Page 79 of A Kiss of Embers
“Both?”
He grinned as his eyes raked her up and down. She wore black furs from the hat on her head, the cuffs on her arms, and the triangular skirt reaching her knees, while she wore leather pants underneath. Ember Fae didnotlike the cold, and the queen was no exception.
“She doesn’t know we’re coming…” Father wrung his hands resting over the blanket in his lap. “We should have sent a letter beforehand or some forewarning.”
Through his musings, he seemed to be talking to himself. But ever since leaving Attleglade, he hadn’t been the same. Distant. Distracted.
Lost.
Bastien wished he could help, but like the man had said weeks ago, he wouldn’t find what he was looking for in Blackburrow. What, exactly, was he looking for?
Because obviously, he hadn’t found it yet.
Trying to remain cheerful, Bastien released one side of the wheelchair to squeeze his father’s shoulder before resuming their bumpy trek over the frozen road. He breathed in the crisp, chilly air and said, “It will be more fun this way. Just imagine the look of surprise on their faces!” He leaned over the chair to grin at his father. “Besides, they showed up on our doorstep unannounced last year. I doubt they would be anything but kind and hospitable.” His lips pursed. “Well, theydidsteal from my stash of wine.”
Father tipped his head to give him a pointed look. “You don’t even drink wine.”
“I might someday!” he defended. “It was sitting there, aging to perfection until I was ready for it. But then Pri had to go and blow it up.”
He winked at the girl dressed similarly to her mother, walking close to her side. Pri’s face blushed before she hid it beneath a fur scarf. “Sorry,” she murmured.
But then the girl’s eyes crinkled with a hidden smile. He was glad for it, that she could now look back on her capture with some level of amusement rather than outright fear.
He momentarily reached for her and gave her a sideways embrace before they continued their long trek. Finally, two houses appeared at the end of the road, one straight ahead and another to the right. It had taken a good amount of asking around to figure out where Nyana now lived. He hoped he wasn’t wrong because wheeling his father around proved tougher than he thought, especially during the chilly autumn days.
“Which do you think it is?” Seraphina asked.
He surveyed each yard. The house on the right contained items in the front, such as shears, clippers, crates, and a doll collecting frost on one of the porch steps. The four of them wordlessly opened the gate leading to the property, and Pri picked up the doll and smoothed its yarn of hair back on its head.
To confirm their choice of house, children’s laughter echoed from within, muffled by the door standing between them. But before anyone managed to knock, the door swung open, and a tall figure stepped outside onto the porch with the lingering traces of laughter still on his face.
Joel stopped short, and his eyes widened as he took in their group of four. Bastien’s brother-in-law still looked the same as a year ago—golden brown hair curled around the ears, careful green eyes, and a physique that spoke of outdoor labor.
Although he didn’t know Joel well, Bastien met his brother-in-law in an embrace once the man recovered from his shock.
“Nyana!” Joel shouted over his shoulder. “Come out here.”
Light footsteps rushed toward the door as if she thought Joel was in trouble, and then a small woman appeared with blonde hair, blue eyes, and ears more Sun Fae than Forest Fae. The moment her gaze landed on them, she burst into tears.
“Papa! Bastien!” She braved the dirty, cold ground without shoes and embraced their father first and then him. When she pulled away, she swiped a hand across her eyes. “I never thought I’d see you again. After the Ember Fae attacked while we fled, I worried the two of you might be dead.”
Bastien winced through a forced grin as he took hold of his wife’s hand and pulled her closer, watching his sister’s eyes slowly widen and her face pale.
“Nyana, I’d like you to meet my wife, Seraphina. Ser, this is my sister, Nyana.”
The two women shook hands, but he didn’t miss the way Nyana cast a nervous glance toward Joel as if she were uncertain how to proceed in such a confusing situation.
“And!” Bastien added to chip the tension away from the atmosphere. He draped an arm over Pri’s shoulders. “This is my stepdaughter, Pri. But we keep that information on the hush-hush, if you know what I mean. Everyone thinks she’s Seraphina’s sister. And for now, we’ll keep it that way.”
At last, the anxiety in Nyana’s eyes melted into warmth as she clasped Pri’s hand. His sister had always had a weak spot for children. “It’s wonderful to meet the two of you. You are all welcome to our home.” She opened the door wider and ushered them inside. “You came a long way from the forest. How was your journey here?”
“Cold,” Seraphina answered. The first thing she did was shed her coat and huddle up beside the hearth, where a trickle of fire dwindled away. With a gesture of her hand, the fire grew until it once more licked at the firewood and created a steady blaze.
His nieces, Maisy and Eva, scrambled into the room. Maisy immediately jumped into his arms, and he spun her around as she screeched with giggles. Eva touched Seraphina’s wings with awe in her eyes.
“Are you a fairy?” the girl whispered.
Seraphina laughed and nodded. “A fire fairy. But one of the bigger ones.”
