Lady of Shadows (Lady of Darkness #2)

Chapter 20 Scarlett

CHAPTER 20

SCARLETT

S carlett woke with a groan. Her arm was stiff and sore, but the shooting pain was gone. She sucked in a breath and gasped. Her ribs were healing, but her entire body ached. She was exhausted. Her very soul felt drained.

“Take it easy, Princess. Sorin will kill me if you wake up and hurt yourself more,” came a female voice.

Scarlett’s eyes fluttered open, and she found Eliza sprawled in the chaise beneath the window, a book in her hands. The army general wore pants and a tunic the color of ash. Her fighting leathers and weapons were discarded on the floor beside the chaise, although a dagger was still sheathed at her side.

“Where is he?” Scarlett asked, looking around the room.

“He had to tend to some Court matters with Cyrus, and Rayner had his own tasks.”

“So you got stuck with babysitting duty?” Scarlett inquired, using her good arm to push herself into a sitting position. She breathed through her teeth at the sharp pain in her ribs. She moved her arm back and forth, wincing slightly with the movement.

“I volunteered,” Eliza replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

“How many days have I been asleep?”

“Only one.”

Scarlett’s eyes widened. “How have my arm and ribs healed this much in only a day?”

“Didn’t Sorin tell you Fae heal quickly? Add Beatrix to the mix, and you should be good as new in a few days’ time. Although your depleted magical reserves may delay things a bit. There is a tonic by the bed to speed your healing,” Eliza answered with a nod to the nightstand. Her red-gold hair was free and flowing down her back. Scarlett could see her tattoos peeking out from beneath the collar of her tunic. Eliza followed her gaze and said, “They’re Marks.”

“What do they mean?” Scarlett asked.

The two females hadn’t spent much time together the past few weeks, so she wasn’t sure if Eliza would find the question prying. She had eaten dinner with Sorin’s Inner Court every evening, becoming more comfortable with them each day. She had quickly become close with Cyrus and delighted in giving Sorin as much shit as possible with him. She could tell beneath the wit and endless bantering was a brilliant mind that was constantly calculating and assessing everything at once. After spending just a few hours with him, she knew why he was Sorin’s Second, and he had even given her tips on her archery skills a few times.

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.

Eliza, however? She could still hear her voice telling her to leave them at that initial dinner and see the challenge in her eyes to Sorin. Eliza had been civil to her, but hadn’t spent any more time with her than necessary. To hear she had volunteered to watch over her was a surprise. Even on the short journey here, Eliza hadn’t said much to her. Her sole focus had seemed to be keeping Sorin under control for some reason. She’d always managed to appear when tensions were rising between Sorin and Callan. She clearly had no problem with challenging him when she thought what he was doing was ill-advised.

Eliza closed her book and laid it beside her on the chaise, those gray eyes fixing on Scarlett. “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.”

“And yours?”

Eliza studied her a moment, then asked instead, “What do you know of the Courts?”

Scarlett blinked in surprise. “Not a lot,” she admitted. “I know there are four. I know the names. I know the sitting royalty. I know little more.”

Eliza nodded. “I’m told that the mortal kingdoms place a lot of stock in bloodlines.”

“They do,” Scarlett answered shortly, reaching over to the tonic sitting on the bedside table. She swallowed it down and nearly choked on the bitter taste.

“The Fae Courts are no different, except that our families are built up for magical power, not just royalty bloodlines. Those with powerful magic are betrothed to those of similar power to strengthen the bloodlines,” Eliza explained. She was looking down at the floor as she spoke, tracing idle circles onto the rug with the toe of her boot. “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. Queen Eliné had been working hard to break that stigma, and we were beginning to see more marriages amongst the Courts, but it’s still frowned upon by many.”

“But why?” Scarlett asked. “In the mortal lands, sometimes marriages are arranged between the kingdoms to strengthen their relations.”

Eliza snorted. “I don’t pretend to understand the workings of the Courts and their arranged marriages. The Courts hold petty grudges against each other, especially amongst the Western and Eastern Courts.

“My mother, though, was of the Earth Court. She was incredibly powerful and was given to a male of equal power. I was conceived, and it was impossible for me to not be more powerful with their combined bloodlines. From the day I was born, it had already been determined that I would be given to the Earth Prince for marriage. His parents had been slaughtered by Deimas and Esmeray like the other royals had been, but he was older than Sorin was when it had happened. He was in a much better position to take over ruling his Court and did so without thought or question. Queen Henna, and later Queen Eliné, had to do little advising to him.

“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.”

Scarlett’s mouth fell open a little at the revelation. She had seen Eliza use her flames here and there, but had no idea she was that powerful. “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. He dropped me over the border of the Fire Court and left me to fend for myself or die. There has long been tension between the Fire and Earth Courts. This only added to the hostility between them.”

Eliza fell silent as Scarlett rose from the bed, pushing down a cry at the pain, and came to her side. “You cannot bear children? Sorin told me it is very difficult for Fae to conceive. Are you sure?” But she trailed off when she saw the look on Eliza’s face.

