Lady of Shadows (Lady of Darkness #2)

Chapter 30 Scarlett

CHAPTER 30

SCARLETT

S carlett knew it was late. Callan had gone back to his rooms hours ago when she caught him sleeping on the books. He had tried to convince Scarlett she needed to go back to her own quarters and eat something. She had waved him off, saying she would head back shortly. That was at least two hours ago.

He had held her in that stairwell. He had let her soak up his strength. Had given her a tether to hold herself together. She had needed it. She had needed a friend, and he had been there. It had been unexpected and welcomed.

She sat in a secluded alcove on the first level of the library, nestled in an oversized chair. It had taken Callan a little while to track down the book she had wanted to see, The Heart of Beginning. While he had searched for it, she had asked him questions of his own family, and how long they had been the ruling family of Windonelle. He had told her they could trace their ancestry back to the beginning. That the Solgards were the only family to have ruled the western human kingdom since Deimas and Esmeray had sacrificed themselves to keep out the magic wielders.

To see my king’s throne restored .

It was a night that sometimes visited her dreams, but one she rarely thought of otherwise. Not until Mikale had uttered those words.

The shadows always return to the Darkness.

They had crashed into her like a cresting wave. She had thought it impossible that he could know of that night in that deserted alley. No one had ever come looking for the man they had killed that night. There had never been a whisper of him again. So she had tested him. She had asked who his king was, and he had replied exactly as that man had.

Who is yours?

She was learning there was no such thing as coincidences. Not in the utter mess of horse shit her life had become.

He knew. Mikale knew they had killed that man. That man had said he was there to visit kin that resided on this continent. Mikale had said Juliette’s death had served more than one purpose.

Revenge. He had made her kill Juliette out of revenge as much as to prove his control over her.

Where had they come from? The Lairwoods had long been Hands to the human king in Windonelle. Just how distantly related were they from the man who had come across the sea then?

She thumbed slowly through the book. She had seen mention, somewhere in here, of the other continents of their world. Distant lands and kingdoms long forgotten by those of this continent.

She skimmed each page as quickly as she dared. She was exhausted. She’d hardly slept the night before, and the emotional turmoil she’d been in since that mountain house had drained her. But this… She knew it was important.

Her fingers stilled as she came to a paragraph that listed several other kingdoms. Orlandria. Maraa. Asterolia. Avonleya. Solember. Where these kingdoms were located, she had no idea, but it was a start.

She rose from her seat and ventured toward the shelves. This was old knowledge. Knowledge, perhaps, from before the time of the Great War. She went deeper into the tombs and stacks of books. As the passages grew darker and darker, she grabbed a torch down from the wall so she could see the books’ titles better. Many of them were in the Old Language, which she was starting to recognize and differentiate from the common tongue. But others were in languages she had never seen.

Farther and farther she crept, running her fingers along book spines. The passageway got mustier and damper until she came upon a bookcase set into the wall. The books on these shelves were centuries old. Older. There was an iron bracket near it, and she set the torch in it, illuminating all the books. The first shelf was books in the common tongue. The second shelf was books in the Old Language. She pulled a book from the third shelf, waving her hand at the cloud of dust that sprang forth. Gingerly, she opened the book and sank to the floor, crossing her legs beneath her.

Spells. This was a book of spells. Sorin had said Fae could do spellwork, but not well. He had said spellwork was honed and crafted by the Witches. There were spells in this book for everything. Healing. Wards. Strength. Curses.

Blood Oaths.

Dividing territories.

Creating keys.

She turned back to the bookshelf. The entire third shelf was spell books. She placed the one in her hands gently on the floor beside her. Gods, she was filthy. Her black pants and tunic were covered with dust and dirt as she sat on the floor. The dust was so thick on the stones it was clear it hadn’t been disturbed in years.

Her attention turned to the bottom fourth shelf. All the books on this shelf were written in a language she did not know, but they seemed to all be of the same language. The letters and symbols appeared the same, at least. She reached to pull one off the shelf, and as she did, there was a creaking and groaning. She shot to her feet, pulling the dagger from her side and angling it as the bookshelf slid into the wall.

Of course this was here. Of course there was a magical bookshelf in the recesses of this library. Because she needed more surprises in her damn life right now.

She sighed in frustration when the bookcase stopped moving, leaving only a sliver of the books accessible. Cautiously, she stepped forward to look at the opening and found a staircase wending down into the dark. She yanked the torch from the wall and plunged it into the opening before her, but it did little. Just illuminated more steps leading somewhere she could not see.

She stood at the top of that stairway, biting her lip. Did Sorin even know about this place? She couldn’t venture down there tonight. Not with only a dagger. She’d need a few more weapons and candles and a plan.

