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October 10 - October 16, 2025
“Rage, Scarlett. Rage and scream and cry and fall apart. You are allowed to feel and do all those things, but you do not stop fighting. You do not give up. You become a bigger storm,”
“You only drown if you stay in the river. Let him pull you to the shore. It is okay to let yourself be rescued sometimes, Scarlett,”
There was a swirl of snow, and a sword appeared in his hand. It was pure silver, the hilt gleaming with a large, glimmering sapphire. Ice Razor, the sword of the Water Prince.
Sorin ground out, his own black sword appearing in his hand.
“She is lost,” Briar finished. “But she doesn’t realize she has already found her way. She doesn’t know she’s found you.”
fire in her veins, Sorin, but her heart is all Anahita. She will not drown. She can breathe underwater.” “What?” Sorin asked, jerking his head to stare at his friend. “She can breathe. I promise you. She will not drown.” “But when she comes up, she is gasping for breath,” Sorin argued. “If she is gasping for air, it is not due to being submerged. She can create pockets of air under the water. Her body does not know that, so it reacts as it would to survive,”
He reached for her and when his hand touched her mass of shadows, her eyes snapped open. The blue of her eyes had turned nearly grey, a muted silver.
Sorin laid down on that stone balcony, facing her. She did not even open her eyes when she reached for him, her hand resting on his chest. He stilled for a moment. She didn’t move, but her breaths began to even out. They began to match his own.
She closed her eyes once more, and they laid on that balcony in the falling flurries. They stayed there for nearly an hour, her breathing now perfectly in sync with his own. Her shadows slowly crept over him until he was part of her darkness. She did not remove her hand from his chest. He did not reach for her. He just sat with her in the dark.
He had lain with her, letting her sort through everything that had happened. He had not asked to talk about it. He had not told her what had happened after she’d left. He had just crawled into a pit and sat with her in the darkness. She couldn’t decide what to make of it. This male that had contributed to her breaking, lying with her in her shadows.
She was strapping a dagger to her thigh when she came out of the closet and found Sorin waiting for her. He noted the dagger and gave a nod. “You are fine with me wearing it to dinner?” she inquired, a challenge in her tone. “I wear multiple weapons everywhere. Why wouldn’t you?”
Sorin winced a little. “Before we go to dinner, some Fae decorum. We are males and females. Men and women are humans.” “Semantics,” Scarlett replied with a roll of her eyes. “Not to Fae. To Fae they are very, very different.” “You are offended?” “Not me. I am used to you calling me all kinds of endearing names, but yes, others will find it deeply offensive,”
She caught movement out of the corner of her eye and turned to see a giant wolf emerge from the forest to the east. It was the same one she had seen when she’d watched Sorin with Talwyn back in Baylorin. Scarlett stilled, but the panther walked towards it. The two seemed to stare each other down in some sort of stand off, before the wolf gave a bow of its head in Scarlett’s direction. There were other animals here, too. The red bird she had glimpsed in Sorin’s rooms that day they’d arrived was soaring in a tight circle above them along with a silver hawk. A large, red stag and a stunning,
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The black wolf’s ears suddenly perked up, as if it indeed heard something. It was looking past her, and when Scarlett turned to see what had caught its attention, she found herself looking into eyes of the deepest jade green. Mahogany hair flowed around her face on a phantom wind. She had seen her once before, when she had watched Sorin talk to her. Talwyn.
“Scarlett! Open your eyes.” Scarlett snapped her eyes open to find herself back in Sorin’s bedroom. He was gripping her shoulders, his golden skin slightly pale. “Are you back?” he asked, searching her eyes. She nodded mutely. “What the hell happened?” he demanded, bringing his hands to her face. “I think I just met Talwyn.”
“You were in Shira Forest?” “Where?” “Shira Forest. It’s believed Shira Forest is where magic originated and is where the most powerful Fae are bonded with a Spirit Animal. You’ve been there before?” “In my dreams, yes, but the Spirit Animals?”
She heard a laugh that she knew by now to be Briar’s, and she turned to face him. His sun bleached hair was tied back, and the pale blue shirt he had changed into brought out the icy blue color of his eyes and was stark against his dark skin. He rose from the table and came to her. Kissing her cheek, he asked gently, “How are the waters?” “The waves seemed to have lessened. At least for the time being,” Scarlett answered. “I am glad to hear that,” Briar said, squeezing her hand slightly.
