Lady of Shadows (Lady of Darkness, #2)

by Melissa K. Roehrich

Rayner was still a mystery to her. He was kind whenever she saw him and always had a soft smile for her, but he was quiet and reclusive. She rarely saw him outside dinner and even there he only spoke to quiet tension. When he spoke, though, you listened. He was like a wise old man who you knew held untold wisdom if you just listened at the right times.

“Some Marks are symbols. Some Marks are tests. Some Marks are used in spells and enchantments. Some Marks amplify certain aspects of one’s power.”

“Marrying outside of your Court is not permitted. The only exception is if your twin flame is from another Court, and even then the bond has to be Trialed and Anointed before it is accepted.

“However, when my power began manifesting at age eleven, it was fire, pure and strong, and my mother’s husband realized that he was obviously not my father. She had had an affair with a male from the Fire Court, whom she believed was her twin flame, but they were too afraid to undergo the Trials. I still don’t know who he is to this day, but instead of my powers being unparalleled earth magic, they are fire. My fire magic is second only to Sorin’s.”

“When my mother’s husband learned the truth, he slit her throat in front of me. Then he gave me this Mark,” she said, pointing to the whorl of ink directly over her heart. “It prevents me from bearing children. He told me he’d rather die than have any more of his relations with a drop of Fire Court blood in their veins.

“I cannot bear living children,” Eliza corrected. “I have conceived children three separate times. After enduring that pain three different times, I will not attempt it again. I never told my partner. It was my burden to bear alone.”

“This Mark is my Mark of Loyalty to him and the Fire Court,” she said, pulling back the collar of her tunic and pointing to the Mark on the left side of her chest near her shoulder. It was a flame with a sword through it. It was in nearly the same spot as the one on Sorin’s chest and looked identical. “Cyrus and Rayner bear one as well.”

“Most of the other Marks enhance my abilities, and allow me to do things like summon weapons from my flames, among other things.”

“The others will not say it to you, but I hope you decide to stay.”

“It took nearly five years to get you to say more than three words at a time to Cyrus and Rayner, but you and Scarlett are thicker than thieves in a few hours?” Sorin asked, his tone conveying just how unlikely he found this to be. Eliza shrugged. “She doesn’t have a cock. That makes a big difference. I’ve been telling you for years we needed another female in the family.”

He had tried to explain it to her, that Fae males felt an instinctive drive to serve and protect.

“There used to be two Fae Queens who ruled the Courts. They were sisters, but some say there was a third sister. That Esmeray was that third.”

It claimed that Deimas and Esmeray were seeking something across the sea, and Avonleya refused to let them even come to visit. That such a slight would ignite the Great War seems a little far-fetched though.”

There was one book that spoke of something called a World Walker who was apparently a being that could walk between the worlds somehow.”

“You know where I was?” “I am the prince of the palace, Scarlett, and you are, for all intents and purposes, a princess. I was sent a message by every night watch you passed.”

“I think you might be mine though,” she said, as sleep finally overtook her. “Your what?” she heard him press, but sleep pulled her under before she could reply.

And today she awoke not feeling like she had any fight left in her. Today she awoke and felt utterly and completely empty.

“It is okay to have hard days, Scarlett.” His tone was impossibly tender. “It is okay if some days the only thing you manage to do is survive. That is okay.”

“Those are things that will get easier to live with over time, but they are memories that you will still carry with you forever. They are memories that will still sneak up on you at the oddest times, when you are not expecting it.” “I don’t know what is wrong with me today,” she whispered. “There is nothing wrong with you, Scarlett. You just had a hard day. That is okay.”

“Briar told me you only drown if you stay in the river.” She swallowed as the last of the sun dipped behind the mountains, and the night enveloped them. How long had they been out here? She turned to face him, pulling her cloak tighter around herself. “I don’t want to be in the river any more, Sorin.” Her voice cracked on the last words. His arms were around her in the next breath, pulling her to him, like he’d been waiting for this moment. As if he’d known it was coming. “I am not going to let you drown, Scarlett.” She let him hold her in the dark, breathing him in and soaking in his warmth. As he sent another flood of heat through her, she grumbled, “I hate the cold.”

“I will never stop, Scarlett. I will never stop telling you that you matter and that you make a difference. I will never stop telling you that you are a necessity in my life, and I sure as shit will be sure and say it extra on the hard days.”

I thought of how my life might have been different. If she had made different choices. If I had been raised as a princess instead of a healer’s daughter taught to kill and torture…”

She didn’t want to form the words because what if she was wrong? No. Today, on this hard day, she couldn’t face it if she was wrong. So instead she said, “Thank you, Sorin.”

Minutes or hours later, she didn’t know, she felt familiar strong arms scooping her up as she groggily nestled into his chest. At some point she had fallen asleep in the comfortable silence, Sorin just there if she needed him. The bed dipped as he got in on his side, and she rolled to him. His arm came around her, tucking her into his side, her cheek on his chest and leg draped over his. She was still in the same position when she woke the next morning, Sorin’s arm wrapped tightly around her. She soaked him in. All of him. Her soul feeling lighter, so much lighter than it had yesterday. She lifted her head to find him watching her, that same look on his face from the night before.

“Good morning,” he said softly, brushing stray hair back from her face. “Morning.” His fingers lingered in her hair, and he said, “Today will be a better day.”

