Lady of Darkness (Lady of Darkness, #1)

by Melissa K. Roehrich

“What of the Queen of the Western Courts? You said Queen Esmeray left her alive,” Scarlett said. “She did, and she ruled all the Courts beautifully for decades, helping to raise her niece and teaching her how to rule until she was ready to take up her place as queen,” Sorin explained. “You speak as if you knew her personally,” Scarlett said, finishing the nuts and dropping her hand to his that still splayed across her hip. He intertwined their fingers. “I did, Scarlett,” he answered, his tone somewhat melancholy. “I was her Second-in-Command. She was a dear friend. Do you remember how I told you of Fae and twin flames?” Scarlett stilled. “Was she your twin flame?” “No,” Sorin said quickly. “Nothing like that, but she was my soulmate.”

“It is actually the farthest thing from it. Soulmates are people who understand each other on a deeper level, but there is no romantic attraction. The intimacy is deeper than friendship. It is soul deep. They connect with each other almost on a…spiritual level for lack of a better explanation.

“Wait, you said the Western Fae Queen did not have a known heir. That makes it sound like she does have an heir.” Sorin’s grip on her hip tightened. “She does. She has been hidden and unknown to us. The Fae Queen still does not know she exists because she has been kept a secret.”

“She was kept hidden and raised by an Assassin Lord. She was kept a secret and trained to kill her own kind. She was honed into a weapon.” “Stop,” she whispered. “If you are telling me you have kept something else so major from me, I need you to stop right now.” But he didn’t. “Queen Eliné was the Fae Queen of the Western Courts, Princess.”

“Eliza!” Sorin called out from where he was engaged with another Night Child. “She needs a sword.” From a burst of flames, Eliza pulled a sword from what appeared to be thin air and tossed it to Scarlett.

said, hauling her towards Eirwen. “But until then, you need to stop.” “You need to stop touching me.” “Our agreement was I could touch you when it was necessary. This is necessary,” he replied, completely calm. “I hate you,” she hissed. “I have no doubt that will not be the last time you say those words to me today. In fact, I fully expect you to actually mean them by the end of it,”

Sorin merely sighed, and she found her wrists being snapped together and encircled by manacles of flame. Her shadows immediately began twisting and tightening around the flames, and Scarlett dragged her eyes to Sorin’s. A wicked smile curved her lips. “Looks like you were wrong, General. The Darkness does love me more than you do.”

She didn’t get to finish what she was going to say because his lips were suddenly on hers. She jerked back, but his hands held her to him, one sliding up to the nape of her neck, keeping her in place. The kiss was desperate and heady, and Scarlett found herself kissing him back. He pulled back, but only far enough so that when he spoke, his lips brushed over hers. “I know you still hate me,” he said quietly, “but I do not hate you, Scarlett Monrhoe, and I need you safely across that border. You will be safest with me on Eirwen. I do not want you bound, but if that is how I need to accomplish this need, then that is what I will do.” There was a beat of silence as she stared into his golden eyes. “We need to go,” he whispered.

A moment later, strong arms were scooping her off the ground. He had golden eyes like Sorin’s. “Hi,” Scarlett whispered. “Hi, Darling,” he answered, a corner of his lips kicking up. The dark was calling to her, and she started to close her eyes, but he spoke again. “No, don’t do that. He’s ready for you.”

“Sorin?” “Yeah, Love?” “I don’t hate you.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I know, Love, but you will.”

She had shifted too and her own pointed ears peeked out from under her mass of silver hair. He lifted her tunic from her abdomen and sucked in a breath. His magic was holding the wound together, but the dagger had been another shirastone one. There were black lines spiderwebbing out from the wound.

Something was wrong. Scarlett’s eyes were changing color as he watched her. They weren’t going gold, though. Shadows weren’t swarming in them. They were turning silver.

“You said Eliza was powerful,” she rasped slowly. “She is.” Dread began coiling in his stomach. “Lay back, Scarlett.” “But she is not more powerful than you.” “No, she is not.” “Who…who is more powerful than you in the Fire Court, Sorin?” “Lay back, Scarlett,” he said quietly again.

He looked down and saw ice forming along the floor, starting at Scarlett and working its way out, its radius growing. He placed a hand on the floor, palm down, and willed heat through it, trying to slow the spread, but his magic was tapped out. He could feel her power— strong, unyielding, and limitless. His own magic danced alongside hers, but the shadows wouldn’t let it get any closer.

Flames and ice swirled around her, and her shadows slithered along the floor like snakes.

He took slow steps towards Scarlett, and when he was close enough to reach out and touch her, her shadows lunged for him, tight cords wrapping around his arms, winding up to his throat. “Hey, Love,” he said softly. Those silver eyes that had been sweeping over the room, the people, everything, settled back onto him, and what radiated from them squeezed something in his chest so tightly he nearly vomited right there. Hatred. Pure and undiluted hatred. “Ask it, Scarlett. I can handle it. I can take what you need to say to me.” “You do not answer to the Fire Prince because…” “Because I am the Prince of Fire,” he finished for her. “You would not turn me over to him because you already had me,” she whispered.

Briar was slowly crouching, reaching for the floor. He had summoned him here for this very reason. While Sorin could counter her fire element, Briar’s elemental magic was water and, in turn, ice. Briar Drayce, Prince of the Water Court. When Briar’s hand touched the floor, his eyes widened, darting to Sorin, clearly startled at the magic he was working so hard to undo.

“Scarlett, all you have to do is answer yes or no. Do you have any control over your magic right now?” he asked gently. Two tears escaped from her eyes, and at his question, her flames turned blue, then glaringly white. They became flames so cold they burned. “I have control over nothing,” she whispered, her voice as hollow as her eyes. Those eyes were slowly dimming, slowly returning to their icy blue, the glow all but faded. “I have so many masters there is nothing left for me to control.”

“I told you the Fire Prince will not cage you. I will not allow it. I have never lied to you.”

“You, Prince of Fire, are the cruelest master of them all.”

“Here’s an emotion for you, Prince of Fire. I hate you. Every broken and shredded piece of me hates your very existence.” There was no affection in her tone. No brief glimpse of tenderness or teasing. “I know,” he replied. “I know you do, but I will still come for you. I will still fight my way into your darkness to help you find the stars, and when you see them again, I will hold true to my word. I will help you kill the Fire Prince if that is what you desire.”

and the Healer pressed a hand to Scarlett’s cheek. She went lax on the couch, her eyes fluttering closed. Sorin scooped her up and carried her to his room. Briar and Beatrix followed him and stood back while he laid her gently upon his bed, the shadows swirling lightly around her. Her silver hair splayed on the pillows as Beatrix stepped forward and once again began tending to the wound where she’d been stabbed. “What now?” Briar asked when Sorin stepped back to his side to give Beatrix room to work. “Now we wait,” Sorin said. “For what?” “For the stars to come out.”