Chapter 28 Scarlett
CHAPTER 28
SCARLETT
“I did not stay that night. I had to return to take my tonic,” Scarlett said, staring into the fire. “But we continued to meet nearly every night. As we worked together, we became closer and closer. Rumors began to spread that Callan had a secret lover. I did not attend any other parties or galas. I couldn’t risk being seen at them. But it did not go unnoticed that his time and thoughts, and eventually his bed I suppose, were being occupied by someone.”
Sorin had been quiet the entire time she’d spoken, never interrupting once. Silence fell over them for long minutes. The only sounds were the occasional pop of the fire and the clock ticking on the mantel. Scarlett snuck a glance at him, wondering if she would see anything on his face. She shouldn’t have been surprised to see it carefully blank, his usual mask of indifference in place.
Finally he said, “Callan is the Crown Prince. Surely he could make whatever is keeping you apart disappear?” His voice sounded distant, hollow.
“I do not think that he could, and I do not want to be bound to a throne,” Scarlett answered.
“You do not wish to rule?” Sorin asked, a peculiar curiosity in his voice now.
“I would not rule,” Scarlett said. “Callan would. I would be his queen, sitting beside him at events, warming his bed, producing heirs.”
“Do you wish to rule?”
A dangerous question to ask.
Scarlett studied her hands, turning them over in her lap. “I wish to protect those I love. I wish to be in a place where I can protect those who cannot protect themselves and help those who cannot help themselves. I wish to be in a position where I can free those who find themselves locked in cages they do not want to be in.”
“You do not think you could do that from Callan’s side?”
“Maybe. He has a vision unlike any other, but…no. I do not think I could fulfill such a purpose as a Queen of Windonelle.” When Sorin did not respond for several minutes, Scarlett said, “Tell me of where you are from.”
“You know where I am from,” he answered, turning to look at her.
“I know you are from the Fire Court, but tell me about it,” she said.
Sorin leaned back casually on the sofa, stretching an arm behind her. Those golden eyes went distant as he started speaking, as if he could see his home. “I live in the capital city of the Fire Court, Solembra. The city is nestled in the heart of the Fiera Mountains and is beautiful. The Tana River runs through it. On one side of the Tana are the residential neighborhoods. The other side houses the merchants, shops, and businesses.”
“What types of businesses?” Scarlett asked.
“Everything,” he breathed. “Spices, weapons, jewelry, all manner of food, clothing.”
“It sounds wonderful.”
“It is. It all is, but tucked into the northwest corner of the city, right into the side of one of the mountains, is the Artists District. That is my favorite place in the city,” Sorin replied.
“What kind of artists?” Scarlett asked, angling her head to see him better.
“Artists who paint or draw and sculpt. Artists who dance or act. Artists who write. Artists who play any and every kind of instrument. Artists of every kind,” he answered.
“Do you play the piano? Since you have one?” Scarlett asked, turning to look at the instrument in the corner.
“I know how to play the piano and can read music, but I cannot play like you do, no.”
“I… People do not usually get to see me play,” Scarlett answered softly.
“Cassius did mention that you would not be happy I saw you playing,” Sorin quipped with a small grin. “But why?”
“Playing the piano, music, it’s all so… It’s deeply personal for me. It’s more than playing music. It’s feeling it. It’s feeling every note, every chord, every dynamic in my soul. It’s a way to express myself when words just aren’t enough,” Scarlett said, staring into the fire.
“How did you learn to play?”
“When I was eight, my mother and the Assassin Lord took me, my sisters, and Cassius to a show in the Theater District,” Scarlett said. “It was my first real experience with music. There were many musicians there, but when the pianist took the stage, I was mesmerized. The Assassin Lord is very wealthy and had box seats for us, and I remember standing from my seat as she played. I can still hear my mother quietly calling my name, but I walked to the edge of the box and gripped the gold railing along the top. The song was a ballad and was… I had tears on my cheeks when she finished.