“Today I’m going to do more than just survive.” The arm wrapped around her squeezed gently. “But on the hard days, promise me that you’ll pull me from the river.” “Always, Love,” he answered. “I promise I will alw...

“Accepting forgiveness offered when it is not requested is often harder than asking for it. Or do you not want to accept it as a way to continue punishing yourself?”

“Did you not read enough in the library today?” he asked. She frowned slightly as she met his gaze. “Is there really such a thing as reading too much?” “For you? No, I do not think there is.”

“What is it?” She crossed to the door and slid on silver, silk slippers. The portrait of casual ease. A picture of what he’d one day envisioned sharing his life with someone to look like. Simple conversations. Comfortable give and take.

“The blades on many of your weapons are so dark. What are they made of?” “There is a steel mined from the Fiera Mountains. It is the strongest steel on the continent and is said to only be rivaled by steel found in Avonleya,” he answered. “But they cannot kill a Night Child?” “No. You still need shirastone for that. Shirastone nullifies magic. That is why it is effective against the Fae.”

“My mother had it built,” Sorin said, and she turned to face him at that, to give him her full attention. “She loved her people and loved ruling by my father’s side, but she was from a small village near the Xylon Forest in the southern part of our territory and missed the forest terribly. So my father gave her this space to build her own little forest. He called it the Princess’s Garden. It spans half the roof of the palace.

Scarlett stopped and stooped down, brushing her fingers over the petals of a vibrant red and orange flower. He crouched beside her and snapped one off, handing it to her. “The fire rose,” he said. “It only blooms in the Fire Court.”

“What was her name? Your mother?” Sorin stood, pulling her back up with him. “My mother’s name was Elliya, an...

“Because I wanted that to be able to survive and thrive here.” He pointed down into the pond at a vibrant multi-colored sea star in the center of the sandy bottom. It had taken him nearly an entire week to figure out the spells to keep this section of the garden in tropical warmth. Briar had come and told him exactly what he’d need to do to keep that sea star alive and had searched the Water Court for this particular one.

“I wish I could have met your parents.” The statement startled him a little, and his chest tightened at the thought of his lovely mother who had walked these very gardens with him so often when he was a child. At the thought of his father who had made time to personally train him a few hours every week, not just in weaponry, but in running a Court. He swallowed thickly. “Me too, Love. Me too,” he said, pressing a featherlight kiss to her cheek, but he stilled when she brought her fingers to his own cheek.

dessert appearing before them. From the variety of fruit tarts, Sorin searched for two pear ones and scooped them onto Scarlett’s plate. She gave him a little smile, picking up her fork.

But he also knew that if she returned to Baylorin to stay, he would follow her there. He would follow her to the farthest star.

did read something that suggested Deimas and Esmeray were not the ones who isolated Avonleya, but that Avonleya set up a powerful enchantment to keep them out,”

“Fine. He has a mountain home up in the highest peaks. He has wards all around it, and he doesn’t let any of us in. He goes there when he wants to be alone.”

“He will not let you in, Scarlett,” Cyrus said again. “He has never let anyone else into that house.” “No one?” she asked, turning to him incredulously. “Only once,” Cyrus said gravely, his eyes studying the chalet.

Sorin, who had sat in the darkness with her so many times, who had pulled her from the river. She would climb down into his pits with him just as he had done for her.

“My home is wherever you are. If you demand I go home, I am already there. Let me in.”

“You promised, you lying bastard!” she screamed now. She could feel the tears pooling in her eyes as she banged on that door with clenched hands. Her shadows wreathed her fists, the wood of the door groaning under each hit. “You promised you would not leave me alone in the darkness. You came for me, and I have come for you. I am yours, and you are mine. Let me in!”

“You do not get to call me a whore because you’re having a hard day, but if that kind of release is what you need, I’ll go find someone for you to be with.” He blinked at her, and she saw the flicker of surprise pass across his eyes before they became unreadable again.

“If you do not want this thing we have, that is fine. I can find my own way. I do not need to stay here.” Her shadows swirled around her, a vortex of darkness. “I can find the stars somewhere else with someone who won’t toss me back into the river and shove my head under water when they have a bad day. Someone who won’t treat me like a fucking burden.”

She turned to step through the portal, but she didn’t miss Cyrus's words to his Prince as she did so. “You are a fucking idiot.”

“Did you hear any of what she said to you?” Briar snarled, circling him, his icy blue eyes glowing. Every feral Fae predator trait and instinct was evident on his face. He was defending Scarlett. Their Princess. Their Queen. Their princess, yes, but his twin flame.

under your damn skin, you did not even hear what Scarlett said to you. She practically screamed the Claiming Rite at you without even knowing what she was saying. You insufferable fool,” Briar spat. You came for me, and I have come for you. I am yours, and you are mine. “If she walks away from you, from us, from all of this now, it is entirely your fault,” he snarled again, ripping his ice from Sorin’s veins. His own magic took over instinctively, flooding him with heat. I can find the stars somewhere else with someone who won’t toss me back into the river and who won’t treat me like a fucking burden.

“And I thought maybe you would. I thought maybe you would not refuse your godsdamned twin flame. I thought maybe this would be what it took to get her to feel that bond. So I brought her to you, knowing what kind of foul mood you would be in. Thinking there was no way you would take it out on the female who owns your heart. And then you pissed all over it.”

Her words from weeks ago floated back to him. I think you might be mine, though.