Page 47 of The Vanishing Throne

My arms are entirely covered in small, bleeding bites, some deeper than others. My shirt, trousers, and coat are all torn. The fabric hangs off me in flaps.

‘So she’syours,’ says a voice behind us. Daniel. ‘I thought there had to be a reason you would go through that much effort torescue a human.’ He doesn’t bother to hide his disgust. ‘She’s your pet.’

Kiaran’s eyes are on me, but I don’t miss the way his body goes still at Daniel’s words. Cinders burn in his irises and I taste his power on my tongue.

I lean closer. ‘Don’t. Whatever you’re thinking, don’t.’

‘You’re testing the limits of my patience.’Kiaran’s voice cuts across the air, as cold as winter wind. ‘I’m not making you a promise, Kam. Not this time.’

I can read him clearly for once. I know his thoughts. He’ll slaughter the wisps, and though his vow prevents him from killing Daniel, he’ll hurt him. Badly.

The temperature suddenly drops to below freezing. My breath is visible in the air and gooseflesh rises painfully along my skin. It’s so cold that it burns.

Kiaran studies my bites again, each one, as if he’s counting how many he’ll have to kill.

‘MacKay,’ I say. My lungs ache from the cold; I can barely gasp in air enough to formwords. ‘Stop.’

Kiaran is on his feet, reaching for the blade at his waist.

I do the first thing I can think of. I grasp his wrist and have just enough strength to yank him down to me. I kiss him.

At first it was just to distract him, but then … god. The temperature goes back to normal, and I can’t think any more. It’s just Kiaran’s lips on mine, the shape I had perfectly memorized. It’s the pressure of his kiss, exactly right. It’s the way he makes a sound in his throat, a low growl that makes me shiver.

Then I’m in his arms and he’s tugging at my coat like he wants itoff. He’s pulling at the buttons and his hands are underneath and—

I gasp in pain against his mouth. He touched one of my wounds.

Kiaran pulls back, as if he suddenly realised why I kissed him. ‘Nice diversion,’ he says, voice brittle. ‘I don’t recall teaching you that one.’

‘I improvised. I had to get your attention.’ I canbarely speak above a strained whisper. ‘No violence. I did this willingly.’

His gaze narrows. ‘You allowed yourself to be feasted upon by wisps?’

I don’t answer him; he wouldn’t take it well. ‘Don’t hurt Daniel.’

Kiaran pulls me to my feet. He slides an arm around my waist, sensing I’m too hurt to hold myself up. ‘You mistake me for a human again, Kam.’ This time when he speaks, his lips are at my neck, his words whispered kisses there. ‘Where I come from, we don’t practice compassion. If it weren’t for my vow, I’d kill him without a second thought for what he did to you.’

Before I can respond, he looks over at Daniel. ‘Kam passed your test,’ he says with deadly calm. ‘Now you’ll find a place for her to sleep and heal.’

Daniel meets Kiaran’s gaze, not masking his hostility. ‘I don’t let humans into my city who are intimate with fae.’

‘Yourcity?’ Kiaran’s smile is mocking. ‘I’ll be certain to tell that to the pixie.’ He gestures to me. ‘Right after I inform him that his human companion isn’t welcome.’

Daniel’s hands form fists at his sides, as if he’s ready for a fight. ‘I don’t care who she is; she looks to me like another faery’s whor—’

Before I can blink, Kiaran pulls out his blade and slices it through the air. It rips through Daniel’s shirt and into the rock behind him with a thud – just missing a killing blow in his torso. ‘Finish that sentence,’ Kiaran says, ‘and the next one goes right through your throat.’

‘I heard a rumour that you can’t kill humans,’ Daniel says, pulling the knife from the rock with a swift jerk. ‘Is that true?’

‘I don’t have to kill you,’ Kiaran says, in that terrifying fae voice. ‘It’s incredible what the human body can endure without dying.’

Daniel snarls and throws the dagger. Kiaran releases me to catch it easily without even blinking. ‘The first throw was a courtesy, Seer. Next time, I won’t miss.’

‘Gentlemen, please,’ I say faintly. ‘That’s quite enough.’ Stars dot my vision and I sag against Kiaran with a groan. My head is swimming, light, filled with air. It’s as if I’m floating.

‘Damnation, Kam.’ Kiaran jerks me back up when I start to fall forward. I’m not sure I can walk. ‘You’re bleeding all over the place.’

My voice comes out in a croak. ‘I’m not happy about it either.’

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