Page 122 of Forging Darkness

“Oh.”

“Please don’t tell anyone I knew though, okay? It’s a secret.”

When I nod, Aurora drops her arms from around me. I catch Blaze send a concerned look toward his sister, but he wipes it away quickly.

Something is going on here. Why didn’t Aurora tell us about Thorne months ago?

Steel saunters over carrying Blaze under one arm. The little boy is squirming to free himself, but it’s no use. He’s not getting out of that hold until his older brother feels like it.

“You have an admirer who wants to say hello,” Steel tells me.

“Dude. Not cool,” Blaze complains.

I do my best to keep the smile off my face, not wanting to embarrass the boy any worse than he already is.

“Hey, Blaze. You been keeping the Elders on their toes?”

The grin that splits his face is one hundred percent wicked and two hundred percent Sterling.

“You know it.”

“We’re not allowed into the Council’s meeting room anymore,” Aurora says.

Steel’s eyebrows shoot up. “Were you ever allowed in there?”

“Well . . . no,” she admits.

Steel chuckles and then pretends he’s going to drop Blaze, and another yelp comes out of him. He punches his older brother in the arm when his feet are on solid ground, but there’s no fire in the move.

Aurora launches herself at Steel, whispering something secretive in his ear when he picks her up.

“Hey, younglings,” Greyson says as he joins our small group. “Where are Mom and Dad? I’d have thought they’d be waiting at the bottom of the plane to ring Steel’s neck the moment he arrived.”

The smiles on both the small twin’s faces fall, and they exchange a somber look. Blaze tilts his head in question, and Aurora gives him a small nod.

I swear, those two can communicate without words. Or maybe it’s just a twin thing?

“They’re in a meeting,” Blaze finally explains. “Emberly and Steel are supposed to go straight there when they arrive.” He lowers his voice, eyes shifting back and forth. “But we aren’t supposed to know that.”

“Aren’t supposed to know what?” Sterling asks, holding out his fist to Blaze for a greeting while swooping low and popping a kiss on Aurora’s cheek.

“Steel. Emberly. Can you please come over here?” Sable calls.

Sable is standing on the edge of the tarmac next to a woman dressed in a blue and pink floral dress. The long skirt billows in the wind, tangling around her calves. A thin layer of sand blows over her leather sandals.

Sweating in the cozy, oversized clothes from the hotel, I’m instantly jealous.

“Steel, Emberly, this is Sorcha, the virtue Elder.”

Her eyes are covered by black-tinted shades. Her hair is braided down her back, a single dark plait with a hint of red. A streak of white runs from her right temple and weaves throughout the braid.

Not knowing what to do when meeting an Elder in person, I do the worst possible thing. I dip into a little curtsey. “Nice to meet you, your . . . Supreme Highness?”

Steel makes a choking sound and only dips his head in acknowledgement.

Oh my gosh. Why? I’d trade my fire powers for invisibility any day.

“Oh goodness, dear. None of that.” She has a slight Irish accent that starts to put me at ease. “Please call me Your Majesty. Supreme Highness is so formal.”

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