She stepped back out of the passageway, studying the opening. She couldn't just leave it open. Based on every book she’d ever read that contained a secret passageway, she supposed the book that had opened the doorway would also close it. The book was one of the few still accessible on the bookshelf, and sure enough, when she pulled it again, the bookshelf slid back into place.

Holding her breath, she gently tugged on the book next to the secret switch, and breathed a sigh of relief as nothing surprising happened when it came free. It was in that odd language she didn’t recognize. She flipped through it. How could she learn to read this? Maybe Sorin knew what it was.

She set it down beside her and picked the spell book back up. She should really go up to bed, but that meant seeing Sorin. She knew he’d be up, waiting for her. And while they had talked in his old apartment, those wounds were still fresh. She forgave him. She really did. But that didn’t mean things wouldn’t be tense and awkward for a while. She was just too emotionally drained to handle it right now.

Fine, she was avoiding him.

So she opened the spell book and began to read.

“Scarlett.”

The voice was soft as familiar hands gently shook her shoulders.

There was a cold stone floor beneath her cheek, and her breathing hitched as she shot straight up, reaching for the dagger at her waist.

“It’s me, Scarlett,” Sorin said in a low voice. “I did not mean to startle you.”

She whipped her head around, taking in her surroundings. The library. She was in the dark stone passages of the library.

Not that room in the Lairwood House.

Home. She was home, and she must have fallen asleep reading…

She looked down beside her at the spell book and the other book. Then she looked over her shoulder at the sealed secret passage behind her.

“Scarlett,” Sorin said again, drawing her eyes to his. He was crouched before her, his face carefully neutral, but she could see the wariness in his eyes.

“What time is it?” she asked blearily. It had been late when she’d come down this passageway. Who knows when she’d fallen asleep.

“It is well into the night,” he said. He studied her, as if trying to decide if he should say or do anything.

“How did you find me?”

“Did you not wish to be found?”

“No. I didn’t mean it like that…” She trailed off.

Yes. Tense and awkward. Exactly as she had feared.

He watched her a little longer, and she tried not to flinch under his stare. Finally he said, “I will sleep in the other bedroom, Scarlett. Come to bed. Rest and sleep.”

He made no move to reach for her. Just remained crouched before her.

“I wasn’t hiding from you,” she said quietly. Only partially a lie.

“All right,” he replied doubtfully.

“I was reading.”

“Hmm,” he said, glancing at the books beside her. “With your eyes closed in dark passages of the library I did not even know existed?”

So he didn’t know. Which meant he had no idea about the secret passageway, either.

She smacked his knee as she scowled at him. “I fell asleep while reading, smart ass.”

A flash of relief flickered in his golden eyes, and it softened something in her. Hesitantly, she reached for his hand, interlacing her fingers with his. His fingers tightened around hers, and he sank forward from his crouch onto his knees. She swallowed. She supposed they could have this conversation here, in a dark forgotten passageway of a library.

She gently pushed the ancient books aside as she rose to her own knees before him and took his other hand in her own. She swallowed again before she said softly, “It will take me a little time…”

“I know.” His voice was low and tender. “I hurt you in unacceptable ways, Scarlett. I would not expect you to just be okay after everything. I do not expect it all to be fixed overnight.”

“I can’t…” Scarlett paused, trying to find the words. “I still choose you, Sorin. I can’t picture a world without you in it. I do not want to be in a place where I shut you out. I know—” Her voice caught a little, and she swallowed again to compose herself. Sorin just patiently waited for her, his eyes full of an understanding sorrow. “I know I said I could find the stars with someone else if you did not want this, if you did not want me. That I could find my way in the darkness on my own. But I do not want anyone else. Maybe it is a weakness, but I do not wish to be alone in my darkness. And I still choose you, Sorin. I still want you because… Because I do not hate you. I do not know what exactly that means, but I want no one else to come for me. I want it to always be you.”

There were tears on her cheeks and his as she looked into his golden eyes. He let go of her hands and slowly, giving her time to dismiss him, he brought his hands to her face. “Scarlett Monrhoe.” Her name on his lips caressed something deep in her soul, and it took all of her self-control not to lean forward and kiss him. “My home is wherever you are. There will never be a world where there is not a you and me because should you be ripped from me in this world, I will cross them all to find you. I will always find you. I will always come for you. I will always choose you. I will always want you.” A sob escaped her as he asked, “Can I hold you?”

She almost choked on the laugh that came out of her. “That would seem like a necessity, Prince.”

Then he was pulling her into his arms, and she was wrapping herself around him, breathing in that ash and cedar scent. Everything had been so broken. It had only been two days, but it had felt like an eternity with this chasm that had come between them.

Callan had held her, had helped her keep it together, until she could get to this moment. Not just today, but the last few years. Callan and Cassius had helped her keep the pieces from falling apart so she could get to this place. So she could find the one where her soul could rest, and she could take a breath.

It wasn’t fixed completely. It wasn’t perfect. But it was all she needed.