Page 176 of Lady of Darkness

His voice, his words, snapped something wide awake inside her. “Don’t call me that,” she replied. She tried to push herself into a sitting position, but her side was stiff where her wound ached at the movement. Sorin’s hands were instantly there, helping her up.

“I want to check your wound before we go,” he told her as she pulled her legs free of her bedroll.

“Can’t Eliza check it?” she asked.

“I suppose she could, but I tend to be someone who needs to see something to believe it, so I will need to see it myself to believe it is indeed fine,” he answered.

Scarlett shot him an unimpressed glare as he helped her to her feet. She went and saw to her needs, and when she returned, her bedroll was already rolled up,and Sorin was securing it to Eirwen’s saddle. As if he sensed her presence, he looked over his shoulder at her. The corner of his mouth tilted up, but a moment later, his lips thinned.

The reason stepped into her path a moment later.

“Scarlett,” Callan said, his hands in his pockets.

“Good morning, Callan,” she said softly.

“You are speaking,” he breathed in relief.

Scarlett tilted her head at the reaction. She supposed she had been pretty reclusive yesterday.

“How is your wound? How are you feeling?” He reached for her hand, and she stepped back. She saw the hurt flicker in his eyes.

Scarlett swallowed. “I’m fine, Callan. My injury is sore, but I suppose when one is pierced with a dagger that is to be expected for a few days.”

“Are your horses ready to go, Prince?” Sorin asked as he made his way to them, a jar in his hand. “I am going to check her wound and then we need to get moving. I am sure Mikale and Lord Tyndell have a host not far behind us.”

“We are ready,” Callan ground out.

“Good. Eliza has some extra black ashwood arrows for you and your guards. You will need them before we cross the border,” Sorin replied with a jerk of his chin in Eliza’s direction.

Callan held his stare for a minute before he stalked in her direction. Scarlett reached for her tunic hem and lifted her shirt. While Sorin removed the bandage, he said, “Please, for the love of Anala, if it starts to hurt today, tell me. We can stop and apply more ointment until we can see the Healer this afternoon.”

Scarlett said nothing as he unscrewed the jar and handed her the lid. “It still looks clean, so we shouldn’t need the antiseptic this morning,” he continued, dipping his finger in the jar. “It might be a little cold.” Scarlett hissed at the first contact. Sorin’s eyes flickered to hers with a smirk. “I warned you.”

“If only you had extended the same courtesy about me being the weapon your queen is searching for,” she snapped back.

“There’s the snippy tongue I have missed,” he remarked, dipping his fingers back in the jar.

“My tongue is still none of your concern.”

“Had we been alone last night, I think it would have very much been my concern,” he retorted simply, wiping his fingers on his pants before taking the lid from her hand.

He left her staring after him as he walked the jar back to the saddle bag attached to Eirwen’s saddle. When he returned, he held her cloak in his hand and tossed something to her. “I know you are likely not hungry, but please try and eat something.” She looked down at the pear she had caught in her hands, and slowly brought her eyes back to this. She said nothing as he swung the cloak around her shoulders and buttoned it for her once more. Then he tucked her hair behind her ears before reaching over her shoulder and tugging up her hood.

“We will be leaving in a few minutes,” he said over his shoulder, walking back to Eirwen.

Scarlett stared after him, not even sure what she was feeling at the moment, when a voice from beside her made her start.

“If you do not want fruit, I can find you some bread or meat,” Callan said.

“No,” she said quickly. “I’m not all that hungry. Fruit is fine.”

“But you have hardly eaten,” Callan argued with a frown.

Scarlett inhaled deeply and was immediately caught off guard by the pine and rain scent that filled her senses rather than one of ash and cedar. She could do this, she told herself, exhaling. She could have a normal conversation with Callan. After all, he was the one who’d been told his life was in jeopardy. What had they told him to make him understand he needed to go into hiding?

Scarlett forced a small smile to her lips as she turned to face him. “I will be fine, Callan. How areyou? How are you handling everything?”

Callan’s eyes seemed to widen slightly at her actually speaking to him, but he quickly recovered. “I suppose going into hiding is better than being dead.”

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