Scarlett had known it was Raith from the moment he stepped into the room. The bond erupted when their eyes met. The glamour may have fooled everyone else, but Scarlett longed to go to Raith.

What was he doing there? It was dangerous. So dangerous. If Cade saw him… Scarlett didn’t want to even ponder what might happen.

The bond grew weaker. Raith must be leaving. No.

Scarlett couldn’t let him think she was there because she wanted to be. Servers were still passing out food and drinks. If she hurried, she could be back before the meal started.

“I need to find a ladies’ room,” Scarlett said. She wasn’t sure if it was normal to share that kind of information in the fae world. But in her mortal upbringing, it was the perfect excuse to leave.

Kaelem gave her a suspicious look. Shit. He might be listening to her thoughts.

He gave a small nod with a curved eyebrow.

Please. Raith is here and I don’t know why. I need to let him know I’m okay and that he needs to get far, far away.

Kaelem’s eyes gazed into hers as his eyebrow returned to its normal position. “It’s at the end of the hallway. Best hurry.”

Thank you.

Scarlett rushed out of the room, desperate to find Raith before he was gone and she’d lost her chance to explain why she was there.

Scarlett sped past the Winter servers carrying in plates of salad. She didn’t have much time. She couldn’t risk Cade getting curious why she was gone and come looking. He had no right to care, but she’d felt his eyes watching her in the dining room.

At the end of the hall, Raith’s glamoured self turned into a room. Scarlett walked as fast as she could without jogging and followed him inside.

When she saw him, he wasn’t in the glamour anymore. Instead, he stood in front of her in his normal form, shirtless, with a smile spread across his face.

“Scarlett.”

She closed the door behind her the mortal way and ran to him.

He opened his arms and pulled her into a hug. “How did you know?”

“The bond,” Scarlett said.

He grimaced. Scarlett looked to his abdomen. A bruise darkened his right side, surrounded by puncture wounds in the shape of a quarter moon.

“What happened?” Scarlett reached out to touch it but stopped.

“Some asshole shifters got to me,” Raith said. “I’ll be okay.” He hesitated like there was more to the story, but instead said, “Why are you here?” He eyed her up and down.

Scarlett was about to tell him about her sister, but she didn’t. She could handle it on her own. If Raith stayed to help her, Cade would find him. He’d already tried to kill Raith once. Scarlett wouldn’t be the reason he had another chance.

“Kaelem is teaching me how to control my magic,” Scarlett said. “He had to come to the Solstice, so I agreed to come if he’d continue to help me.”

It wasn’t a lie. Now more than ever, Kaelem needed Scarlett strong. It would have to be a crash course since they were already there at the Winter Court, but that was even better. Then, once Scarlett had Ashleigh back, she’d know enough to get away from the Unseelie King.

“You agreed?”

Scarlett nodded. She stared at his wound again. If she’d have known she’d find him hurt, she’d have filled her magic. As it was, her magic ran low. She’d been using it up practicing.

“I need to get back.” Scarlett sighed. Leaving was the last thing she wanted to do. A part of her told her to leave with Raith and never turn back—a devil on her shoulder reminding her of all the times Ashleigh had hurt her. She doesn’t deserve you, it said. Without her, you’d be free.

No, it wasn’t true. Their relationship as sisters had its rocky moments, sure, but her sister was trapped inside a mirror because of Scarlett, and the only way to free her was to stay and help Kaelem.

Scarlett rose to her tiptoes and gently took Raith’s face between her hands. He leaned into her. She pressed her body into his, careful not to put any pressure on his injured side, and softly kissed him.

Scarlett inhaled the lust between them. Her hands explored, tracing the curves of his biceps, moving gently to his abs. A fervor took hold. With her fae emotions on high, desire rooted itself inside Scarlett, its branches twisting through her and filling her with hunger.

She didn’t want to stop. But she’d been gone too long already.

When she pulled away, she dropped her hands to the wound and sent all the healing power in her to it. The bruise faded, but only slightly.

“It’s all I can do right now.” Her shoulders slumped. What good was having magic if she couldn’t use it when she needed to?

Raith bent down and crushed his lips into hers once more. “Go. I’ll be all right. I’ll find you after the Solstice.”

Everything in her wanted to take his hand and leave together. The bond inside her again hushed the thoughts of her sister. Ashleigh needed her, though.

Scarlett turned and left the room.