Page 185 of Lady of Shadows

A small smile tugged on the corner of her mouth. Her arms came up and looped around his neck. “That a siren’s call draws unexpected power,”she murmured, rising up on her tiptoes to kiss him.

“I find your vague answers extremely worrisome,” he replied, pulling back from her.

“I find your role of mother hen to be extremely tiresome, but here we are,” she drawled. He gave her a pointed look, and she merely kissed him once again before she said, “Go see what those bastards want, then tell them to go to hell.”

“Do not think I am going to drop this matter,” he answered, nipping at her bottom lip.

“I would expect nothing less.”

She dropped her arms and turned to face the border once more, to watch everything from the sidelines. He knew there was more. He knew she was working something out, had figured something out, but Eliza and Cyrus were waiting.

He double checked his weapons and buckles as he walked to his Court, unable to shake his feeling of unease.

“Is she all right?” Cyrus asked.

“No, but I cannot get her to talk to me here,” Sorin bit back, taking the bow Eliza extended to him and slinging the quiver over his shoulder. It was fully stocked with black ashwood arrows.

“Let’s find out what these pricks want and then you two can go somewhere,” Cyrus answered.

Sorin only nodded, casting one last look at Scarlett. She met his eyes and gave him a soft smile. It was one he rarely saw. It was the smile that graced her lips on the rare occasions she spoke of Juliette.

Yes, he’d deal with this, and then he’d take her out to the city. Just the two of them. And he’d coax out whatever was threatening her stars.

CHAPTER 57

SORIN

Sorin stepped across the border, Cyrus and Eliza flanking him on either side. A grin spread across the face of the Night Child standing in the middle, just visible beneath the black hood of his cloak. There was a light dusting of snow on this side of the border, and it crunched beneath his boots.

“You finally answer your door. How courteous of you,” the vampyre drawled.

“I do not recall inviting you to dinner, so forgive my tardiness in meeting you,” Sorin bit back, sliding his hands into his pockets.

The Night Child snorted in amusement. “We will be feasting soon enough, Fae bastard.”

“You can certainly try,” Eliza crooned beside him, her sword drawn. The vampyre to the right bared his teeth, fangs out. Eliza merely bared her own canines back at him and purred, “I’ve got a set, too.”

“I’m going to assume you are the Prince of Fire?” the one in the middle cut in smoothly, addressing Sorin once more. Sorin stood silently, unable to identify himself as such in the mortal lands. The vampyre sighed in annoyance. “Where is Lord Lairwood’s bride, by the way?” Cyrus's hand clamped down on Sorin’s shoulder as a growl emanated from him.The vampyre smirked. “I guess that confirms that. Since I know who you are, allow me to introduce myself. I am Colton, and the Lord has sent me to…check on his weapon.”

“He refers to his fiancé as a weapon now?” Sorin sneered.

Colton’s smirk turned sinister. “Not that Lord.”

“Lord Tyndell then?”

“Very good, Prince. You’ve figured some things out.”

Sorin gave him his own cruel smile. “Theirweaponfigured it out.”

Colton chuckled. “Tell me, Prince of Fire, has she recovered from her injury? I wasn’t there, but Bowen here tells me she was cut up beautifully,” he said with a nod to the vampyre that had bared its fangs at Eliza.

“You were there?” Sorin asked, his eyes going to Bowen.

“I was,” he hissed. “I saw Saul slice up her side with his dagger before that bitch encased him in her shadows.”

Then he was gurgling at the arrow that was through his throat courtesy of Cyrus who already had another one nocked.

“That was unnecessary,” Colton snarled through gritted teeth.

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