Page 536 of Flirting with Darkness

The gorgonians had pulled their travel hoods low over their faces to conceal their eyes andsenties.

As Kyllen’s bonded mate, I could no longer be killed by the look of gorgonian eyes. However, the rest of the fae would turn to stone if they made eye contact with any of my men.

The gargoyles clearly didn’t want to take any chances with that, as all of them had strips of spider silk veil tied around their eyes. The veil was the only protection against the deadly look of a gorgonian.

“His Majesty King Galan of Dakath Mountains,” one of the gargoyles announced, and a tall man stepped forward.

Like with the rest of them, it was obvious he’d arrived from a cooler climate. He wore a red, long-sleeved tunic and a pair of soft suede pants. A heavily embroidered burgundy sash was tied around his waist, the fringed ends hanging down one hip.

The golden crown of Dakath, inlaid with crimson rubies, sat atop of his thick, copper-red curls. A transparent strip of spider silk was tied loosely over his eyes, too. The light shimmer of gorgonian magic glowed along its threads.

With his inquisitive, coal-black eyes, King Galan studied both Kyllen and me while one of my courtiers announced our names and titles to the gargoyles.

“It’s an honor to meet the highly esteemed rulers of Lorsan Wetlands.” The king inclined his head.

He stared at me a little too closely, but his greeting was polite and courteous, and I responded in kind.

“Your Majesty’s reputation as a kind and noble king precedes you. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person.”

The king nodded, acknowledging my greeting, then exchanged a few pleasantries with Kyllen, too.

Like their king, the other gargoyles studied me and my party. With our lands separated by the Kingdom of Sarnala, the gargoyles didn’t get a chance to see gorgonians often. Since I was the only known human in the world of Nerifir, I imagined, it added to their curiosity.

King Galan smiled, shaking his head. “I have to admit, I was curious to see the human queen with my own eyes.”

It appeared, I’d proven a bigger curiosity to the gargoyles than even the gorgonians.

“I’ve heard your story, Queen Amira,” the king continued. “It is one of courage and determination. It leaves no choice but to admire you.”

“Thank you.” I inclined my head.

Kyllen squeezed my hand slightly.

“Our queen is Lorsan’s pride.”

My cheeks heated at his praise.

With another polite bow, King Galan offered, “It’d be my honor to give you a ride up to the Summit. As per the last report, Queen Relorna is fashionably late. But King Aigel is already there. He wouldn’t descend all the way to the ground, as could’ve been predicted.”

“Of course he wouldn’t,” Kyllen muttered under his breath.

“May I fly you up to the peak’s top, Queen Amira?” A pair of leathery wings opened at the king’s back. Sunlight filtered through them, warming their dark brown with its golden glow.

“Oh…” I stared at his wings, not hiding my awe.

King Galan’s expression turned rather smug when faced with my obvious delight.

Kyllen calmly gestured for the courtiers to bring our flying board. “We are very grateful for your offer, Your Majesty. But we have our own means to reach the Summit.”

Shorter but wider than the paddle board, the flying device was placed on the ground in front of us. Kyllen supported me by my elbow as I stepped onto the board. Wrapping an arm around my waist, he then stood next to me.

A frill of delicate gears extended from under the device, like a lacy skirt of golden filigree. With a soft humming sound, the gears rotated, spinning on their individual axes as well as all around the board.

The device lifted off the ground with a gentle sway that made me grip on to Kyllen tighter.

“I’ve got you.” He smiled as we slowly rose into the air.

The device followed the steep rise of the Summit Peak, taking us higher and higher. Below us, King Galan moved his wings, taking off, too. The rest of the gargoyles remained on the ground. Only the royalty were permitted to ascend to the Summit.

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