“The next evening, my mother told me over dinner that she had gone to the Theater District that afternoon and had found someone to teach me how to play the piano and so I began lessons. I would practice for hours either at the compound or the Fellowship. My sole goal was to be able to play that ballad. After my mother died, I was— I couldn’t continue my lessons, but I continued to practice and teach myself. A little over a year after my mother had passed, the Assassin Lord gave me the sheet music to that ballad. I worked on mastering it for nearly three years, and the first time I played it through flawlessly, I sobbed into my hands,” Scarlett finished.
“Play it for me,” Sorin said gently.
She gave him a pointed look. “It’s the middle of the night. I’d wake the whole building.”
He gave her a wry grin and snapped his fingers. She could somehow feel an invisible shield of heat around the room. “Now they will hear nothing,” he said simply.
“Show off,” she muttered under her breath.
Sorin laughed, and that arm he had casually draped along the sofa came to her shoulders, pulling her gently to his side. She stiffened slightly, looking up at him, but he only whispered to her, “Go play, Scarlett.”
“I do not play for others,” she replied, her eyes falling to her lap.
“I have already heard you play,” he argued.
“But I was not…in the right frame of mind that night,” Scarlett said, lifting her eyes back to his. “I have only ever played in front of Cassius and my sisters.”
“Not Callan?”
Scarlett shook her head. “No, not for Callan.”
“Why?”
“So many questions tonight, General,” Scarlett said, trying to muster a grin, but failing.
Sorin merely reached over and tucked her hair behind her ear, his fingers sliding along her jaw. “I am just trying to figure you out, Scarlett Monrhoe,” he said, giving her the small smile she had tried to muster.
“Why?” she asked with a harsh laugh. “I am a mess of sorrow and rage and secrets. Even I stopped trying to figure myself out.”
“Because sometimes we just need someone to sit with us in the darkness in the middle of the mess,” Sorin replied.
Scarlett studied his face then, searching those golden eyes. He meant it. He meant those words. He didn’t want to fix things for her. Maybe he didn’t even necessarily want to figure her out, but he would sit with her, here in the darkness that had filled her heart, her soul. She leaned forward and brushed a kiss to his lips, barely touching them with her own. “I gave much of myself to Callan,” she whispered, “but he doesn’t understand that sometimes the darkness is more comforting than the light. When I play, it comes from the part of me that grew in the darkness. Callan is all light. There is no room for my darkness.”
“You are not all darkness,” Sorin said softly.
“Sometimes I do not think that is true,” she answered, turning away from him, but his fingers gently gripped her chin, bringing her eyes back to his.
“Darkness is not a bad thing, Scarlett, but do not let it overtake the stars.”
Scarlett awoke an hour or two later. The sun hadn’t even started to rise yet if the darkness around the curtains indicated anything. The only light was the fire that was still burning in the hearth. She wasn’t sure when they had fallen asleep. They had gone silent after she had told Sorin of how she had learned to play the piano, each left to their own thoughts. She could feel his arm draped casually over her, and she turned to find him sleeping as well. It was comforting in its own way. He always seemed like he had an endless reserve of energy and didn’t need sleep. At some point, he had managed to get her a pillow and a blanket, her head resting in his lap. The harshness of his face was softened as he slept.
As much as she wanted to stay nestled in the cocoon of warmth he’d created for her, she really needed to use the bathroom. As carefully as she could, she attempted to slide his arm off her, but his eyes flew open at the first movement.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“Are you are all right? Is something wrong?” he asked, concern in his eyes.
She laughed under her breath. “Nothing is wrong. Just a full bladder.”
When she returned, there were several candles lit around the room, and Sorin was coming from the kitchen with a plate of fruit, bread, and more tea. Scarlett made for the table, where books and papers littered every surface. Sorin cleared a spot and set the plate down, handing her the cup of fresh tea.
“Thank you,” she said, pulling a scroll towards her. Then she added, “If you need to sleep more, I understand. I’ll be fine.”
“I do not need to sleep more,” Sorin replied, leaning against the table and crossing his arms.
“How much sleep do Fae actually need?” Scarlett asked.
“It depends on how much energy is expended on magic,” Sorin answered, shrugging. “When I do not have regular access to it, very little.”
