you are Fae, and you clearly are not.”
“Why? What do you, a noble Lady of the Court, know of the Fae?”
Scarlett’s lip curled up. “I know far more than you think, Captain. Far, far more.”
His head tilted to the side as he said, “Did you know there are mortals who live in the Fae Courts?”
“You mean who are slaves?”
“That is not what I said.”
“Why in the world would there be humans in the Fae lands?”
“They came seeking a different life.”
Scarlett huffed a laugh of disbelief. “They fled? To the Fae Courts? To find a better life?”
“Why would that be so unbelievable?”
Scarlett blinked at him. He was serious. Completely serious.
“Because they would have to get through wards the Fae have set up around their lands. Traps to capture humans to make us slaves, not welcome us into their territories.”
“Or so you have been told.”
Scarlett didn’t know what to think. He honestly expected her to believe this? She had met Fae. Well, maybe met wasn’t the best word to use. She had tortured and killed them as assignments from the Assassin Lord and on behalf of the king.
“If that is true, then what are you doing here? Why aren’t you back in your Fae lands if it’s so much better there?”
A corner of his mouth twitched up. “I think I have shared enough truths with you for one day, unless you care to share more about your nightmares, Lady?”
“I don’t believe you,” she answered.
“I know,” Ryker said as he stood. “You have been indoctrinated not to believe such a thing.”
“Indoctrinated? I know how to think for myself,” she snapped indignantly.
He crossed to her chair and braced his hands on either side of it, leaning down towards her. Surprisingly, her breath hitched at his closeness. “If you didn’t, you would not still be reading that book.” He was silent, studying her, and her heart had skittered into a weird rhythm she wasn’t sure what to do with. His half smile grew as he said, “Take the night off, Scarlett. Get some rest.”
“Is everything all right in here?” came a feminine voice from the doorway.
They both turned to see Tava standing there. Her face was tight as she took them in, and she glared with disapproval at Ryker.
“Fine,” Ryker said, straightening and turning back to Scarlett. “I will see you tomorrow morning.”
Scarlett’s eyes were fixed on his as she looked up at him. “This conversation is not over.”
“I do not doubt that.” He turned to leave but stopped and plucked the book from Scarlett’s lap.
“Give that back,” she demanded, but Ryker didn’t even look over his shoulder at her. Instead, he strode straight to Tava and handed her the book.
“Do you know what language this is written in?”
Tava glanced at the book in her hands and then up at Ryker. “Should I know what language this is?”
Ryker gave a pointed look at Scarlett over his shoulder and left the room. After she was sure he was gone, she stood and walked over to Tava and took the book from her.
“What was that all about?” Tava asked, confusion in her voice.
“You truly do not know what language this book is written in?” Scarlett asked, her voice meek.
Tava shook her head. “It seems ancient, and I feel like I may have seen it before at some point, but it is not one I readily recognize. Can you read it?”
Scarlett said nothing as she studied the text. It looked completely ordinary. Like the common tongue. How could Tava not read it? And if Ryker hadn’t been lying about the language, then had he been telling the truth about the humans in the Fae lands too? What could have been so bad here that they would seek out the Fae Courts?
“Here,” Tava said, handing a note to Scarlett.
Scarlett took it and instantly recognized Nuri’s neat penmanship. She wanted to meet with her tonight, and it was urgent. Which meant that Scarlett would need to skip her tonic and take the stronger one. Scarlett swore under her breath as she left the room.
She would meet with her. She could take a nap before doing so, but first…
First, she was going to figure out exactly who Ryker was because if he was from the Fae lands like he claimed, he might have information on the one who had ordered her mother killed.