“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.”

Scarlett wrapped her arms around the female and pulled her into an embrace. “No one should have to bear that alone.”

Eliza stiffened at first and then returned the hug gently, careful of her ribs. When Scarlett pulled back, tears glistened in Eliza’s eyes. “I share it because…” Eliza trailed off, looking out the window. Scarlett let her gather her thoughts, waiting for her to continue. “I share it because you watched your mother be killed in front of you. I share it because you’ve experienced hell, a different sort of hell than me, but a hell nonetheless. I share it because you were to be given to another simply because of the power that courses through your veins. I share it because you went up against Talwyn, for all of us, not knowing what power you would face. I share it because I want you to know you are not alone.” Then she added quietly, “No one else knows. Of the losses.”

Scarlett understood the request in her words. “It is not my tale to tell, and it will not leave this room,” Scarlett replied simply. After another beat of silence, she asked, “Your lover was not your twin flame?”

“No. I don’t believe so. The connection could have maybe settled into place eventually, but he was killed by Night Children many years ago,” Eliza said, bringing her eyes back to Scarlett’s. There was something on her face that Scarlett couldn’t read as she said tentatively, “Finding your twin flame is extremely rare and taking the Mark is a test few dare to do.”

“Sorin said it is an offering of the soul,” Scarlett recalled vaguely from that night on the beach.

“It is indeed.” Eliza paused, seeming to want to say more, but then deciding against it.

“How did you meet Sorin then? How did you become the general of his armies?”

“A soldier on patrol found me the day I was dumped over the border and brought me to the palace. I worked as a kitchen assistant for years, but I would sneak out whenever I could and watch the soldiers train. I studied everything they did. Not just weaponry but war strategies and battle formations. As my power grew, I was taken up to train with the other neophytes. Sorin caught me in the training ring one night with a sword I had swiped from discarded weapons that had been deemed no longer usable. He told me if I wanted to swing a sword, I needed an opponent who would swing back. He sparred with me that night. The next morning, I was summoned to the training pits beneath the palace. I clawed my way through every training ring to the top, and Sorin had been watching, keeping tabs on me apparently. He eventually asked me to be the General of his armies.

“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.”

Scarlett tried not to stare at the female before her. She had faced her own battles. Alone. She had clawed her way through piles of shit to get to her position. Alone. She had even watched her mother murdered in front of her. Sorin had been right. They were kindred spirits.

“Eliza,” she ventured slowly. Eliza merely cocked her head to the side slightly, and Scarlett tried not to squirm as those ash grey eyes seemed to see right through her. “Sorin told me that if I wanted to continue my own physical training, I should ask you to train me. Would you be willing?”

“Training with me is grueling and hard,” Eliza replied, warning in her tone. “My strongest warriors curse me on a daily basis.”

“I imagine it’s similar to training with Sorin when he’s being a cranky prick,” Scarlett scowled. Memories of running for miles and getting knocked on her ass flashed through her mind.

Eliza laughed. “At least you’ll know what to expect.”

“Thank you,” Scarlett said. “For sharing with me.”

“Thank you for coming,” Eliza replied. “The others will not say it to you, but I hope you decide to stay.”

Scarlett felt her cheeks heat at the compliment. “I don’t remember much after Callan carried me here from the Courtyard,” she said, “but I remember being woken and told Sorin was in danger. Did that happen, or was it a dream?”

“It happened,” Eliza said gravely.

“He is all right?” Scarlett asked, her heart skipping a beat.

“He is fine, Scarlett. He told me to summon him when you woke, which I can do when you are ready.”

“No,” Scarlett replied hastily. “He has responsibilities here. I do not need to monopolize all of his time.”

“I think he’d prefer if you did.”

“When you are a prince you do not always get that choice,” Scarlett answered. “He has been gone for three years. He needs to tend to his people.”

“Then let’s have some tea,” Eliza replied with a small smile.

The two were still sitting together on the chaise, sipping tea, their shoes off, feet tucked underneath them, when Sorin entered the room a couple of hours later. He stopped short, looked them up and down, and brought his fingers to his brow with a groan. “How long has she been awake, Eliza?”

“She’s sitting right here. Ask her yourself,” Eliza replied casually, as though she were speaking to a sibling and not a powerful prince.

Scarlett merely smiled sweetly up at him over her teacup as his eyes went to her with an unamused glare. “How is your arm?”

With a smirk, she twisted it to give him a vulgar gesture and replied, “I’ve been awake for a few hours, thank you.”

His unamused glare went back to Eliza. “I told you to let me know when she woke up.”

“Did you?” she asked with mock surprise, raising her eyebrows. “Oops.”

“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.”

Sorin closed his eyes in a slow blink at the reply, then drawled sarcastically, “We could hardly handle one of you, dear Eliza. Two ought to be most enjoyable.”