“I see,” Scarlett replied, running her fingers along various books on the table. “Tell me about Cassius.”
“Cassius?” She could hear the surprise in his voice. “You would rather know of Cassius and not about yourself?”
“Yes,” Scarlett replied simply. “There will be plenty of time to discuss what you know of my past.”
“Will there now?”
“Of course. When we train,” she replied, not even looking up from the scroll. It was a more detailed map of the one Sorin had shown her earlier. There was information written on it about each realm, including who their leaders were, what powers and magic they possessed, and any other notable people of the area.
Sorin pulled the scroll to himself, rolling it up quickly as he said casually, “Oh? We are doing that again now, are we?”
Scarlett could hear the smirk in his tone as she turned to look at him. “Oh yes,” she replied, the same faint amusement filling her own voice. “I suspect it shall be even more entertaining from this point forward.”
The two faced off for a moment, neither willing to give in and break the stare. Scarlett was sure he was about to lean in and kiss her any second when she turned back to the table and said simply, “Cassius?”
She could feel him still staring at her. There would certainly be plenty to discuss and figure out at their training sessions from here on out and not only about her past. If she were being honest with herself, she had almost kissed him a few seconds ago, and where that would lead, she wasn’t quite ready to go.
Sorin finally turned back to the table and unrolled a different scroll, coming closer to her to point out areas of the map. He brushed against her side, and she could hardly focus as the smell of ash and cedar filled her bones.
“We know Cassius is not human because he possesses the ability to do spell work,” Sorin said, pointing to the mortal realm, “so he cannot be completely of the human lands.”
“What do you mean completely?” Scarlett asked.
“He could be part mortal, I suppose, but what little I know of his magic, he seems too powerful to be half mortal,” Sorin replied. Scarlett could hear the contemplation as he spoke, clearly still trying to figure Cassius out. “Night Children also do not possess any ability to do magic or spell work,” Sorin went on, moving his finger to their realm. “He is not Fae—”
“How do you know?” Scarlett asked, interrupting him.
“Fae…” Sorin seemed to hesitate. “While we can do spell work, it takes Fae years of training to do spells as complicated as the ones he is doing, and he is doing them with little training. Even more so, only the more powerful Fae can do the spells he is doing. He is also missing many Fae traits.”
“So are you,” Scarlett argued. When Sorin raised his brows in question, she continued. “I am trained in killing your kind. I know what characteristics Fae possess. Where are your pointed ears and longer canines?”
“There are spells that can glamour one’s appearance, but there is always a cost,” Sorin answered. Something crossed his face that Scarlett wasn’t sure what to do with. Was it hesitancy? Puzzlement?
“What kind of cost?”
“It depends on what is being done in the spell, but magic always has a cost. When I use my fire magic, the cost is a drain on my energy reserves. If I deplete it too quickly and without allowing it to refill, I would be weakened to a point of near death. It is why when Fae are coming into their powers, they are taught control and how to properly tunnel down into their magic and safely release it,” Sorin explained. He was watching her, studying her like something was about to happen.
“What is the cost of the glamour to change your appearance?”
“My Fae senses are muted here,” Sorin answered. “They are still better than humans, but not nearly as strong as they are when I am in my full Fae form.”
Scarlett had seen plenty of ‘full Fae forms’ and, even though she had spent her time cutting up those Fae forms, she couldn’t deny that Fae forms were also…riveting. What would Sorin’s full Fae form look like?
Pulling her wandering mind from that ridiculous train of thought, she cleared her throat. “That leaves Shifters or Witches. For Cassius’s heritage.”
A slightly amused smile curled on the corner of Sorin’s lips as he turned his own attention back to the map in front of her. “Indeed, but I believe his bloodline lies in the Witch Kingdoms.”
“Why not the Shifters?”
“Shifters can shift form and matter. Witches possess raw magic and work in spells and potions. My best guess is that his mother was a Witch. His father, I am not sure. I cannot truly speculate on that without seeing the extent of his powers.” Sorin proceeded to tell Scarlett of the violence in the Witch Realm, particularly regarding males.
“Why is it so difficult for Witches to conceive children?” Scarlett asked when he had finished.
