Page 32 of Flame and Starlight

“Shit, sorry,” I said, pulling both of my hands into my lap. “I guess I’m not used to the new strength yet.”

He eyed the door and then me curiously before his gaze tracked back out the window. The silence between us was palpable. I didn’t know what to fill it with, and he didn’t seem interested in trying, lost in his own thoughts.

The hours passed, and I could feel myself fighting sleep. The loll of the carriage moving back and forth was like being rocked to sleep, albeit roughly. I reclined my head back against the stiff cushions and closed my eyes.

“No point in going to sleep now,” Asher said, jolting me back to life. I stretched and yawned, my muscles aching from being in one position for so long.

“Are we almost there?”

“Almost,” he said and turned his attention to me. “Remember our story, and stay close to me.”

“I know, I know,” I said and rolled my eyes. “I get it. You spared me because I’m pretty, I serve you because of it, and I’m ever so grateful for the opportunity.”

“We’ll be staying together in the same cottage,” he said, ignoring my sarcasm.

“Cottage? We aren’t staying in a castle like yours?”

His small smile was real this time. “The High Lady has one, but for the Solstice celebration, she does things a little different. You’ll see.” He pointed out the carriage window, and I made my way down the bench to get a better look. He pulled his legs back to him to give me room.

The road we were on was surrounded by the biggest pine trees I had ever seen. They had to be as big as the Redwoods in California I had heard stories about. There were beautiful tree houses dotted throughout them, all connected by swinging wooden rope bridges. In every one, a soft, warm light poured out of the windows. I looked back at him with the widest smile on my face to find him watching me.

“We get to stay in those?”

“We do,” he said and looked out the window as well. The trees began to clear out, and we came to a stop. I couldn’t get out of the carriage quickly enough. Asher opened the door for me instead of having to wait for the driver to do so. I jumped out, and he was hot on my heels.

We had stopped in what looked like a large town square that was surrounded by Tudor-style buildings. A huge Christmas tree was directly in the middle, filled with lights of every color. Around the tree were market stalls filled with people pulling out their merchandise and setting up for the Solstice event. Fae were mingling around, looking at what the merchants had to offer and laughing with one another. It felt so…normal.

“This is beautiful,” I whispered to Asher as he watched me take it all in.

“It is,” he said. Abruptly, he at the footsteps coming towards us. I moved to his side so quickly that I bumped into his back, his shadows splaying out like disturbed dust. I moved half a step away and kept my eyes on the ground. I didn’t have to ask who it was. I could feel power, almost as strong as Asher’s, pulse through the air.

“High Lord of Night,” she said, her voice like velvet. “You’ve ventured outside of your castle, I see.” He gave a short bow, and I followed suit with a curtsey. Asher had explained to me before leaving that the visiting High Lord or Lady is the one that bowed. He also told me to follow his every move.

Look at me, I thought. Being the dutiful little pet.

“I wouldn’t miss your Solstice celebration, Zemira,” he said, straightening back to his full height. I kept my eyes trained on his shoes.

“And who’s your friend, Asher?” I felt her eyes slide to me. He pulled my arm into his and brought me forward. The clothes between us couldn’t stop his emotions flowing into my body. The last thing I needed right now was his nerves mingling with my own, but I fought through them with a smile as I met her eyes.

She was the most beautiful Fae I had seen yet, and probably ever would. She was just as tall as Asher, if not taller, and her red dress hugged her every curve. Her skin was dark, and her eyes were as green as an emerald. Her ebony hair flowed down to her waist in tight spirals. I couldn’t pull my eyes from her.

“This is Lyssa. A poor soul that begged for her life on Mayassar. I know it’s against the rules, but I couldn’t ignore that pretty face,” he said, grabbing my jaw and pulling my face towards him. He dragged his thumb across my bottom lip, and my breath caught in my throat at the intimate gesture. “She’s my little plaything now, fetching me wine and food, among other favors.” He dropped my face, and my eyes instantly fell back down to the ground, my cheeks burning red.

Murderer. Murderer. Murderer.

“Well, we are so happy to have you, Asher.” Her hand reached out and squeezed his arm once, and then she turned and went to greet more guests that were arriving. I tugged my arm from his.

“Plaything? Really, Asher?”

He smirked and took my arm back, pulling me in the direction of a man that was loading our trunks onto a cart. “Just trying to make it believable, little duck.”

I decided to drop it and just be happy that I was out of the same four walls for the first time in almost a month. I took in our surroundings as we walked off into the forest to find our home for the next five days.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Asher grabbed me around my waist, and suddenly we were in the air. A scream caught in my throat before we landed on the wobbly bridge that was probably sixty feet off the ground. He let me go, and his inky wings disappeared again. I gripped onto the railing so hard my knuckles turned white with the effort.

“A warning next time,” I said and elbowed him in the stomach.

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