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October 12 - October 22, 2025
“But I figured out his other secret all by myself.” “Oh?” Rayner questioned, falling into step beside her. “Mhmm,” she hummed. “He smiles biggest when he sees her.”
“Scarlett would be so proud,” Sorin said mockingly. Cyrus rolled his eyes. “She would have said fuck covertness, announced her arrival, and then made a competition out of who could make the most kills.”
“He has clung on this long because he is the calm to my storm, and if he leaves, the storm will rage and will never cease.
“When night and darkness meet, when dreams and stars collide, when ashes meld with shadows, you will find me waiting, and the first words from my lips will be my name.”
“I can take it, Sorin. I can take what you have to say to me.”
“I do not want a life without you in it. If the choice is a life without you or death at your side, I choose death, Scarlett. I choose wherever you are. If that means we are ashes in the voids between stars, then that is what I choose because I am with you. I am giving you my life. Let me give that to you,” he begged. “Choose that. Choose doing this together. That is what I want you to choose.”
I love you like the stars love the night, Scarlett. All the way through the darkness.
“Do you, Darling?” he asked, and Scarlett held in the sob of relief when he called her that.
“We were all alone at some point, Scarlett,” he said into her hair. “All of us have experienced being only able to depend on oneself. We have all had to learn to trust others, to let ourselves depend on others. But you are a queen. You need to get there faster than we did.”
“Welcome back, Darling.”
“There you go again,” Sorin sighed, cutting her off again, “asking me to focus on something other than the fact that you are not wearing pants.”
“Then let me be louder, Love,” Sorin replied. “When he is all-consuming, come to me, and let me be more. Let me consume you so there is nothing left for him to have.”
“You deserve every star and more,” he replied. “Every star in the dark, forgotten parts of the sky, you deserve each and every one of them.
“You are mine,” he confirmed. “So if anyone gets to consume you, Scarlett, it will be me. And if that is my curse, I will cross the Veil the luckiest son of a bitch to have ever walked this world, and then I will hunt you down in the After to consume you all over again.”
“Am I supposed to wait on you hand and foot?” “I am your queen,” she shot back, brushing sand off the back of her pants. “That I thought was dead,” Cyrus countered. “Why would I bring a dead queen food?”
“He prefers the darkness, Scarlett. Let him stay in it,” he said gently. “Let us stay in your darkness.”
“Because a young queen reminded me that hope is for the dreamers, and while I will not ask for your forgiveness or apologize for my choices, I do dream of knowing my son.”
I need you. And if you are ever taken from me again, I cannot promise I will not burn everything and everyone to the ground until I find you. It will not matter if they are enemy or innocent, friend or family. It will not matter if the entire world is nothing but ash by the time I get to you. None of it will matter because my need for you is all-consuming.” She cupped his face in her hands. “Thank you for loving me like the stars love the night, Sorin.” His forehead fell forward, resting against hers. “All the way through the darkness, Love.”
“When night and darkness meet, when dreams and stars collide, when ashes meld with shadows, you will find me waiting.”
“This isn’t awkward at all,” she muttered under her breath. “We’re one big, happy family, Darling. It’s fine,” Cyrus replied with a wink.
“Letting him make decisions makes him feel important.”
“She is going to get us all killed one day,” Luan grumbled. “Not likely. She will pull some plan out of her ass and end up saving the godsdamn day,” Cyrus said.
“Eliza is going to be so pissed she is missing this,” Cyrus murmured again beneath his breath.
He didn’t bother to tell her that she already had the upper hand in every way. He didn’t bother to tell her that all she had to do was say the word, and he’d be on his knees before her. He didn’t bother to tell her that she already held all the power. That he would crawl through every darkness, every flame, and every shadow to worship her in every way possible.
“The actual children in these Halls are better behaved,” Rayner grumbled, pulling out a chair for Scarlett as she approached the dining table. “Rayner!” Scarlett cried with glee. “Did you just join in the bantering?” “We should declare this day a holiday to memorialize the moment,” Cyrus called from the food spread.
As long as you are with me, I will always be all right. Your touch eases my fears, and your kisses are every star in my darkness.”
“You are so fucking beautiful,” Sorin said. “But please stop riding the godsdamn shadow dragon.”
Love… His voice filtered down the bond, breathless and raspy. I would still choose to stay in the darkness… Even now.
You are worthy of good things, no matter what mistakes you made in the past. You deserve every star in the sky. Don’t let anyone ever tell you otherwise.