“Because, as I said, magic always has a cost. Witches, Fae, and Shifters were gifted with the strongest magic. As such, we have a difficult time passing on our gifts in our bloodline. It is balance. It is why a Royal in my realm, for example, generally only has one child.”
“Like the queen?”
“Yes.”
“And you cannot say her name?”
“I cannot speak it here, no.”
“Can you sing it?”
“What?”
Scarlett could hear the incredulity in his voice. “Sing it? Can you sing her name in a song?”
“Why would I sing her name in a song?” That amused little tilt of lips turned into a full grin now.
“If you were singing a song and her name happened to be in the song, would you be able to sing it?”
“No.”
“Can you write it?”
“No.”
“Can you write one letter on that wall over there?” Scarlett asked, pointing to the wall near the kitchen. “And another there.” She pointed across the room. “And spread them out, so it didn’t look like a word?”
“Why does it matter what her name is?” Sorin asked, fake exasperation filling his tone.
“It’s just silly to me. I mean, what if you meet someone who bears the same name? You can never call her by her name? That could be incredibly awkward. What if she was about to walk off a cliff? You couldn’t call out her name to warn her,” Scarlett said. She was facing Sorin again, leaning against the table.
Sorin barked a laugh. “I suppose that would be unfortunate for her, but if she is walking off a cliff, perhaps she is not all that bright to begin with.”
Scarlett feigned shock, resting a hand over her heart. “You laugh about a woman falling to her death because a powerful queen doesn’t want her name spoken here? What a selfish queen.”
“Oh, she is most definitely that,” Sorin said, a bit of bitterness clouding his tone.
Scarlett was slightly taken aback. She hadn’t meant to upset him. “You do not get along with your queen?” she asked cautiously.
“The queen and I do not often see eye-to-eye on things,” Sorin answered, turning back to the map on the table.
“But you were speaking with her here. In the woods that day,” Scarlett ventured.
“We may not see eye-to-eye on things, but we are currently united against a common threat.” Sorin’s gaze remained on the map.
“The one who is oppressing your people?”
“Yes.”
“The Prince of Fire?”
“The Fire Prince does not want to be under the queen’s rule and does not believe she should decide the fate of all the Courts, but no, Scarlett, he is not the one oppressing our people. Even he and the queen have managed to somewhat set aside their differences for those in their care. Although once we have secured the weapon, how and when it will be wielded is an argument that has not yet been settled,” Sorin answered.
Scarlett snorted. “Anything has to be better than living under the Prince of Fire’s control.”
“I am sure some would agree with you,” Sorin answered. “Others would argue that living under the rule of kings who locked away entire races of people would be far worse and totalitarian.”
Scarlett straightened at the statement. “You… You think the human kings are the oppressors of your people? The weapon you seek is to be used against us ?”
“No. I would never harm humans if I can help it, Scarlett. Mortals are nearly as defenseless as a newborn fawn in a meadow.”
Sorin had turned to face her now. His body was rigid. His words, though, did something to her. He wouldn’t harm humans if he could help it?
“You are different from other Fae I have met,” she said slowly.
“Considering you were likely torturing the other Fae you have ‘met,’ I would venture to guess you do not have much to compare me to,” he retorted.
Scarlett clamped her mouth shut. That was probably true. Still…
“But the mortal kings are not those who established the wards and boundaries,” Scarlett argued. “King Deimas and Queen Esmeray did that. To protect the mortals.”
“True. Deimas and Esmeray did do that.”
“Then…how can you exact vengeance against oppressors who are no longer alive?”
“Who said anything about exacting vengeance?” Sorin asked, his head tilting to the side.
“You are searching for a weapon. To free your people.”
“I am,” Sorin replied, reaching up and twirling some of her hair around his finger.
Ignoring the gesture, Scarlett pressed on. “By so-called freeing your people, will they not push into these lands?”
“Or they would just be free to move about the continents. To visit other territories,” Sorin countered.
That made sense. Sort of.
“They would just leave the mortals alone?”