Cyrus was still studying her and by way of greeting said, “You know how to use that dagger?” Scarlett smiled sweetly at him, then in less time than it took to draw breath, the dagger was flying across the room, landing directly in front of him. Cyrus didn’t even flinch. He only said with a sly smile, “Eliza, I think you have some competition.”
“Stop speaking, Cyrus. It hurts my ears,” chided the female sitting to his right with a roll of her eyes. She had a book open on the table before her that she had been reading quietly during all the bantering. Her red-gold hair cascaded around her in great sweeping curls. Her eyes were the grey of ash and smoke. To say she was stunning was an understatement. Her top was low cut and whorls of tattoos lined her chest and ran down her bare arms. “You know Eliza,” Sorin said. “She is the general of my armies.”
Rayner. He is my Third.” Scarlett looked to the remaining male in the room to the right of Eliza. He had a kind face, but there was a darkness to him she couldn’t quite place. His eyes were nearly identical to Eliza’s except that the grey in his eyes seemed to actually swirl and flow like smoke. His hair was a stark charcoal color similar to Sorin’s, but not quite as dark. He gave her a warm smile, saying softly in a cool voice that somehow managed to chill her bones, “It is a pleasure to meet you, Scarlett.”
“I have been gone for over three years and no one can even bother to get their prince a drink?” he accused, striding for the bar at the back. Cyrus snorted, spooning roasted vegetables onto his plate. “While you’ve been vacationing with the mortals, someone had to deal with Talwyn. You should be getting me a drink, asshole.” “He is incredibly needy, isn’t he? Poor thing fussing over getting his own alcohol,” Scarlett said, taking a piece of bread from the basket that Briar was handing her. “Says the one who was just waited on by a prince,” Sorin quipped while pouring liquor into a glass. “I
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“Are you asking if I am available?” Scarlett asked, her tone sultry as she leaned back in her chair. Sorin’s fingers brushed across her shoulder. “If you’re offering, I certainly would not object,” he replied with a fiendish glance to Sorin. “I assure you, Darling, you wouldn’t know the first thing to do with me and my darkness,” she purred. As if in emphasis, her shadows reached for him, caressing down his cheek and neck. He froze as they trailed along him, then a feral grin crossed his lips. “Intimidating indeed,” he crooned. “Told you,” Briar quipped, picking up his drink and knocking the
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The voice of a ruler. Every one of his Inner Court sat up straighter in their chairs, their eyes slightly widening. It was clear he rarely spoke to them this way. The gold in Sorin’s eyes had turned to flame, and it took all of Scarlett not to flinch from him.
Furthermore, she is Eliné’s daughter.” All their eyes widened at that revelation, and Cyrus started to say something, but Sorin was not done. “As to whether or not I found the weapon Talwyn so desperately seeks, you are looking at her, and Talwyn cannot have her. Should Scarlett decide to take her throne, our allegiance lies with her. Should she decide not to, our loyalty still lies with her.”
“This information goes nowhere. Briar knows and will tell his Inner Court, but no one else learns this information unless Scarlett decides to share it. The choice is hers, but this is her home, and she belongs at this table.”
Scarlett met Sorin’s gaze then. Her shadows brushed along his fingers, and his eyes softened, the flames lessening. Too bad Tula isn’t here to give you a cookie. You deserve a treat after that little speech, she thought, tilting her head. As though he had heard her thoughts, he smirked at her.
She didn’t notice the smile that crossed Briar’s face when he reached for her glass to refill her wine. Her eyes were fixed on the golden eyes of the Prince of Fire, where she saw nothing but home.
They had all felt it. She was here. She had crossed their wards. They all crossed the room, stalking to the door, flames licked up and down Sorin’s entire body, and when they were gone, he was dressed in dark charcoal clothing, the color of soot and ashes. Fighting leathers lay over the top of the clothes while twin blades appeared at his back. An assortment of knives and daggers were sheathed and secured in various places. Cyrus and Rayner wore nearly identical attire. Cyrus had a bow and quiver full of arrows. Rayner had vambraces at his wrists. They entered the hall where Eliza met them.
