Page 183 of Lady of Shadows

“It would appear so,” Cyrus replied.

“They cannot cross the borders, Scarlett,” Sorin said, bringing his hand to her cheek. “You are safe. They cannot touch you.”

“That’s not… Where are the others?” she asked Cyrus.

“Eliza is at the border with a small unit of soldiers. Rayner is scouting, waiting for orders,” he answered, reaching up to tie his shoulder-length hair back with a strap of leather as they continued on down the hall.

“Have we heard from Briar?” Sorin asked.

“Sawyer said he’s at his border with Nakoa and Neve monitoring.”

“Has anyone told Talwyn?”

“I believe she remains unaware. For how long that remains the case, I don’t know,” Cyrus replied, and they turned into a council room.

Scarlett had fallen completely silent. Sorin glanced at her, and he knew she was only half here, half listening to what they were discussing. “We should go to the border. See what Eliza has learned,” Sorin said, watching Scarlett while she stood before a window, looking out at the mountains.

“Agreed,” Cyrus said with a nod. He, too, glanced at the queen and then back to Sorin with a raise of his brows. And he didn’t know. He didn’t know what to tell his Second. He didn’t know what she was thinking through. Was she thinking of Mikale? Had her mind gone to Cassius? Or was it back in that chamber beneath the library and something else she had learned?

“Scarlett,” he ventured hesitantly.

“Hmm?” She didn’t even turn to them as she bit her bottom lip.

“We are going to go to the border to check in with Eliza.”

“Okay.” She made no move to come to them, though. Flames were dancing along her fingers and swirling among the shadows she had called forth. He had watched her do so much of the same on the balcony. Lost in her own thoughts and contemplations.

Sorin opened a portal and jerked his chin to Cyrus to go through. He merely nodded once, cast another furtive glance to Scarlett, and went through. Sorin crossed the room. “I would think you would want to go with us,” he said when he reached her side.

“What?” She looked at him, her nose scrunching in confusion.

“To the border. I told you we were going to the border to check in with Eliza. I am assuming you would want to come.”

“Yes, of course,” she said quickly.

Before he could say more, she grabbed his hand, and he felt the familiar sensation of Traveling. Then he was blinking in the midday sunlight in the middle of a small camp on the edge of the border. The way the wards were set up, they could see across to the mortal lands, but they couldn’t see in from the other side. It simply looked like a continuous field.

But before them was indeed a small camp of forces, and three Night Children stood on the other side waiting. They clearly knew exactly where the border demarcation line ran. Scarlett let go of his hand, walking right to the edge, and had Sorin reaching out to her before she crossed over.

“Are they the only Night Children here? Just those three?” she asked him. Her shadows were hovering at her shoulders and snaking down her arms. He had gotten used to seeing her without them, and he didn’t know if she had summoned them or if they had arisen unbidden this time.

“They are the only ones currently visible, yes,” he answered, a hand sliding around her waist.

She tilted her head to the side, studying them. “How can you tell? Other than scent?”

“They do not have physical characteristics like the Fae do,” he answered. “They are protected from the sun, though. The others I see have exposed skin.”

“Other than that, though, there is no way to tell? If they were all dressed the same, covered, would you be able to tell who was a Night Child and who was mortal if they were standing side-by-side?”

“No.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line. “How do you send those fire messages? I want to know how many are at the Water Court border.”

“You could summon Briar here,” Sorin answered. “Speak with him directly.”

“No, he needs to be in his Court until this is resolved,” she said, her tone was distant once more. Sorin sent her request though, the fire message flaring before disappearing.

“Do you recognize any of the mortals? Are any from your High Force?” Scarlett asked suddenly.

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