Day Six-
Sorin

He leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed, watching her as she ran a finger along the page of the book she held in one hand before she turned back to the mirror. Scarlett had come straight to this chamber in the Runic Lands before the Avonleyan Kingdom was even beginning to stir, and now the sun was making its way back to the horizon. Each week she'd been spending an increasing amount of time here to the point that this was the fourth day in a row he'd come to collect her. The only difference today was that the sun hadn't completely set already yet.

 

"Time to go, Love," he said.

 

She turned, so startled her shadows momentarily appeared. So engrossed in...whatever it was she was doing, she hadn't even felt him down their bond.

 

“By the gods, Sorin," she said, her voice a little breathy and a hand going to her chest. After she’d collected herself, she asked, "Is it dark already?"

 

"No," he answered, pushing off the doorway and moving deeper into the chamber. "But we have some place to be."

 

Her nose scrunched in confusion. "We don't have any engagements tonight."

 

"As a matter of fact, we do," he replied, slipping the book from her hands. She started to protest about losing her place, but he'd already grabbed a piece of parchment from the table to mark the page.

 

"I could have sworn I checked our commitments over breakfast," she said, still sounding confused.

 

"Breakfast? You mean the pear you grabbed on your way out this morning?" Sorin asked, arching a brow as he leaned his ass against the table.

 

"I wasn't that hungry," she grumbled.

 

"Rayner made fresh pastries, and you ate a pear, Scarlett," he said flatly. Before she could try to argue further, he added, "I'm also assuming that pear is the only thing you've eaten today."

 

She scowled. "I'm fine, Sorin. Stop fussing."

 

"Never, Love," he answered. Reaching into a flame, he pulled some clothing from a pocket realm. “I brought you a change of clothes.”

 

“Seriously, what do we have tonight?” she demanded, taking the pants and tunic from his hands. “Why do you have one of the fancy tunics?”

 

“We have reservations,” he replied. “Soon. So get changed.”

 

Her eyes narrowed. “Reservations where?”

 

“Riverside,” he answered, naming the small eatery they often dined to watch the Twilight Wildfires.

 

Well, it used to be often. As of late, not so much, which is why this was happening tonight.

 

Scarlett sighed. “It’s cold out, Sorin. I don’t want to sit on the veranda there tonight.”

 

“Years later, and I must still remind you that you have fire magic to stay warm,” he teased, nodding at the clothing. The seasons were changing, and the cooler autumn temperatures had made their appearance this week. “It’s a warm tunic.”

 

But she was moving to set the clothes aside. “I don’t want to go out with everyone tonight.”

 

“Good thing it’s just you and me then,” he said, pushing off the table. He slipped his hands into his pockets as he approached her. Leaning in, he forced her to tip her head back to keep her eyes on him. 

 

Something shifted in her silver irises, a twinkle of intrigue appearing. “Is that so?”

 

“It is,” he answered, his voice dropping low. “Even if I have to throw you over my shoulder and carry you there myself. So get changed, Princess. Or I’ll do that for you too.”

 

“That’s not the threat you think it is,” she replied airily, and he felt the spark of desire down their bond as her eyes dropped below his waist.

 

“Later,” he said, the word a half-growl. 

 

“Right, right. Dinner reservations,” she drawled with a seductive undertone. “Hold these please,” she added, tossing him the clothing before proceeding to drag her current shirt over her head. She held his stare the entire time as she undid the buttons of her pants, hooking her fingers in the waistband and dragging them down too. 

 

Standing before him in her underthings, she held out for the clothing, a smirk playing on those arrogant lips of hers. When he didn’t immediately hand them over, that smirk grew. “Well, Prince? We’re going to be late.”

 

“That tongue is all mine later tonight,” he replied in a low voice, handing over the pants.

 

Minutes later, they were stepping through the air directly in front of the eatery. They were immediately ushered to their usual table, offering smiles to people as they passed.

 

Once they were settled with full wine glasses and a platter of cheese before them, Sorin said, “You’ve been spending a lot of time in the Runic Lands lately.”

 

“It’s nothing,” she said dismissively, taking a sip of wine.

 

“Let’s try again,” he said. “You’ve been spending an increasing amount of time in the Runic Lands and haven’t included anyone else in whatever is bothering you.”

 

She set her glass down, eyes going to the Tana River, and he waited, letting her get her thoughts in order. Normally he would wait for her to come to him, but this had gone on long enough. Every once in a while, she started to slip into old habits and one of them would take it upon themselves to force her to take a minute and enjoy the stars she worked so hard to save. Usually it was him. Sometimes it was Cassius. Or a night with Eliza. Or mugweed with Cyrus. A gentle reminder to bring her back when the world was too loud. 

 

After a few minutes, she said, “Do you miss Amaré?”

 

He blinked in surprise at the mention of the phoenix he’d been bonded to for centuries. He’d had no idea where this conversation was going to go, but he certainly hadn’t expected it to go in this direction.

 

“I miss his companionship,” Sorin admitted. “But this wasn’t his world.”

 

“Maybe it was,” she mused. “We don’t know where the World Walkers traveled before they were bound to their animal forms.”

 

“Go on,” he urged, settling back in his chair and picking up his wineglass.

 

She glanced at him before she sighed. “It truly is nothing, Sorin. I am simply trying to learn of the different worlds. Sometimes I am able to glimpse them in a mirror gate, and…” She trailed off with a shrug. “I feel a sense of duty to know these things. As a World Walker, shouldn’t I know about the other worlds? Shouldn’t I know these things to keep this world safe? That’s my responsibility now. I knew that when I absorbed that power from the orb.”

 

He smiled softly at her, but she’d returned to staring at the Tana. “And you still forget you do not have to do these things alone, Love.”

 

“I know,” she sighed. “Razik probably has a book about all this in his cave.”

 

“Have you asked him?”

 

She snorted a laugh. “Yes, because he’s so agreeable.”

 

Picking up his wine, Sorin said, “You are the sister of his king.”

 

She dragged her eyes to his. “Sorin Aditya, are you suggesting I go to my brother and ask him to order the dragon to give me a book?”

 

Sorin shrugged, taking a drink of wine. “Cethin or Eliza.”

 

“That’s an underhanded move, Fire Prince,” she said with another huff of laughter, picking up her own wineglass.

 

“No, it’s called using your connections,” he replied with a wink.

 

“Uh-huh,” she said with an amused smirk. Seconds later, her features softened. “Thank you. For all this. As usual.”

 

“You can thank me with your tongue later tonight,” he replied as the server placed their meals in front of them.

 

“Sorin!” Scarlett hissed, the female server muffling a cough as she hurried off with a blush staining her cheeks.

 

He laughed, picking up his silverware, but he held her stare as he said down their bond, All the way through the darkness, Love.

 

Always, she answered.

 

©️Melissa K. Roehrich 2024