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“You will openly defy me?” He could feel her power scraping along their shields, like it was dragging claws down walls of stone. Not one of his Inner Court moved. “According to the Charters of the Courts, I am permitted to defy you if I believe there is a credible threat to my Court by complying,” Sorin replied, stepping right up to the edge of their shields. Talwyn was just on the other side. There were only a few feet separating them. Her jade eyes glowed brightly with rage. “The only work around is the Blood Vow, which you have already invoked. She is a member of my Court, and you, my
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“Would you really waste another Blood Vow on this? You have hundreds of years left to reign and only three vows remaining,”
“I know who she is, Sorin.” “I do not believe you,” he replied, low and vicious. “But if you do know who she is, then you know where my true allegiance lies.” A smile appeared on Talwyn’s lips then, slow and malicious. “And you will discover that in the end, the Fates will plant us on the same side.”
If she only knew she could Travel like her cousin, she’d never fear confined spaces again.
Tessa also not liking cramped spaces
me?” “No, Love,” he replied. He stepped closer to her, unable to help himself. “I would not keep it from you.” “And you’ve told me everything?” she asked, her eyes searching his own. “I have told you everything.” Before the words had even finished leaving his lips, he felt a searing jolt of pain shoot through his left hand.
“Legend among the Fae is that our magic and power comes from a place called Shira Forest.”
“I thought you said the Avonleyans blessed the Fae with magic.” “They did, but it is believed that their magic came from this Forest. It is said Shira Forest is where the gods reside along with the Fates.” Scarlett snorted. “The gods live in a dream world?” “Shira Forest is a real place. It is just that no one knows where it is.”
“I am going to assume you saw an animal there, and I am going to go a step further and venture to guess it was a panther as dark as night.”
The most powerful of the Fae, those chosen by a particular god or goddess, are bonded with their Spirit Animal. In essence, you become bonded to that god or goddess through that bond.”
“Because Shirina made her presence known while you slept. She was often seen at the foot of your bed, watching over you and growling at anyone who dared to approach you.
“Which animals did you see?” “Well, the wolf from the day I saw you and Talwyn speaking in Baylorin was there,” she said, fiddling with her teacup. “Maliq? He is Talwyn’s bonded, the wolf of Celeste, goddess of the moon and sky.
There was a quiet cooing, and Scarlett jumped, nearly spilling her tea as Amaré flew in the open balcony door. “That bird. It was there.”
“There is a bond that will form and strengthen,” Sorin explained, Amaré swooping to his shoulder and nipping his ear affectionately. “You will learn how to communicate with each other. This is Amaré. He is a phoenix and the animal of Anala.” “Goddess of sun and fire,”
“There was a horse. It looked like Eirwen, but its mane and tail were like a cascading waterfall.” Sorin smiled. “Abrax. He is Anahita’s and is bonded to Briar.”
“The silver hawk?’ “She is the wind goddess’ and is bonded to Princess Ashtine. Her name is Nasima. They are rarely seen apart. Was Asht...
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“There was a red stag.” “That was Rinji. Silas’s animal and is bonded with Prince Azrael of the Earth Court.”
“And the black eagle?” “What?” Sorin’s head snapped to her. “The black eagle,” she said cautiously. “There… There was a black eagle.” “Altaria… Altaria is Temural’s Spirit Animal,” Sorin said quietly. “Like Shirina, he has not been seen in ages. Long before the Great War even occurred.”
“But there are… I don’t think coincidences are as much of a thing as I once thought they were.” She sighed. “I mean, it can’t be a coincidence that I’ve worn Saylah’s amulet my entire life and am now apparently bonded with her Spirit Animal.”
“Shirina and Altaria, along with Ejder, who is Arius’s dragon, and Kilo, Serafina’s snake, are called the Dark Spirit Animals. To my knowledge, none of them have been seen in centuries.”
“You know that Arius and Serafina and their children are…” Sorin clenched his jaw, not wanting to say the words. “I know their family are the most feared among the gods, yes,” she finished for him. “Again, I don’t think there is any sort of coincidence happening here considering I am called Death’s Maiden and am feared among most of the continent.”
“Eliné’s Spirit Animal was Paja, the golden owl of Falein, goddess of—” “Goddess of wisdom and cleverness,”