“Many of the Fae do blame the humans for their isolation. So do many of the Witches and Shifters and Night Children. The thing is, before the war, we did all live amongst each other with little conflict.”
“Until the Fae decided they were better than the humans and tried to make us slaves,” Scarlett reminded him, pushing his hand from her hair.
Sorin shrugged. “Perhaps.”
Perhaps?
“You cannot rewrite history, Sorin. That is what happened.”
Sorin arched a brow. “No, one cannot rewrite history, but the truth of that history can be erased and forgotten over the course of decades and centuries, depending on who is telling and recording it.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” Scarlett said, shaking her head.
“Truth rarely does,” Sorin answered, reaching up and tucking her hair behind her ear this time. “Did you know silver hair is incredibly rare here?”
“What?” Scarlett asked, startled by the change in subject.
“Your hair. I have never seen silver hair in the mortal lands. Grey in old age, yes, but never silver.”
“It is my most recognizable feature, I suppose,” she said slowly.
“It is beautiful but not nearly as fascinating as your eyes.” At his words, her gaze flew to his. There was a small tilt to his lips as he watched her.
“Are you…flirting with me?” Scarlett asked incredulously.
“Would you be upset if I am?”
“Yes,” she cried, but her pulse quickened and her stomach dipped.
“Liar,” he purred. “I said my Fae senses were diminished here, but they are not entirely gone.” Slightly confused by that statement, he continued before she could ask. “Anyway, as I have mentioned before, I have to return home soon.”
Scarlett stiffened at the words. “I know that.”
“So this training you wish to continue…” he trailed off as he lazily slid his eyes over her.
“Are you suggesting that I return to the Fae lands with you because that—”
“No, Love,” he chided. “I am not suggesting such a thing. I am just simply stating that it is rather tempting to stay here. I have grown rather fond of certain things from this land.” He brought a hand to her waist and gently tugged her to him.
How had this happened? How had they gone from arguing about history to… this ?
Unable to help herself, Scarlett swallowed once, then said, “Oh? Like what?”
“Hmm…” Sorin’s other hand was playing with her hair again. It hung loose around her shoulders, and he twined some around his finger. “Drake is a pretty good guy. I would rather miss him. Cassius is growing on me, too. That tavern in town on the corner brews their own ale that is quite outstanding. But…” He leaned in and kissed her, slow and lazy, as if they had all the time in the world to do so. He pulled back and said, “That is quickly becoming one of my favorite things in this realm, even if it is just an act to make Mikale jealous.”
Scarlett gave him an unimpressed glare and retorted sarcastically, “Then you better get your fill before you head home.” She broke the stare as she said it. The thought of him going back to the Fire Court made her inexplicably want to vomit.
She felt him hook a finger under her chin, bringing her eyes back to his. He kissed her again, then said, “I will not leave you alone.”
They were quiet a moment. Then Scarlett remembered some damn common sense and stepped out of his hold. She was about to ask more about the queen when Sorin whipped his head to the window. A few seconds later, Nuri swung in and fell to her knees. Scarlett and Sorin stood frozen as they watched her curl over herself. Scarlett had only seen her like this one other time.
“Nuri?” she said cautiously, taking a step towards her.
Sorin gripped her elbow. “She is not okay,” he muttered.
“I can see that,” Scarlett snapped back, trying to jerk her arm from him, but his grip only tightened.
“Let go of me,” she snarled in warning.
“Scarlett, there is something you do not know yet.” As he spoke, Nuri reached up and jerked back her hood. Her pale face was twisted in pain and rage.
Still held in his grip, Scarlett said from Soirn’s side, “Nuri, what happened?”
“They… We found them. The children that have been missing.” She said the words as if she could hardly get down a breath.
“Where?” Scarlett gasped. Again she tried to jerk free from Sorin, but his grip was ironclad.
Nuri snarled, and as she did so, fangs appeared. Scarlett stifled a cry and instinctively stepped back into Sorin, pressing into his body. “She is one of the Night Children,” he said softly.
Scarlett swallowed hard. One of the Night Children? She’d deal with that matter later. Right now, she needed to know what Nuri had learned. “Where, Nuri? Where are they? How do we get them out?”
