Page 74 of Lady for Embers

But they both knew the answer to that.

Alaric could and would do so much worse. And with Talwyn working with him now? Would she protect her own Courts? Would she protect Ashtine? Would the Witches and Shifters be able to stand against them on their own until they could return with help? Would Avonleya even hold the answers they were seeking? What if this was all a giant waste of their time and resources?

“Hey, Love.” His voice broke through her spiraling, his hand on her cheek drawing her back to him, grounding her. “We will ?gure this out. One thing at a time.”

“And if we don’t? If what we are doing is not enough?”

“We deal with things as they come, Scarlett. We do not worry about things that have yet to pass. There is no control or value in that, and it is a waste of our time and energy to fret about what ifs,” he replied, tucking wet hair behind her ear. A moment later, the strands were dry.

“What are we going to do, Sorin?”

“We are going to keep planning. We are going to keep preparing as best we can. Right now, we are going to go to bed. In the morning, we are going to talk to Cassius and Cyrus. One step at a time, Love. That is what we are going to do.”

She nodded, her ?ngers curling around his forearm where his large palm was cupping her cheek. “And your magic?”

“We will speak with Beatrix tomorrow.”

She nodded again. Sorin bent, brushing his lips across hers before he led her to the bed. He undressed before climbing in beside her, and as he tugged her back into his chest, she asked, “Eliza?”

“Is grieving, Scarlett,” he said gently, another kiss pressing to the top of head as he tucked her under his chin. “We all are.”

She fell quiet, but her mind wouldn’t stop. No matter what she tried.

Her thoughts were a whirlwind, cycling over and over. “Sorin,” she whispered into the dark of their cabin.

“Mmm?” he hummed.

“How long have you known Rayner?”

She felt him tense for a brief moment before he said, “My entire life.”

“He is older than you?”

“He had been in service to my father for a decade when I was born.”

“Where was he before that?”

Sorin was quiet for so long, she thought he may have fallen asleep, but then he said, “He was hunting, Scarlett.”

“Hunting? For what?”

“Not what. Who. And that is something you will need to ask him. His past is his story to tell.”

“Where is he?”

“Not right now, Love,” Sorin sighed. “Sleep.”

“I can’t.”

“Scarlett... ”

“It’s too loud right now. Everything is too loud.”

He shifted slightly behind her, his head dipping to speak into her ear. “Are you asking me to consume you, my Love?”

Was that what she needed right now?

His hand brushed her hair off the back of her neck, lips brushing across her nape. His other hand was already on her hip, slipping under the hem of the shirt, ?ngers brushing across her torso.

---