The laugh that came from Nuri was void of any emotion. It was dark and desolate and hopeless. “We cannot get them out,” she sneered. “They are dead. All of them. We found a new tunnel into the castle, through the sewers. There is a mass grave at the end of it where they have all been dumped as if they were nothing.”
Scarlett felt Sorin slide an arm around her waist to hold her up as her legs gave out. “All of them? From the past two years?” she whispered.
“I didn’t count them, but there are many,” Nuri snapped, rising to her feet. The wrath that filled her face was inhuman, and she felt Sorin tense beside her, pulling her tighter against him. “While you have been hiding in your manor being coddled by Cassius and Lord Tyndell, they were slaughtered.”
Scarlett felt the words like the punch in the gut Nuri had intended them to be. “You blame me for this?”
“You could have prevented all of this!” Nuri screamed. “You were too damn worried about protecting me and Cassius that you let the ones who could not protect themselves be bled dry and discarded.”
“Forgive me for giving a damn about you and Cassius!” Scarlett cried, her own rage rising up. “Forgive me for doing anything I could to keep the only family I have left safe.”
Nuri advanced, pulling her scimitars from her weapons belt. She pointed one at Scarlett. “The Black Syndicate is your family,” she growled. Her voice had gone quiet, filled with a deadly calm fury. Those fangs that had appeared remained out. “We are the ones who have been discarded and unwanted. You could have continued to press Callan to find out information. Instead, you let them cage you.”
“They would have tortured you, then Cassius. Juliette’s death was nothing compared to what they will do to you,” Scarlett retorted. “They stopped coming after them after that. They stopped for over a year!” She could hear the desperation ringing in her own voice, trying to make her understand.
“And instead of rolling over, that year could have been spent finding out what the hell they were doing. All of this could have been prevented. Instead Juliette died for nothing.” Nuri took another step towards her, her voice still lethal.
Scarlett looked around frantically for weapons. There was a dagger on the table. Sorin’s sword was leaning against the fireplace. Nuri was fast, as fast as she was, she would never make it to the weapons in time. “I thought, we all thought,” she amended, “that if I stayed away from Callan it would stop, and it did!”
“This was never about you and Callan. They wanted us and him to stop digging. You closing your legs to him was just an added bonus,” Nuri sneered, her lip curling.
Scarlett lunged for the dagger, bursting from Sorin’s hold, and Nuri instantly struck, as if she had been waiting for her to move away from him. Before either of them had taken more than three steps, though, a wall of flame separated them. Nuri hissed, lurching back. “This is not your fight,” she said through gritted teeth.
“No, but it is my apartment,” Sorin said casually, sliding his hands into his pockets. “And you conveniently waited until she left my side to attack.”
“Look at you,” Nuri said, her face twisting to one of disgust. “Another person to coddle her.”
“He is not coddling me,” Scarlett snapped, snatching up the dagger from the table. She threw it with deadly precision through the fire, and Nuri barely moved in time to avoid it. Scarlett walked to the edge of the flames, noting the lack of heat from them. “You need someone to blame, Nuri? Fine. I’ll take it, but do not for one second think I stopped caring about them. Everything I did was for them, and if that’s not enough for you, then you can go to hell.”
Nuri stalked to her, only the red and orange and gold flames separating them. “You have forgotten your purpose,” she said with an icy, calm wrath glittering in her eyes. “Juliette’s death is a complete waste if you cannot open your eyes and see what path lies before you.”
“I am doing everything I can,” Scarlett cried. “Why is this all on me?”
“Because you, of any of us, have the greatest ability to protect those who cannot protect themselves.” She gave a pointed look at Sorin before she said, “Callan arrives tonight at eleven. Prepare yourself.” Then she turned on her heel, stalked to the spare bedroom, and slammed the door behind her.
The wall of flame was instantly gone, and Scarlett stood rooted to the spot, staring at that slammed door.
“You were not wrong,” Sorin said from behind her, his voice gentle. “She was looking for someone to blame. You just happened to be the closest target.”
“She wasn’t wrong either,” Scarlett replied.