Page 25 of Kiss of Fire

Then he dived towards the sleeping giant, sword raised. His plan was to bring the hilt down on the back of its skull, turning its doze into unconsciousness. But the creature chose that moment to shift to a more comfortable position. Instead of hitting its head, Shade’s blow glanced off its shoulder. He swore loudly.

Bewildered, the jotnar opened its eyes. The speed with which it went from sound asleep to fully awake was impressive. As it lumbered to its feet, Raya saw its face for the first time. She gasped.

Tusks curled up from either side of its mouth, reminding her of a warthog. The rest of its features had a porcine quality too. The giant’s nose was squashed against its face and its brow was heavy and wrinkled. Two small black pebble-like eyes glowered from the folds.

It smelled rank, like it hadn’t washed for a very long time. It reached out to grab its club and Raya saw each wrist sprouted a wickedly-sharp curved claw, like the spur on a cockerel’s foot.

Shade tried for the creature’s head again, using his wings to raise him higher, but the jotnar was ready. It ducked, moving faster than Raya thought possible for such a lumbering creature. With a roar it brought the cudgel round, barely missing Shade’s ribs.

Its next blow met the sword. Shade grunted as his blade took the full force of the club in mid-air. The jotnar forced him down until his feet were back on the ground. It raised the club again, intending to smash it down on Shade’s head. The jinn rolled clear at the last minute.

He was up in the air in an instant, wings spread wide. He swept his blade down on the jotnar’s arm, and the club fell to the ground. The giant screamed, cradling his wrist.

Shade soared high then came down fast, both hands above his head gripping the hilt. The giant swiped one massive paw through the air and caught him, flinging him to one side.

Raya watched in horror as Shade hit the ground hard. Shadows coiled around him but he looked dazed. The giant raised a foot and tried to slam it down on the jinn’s head but the shadows looped around it, holding it away.

“Shade!”

The jinn heard Raya’s voice and got to his knees. He spread his wings, preparing to leap up. He was too late. The giant reached down and grabbed a wing, hoisting him off the ground. The other wing beat uselessly.

Shade dissolved his shadow feathers and let himself drop. The jotnar made a grab for him and struck a lucky blow. Its wrist-spur raked across Shade’s abdomen.

Blood spurted.

The jinn landed heavily, wings and sword gone. A deep gash was open below his ribs. His face was pale. The jotnar reached out and grabbed its fallen cudgel, raising it high and taking aim.

“No!” Without thinking, Raya ran towards them. “Wait! Hey you! Over here!”

The jotnar turned and Raya caught a gust of its body odour. Sweat, dirt and blood mixed together. She tried not to gag. The giant lowered its club.

“Unhh?”

It made a high-pitched quizzical sound as she slowed to a stop several feet away. She kept her eyes on it, trying to draw its attention away from Shade. She glimpsed him in her peripheral vision. He wasn’t moving.

“Hey, big guy.” She hoped her voice wasn’t trembling.

The jotnar came closer, towering above her. Fuck. It was like the hulk on steroids.It frowned, the folds on its porcine face deepening so much she could barely make out its eyes.

What had Shade said? Jotnars were protective towards females. She hoped he was right.

It occurred to her the giant might not be able to tell shewasa female. She hardly looked feminine right now. She reached up and pulled the furry hat off, tugging her hair out of the messy ponytail she’d scraped it into this morning.

It fell over her shoulder in a dark wave, the single strand of copper standing out brightly. The jotnar blinked as the sun sent shards of gold through its length. It made a curious crooning sound.

“I really hope that’s not some kind of mating call,” she said nervously. It took another step towards her. “I mean, I’m not a prude or anything, but I think we need to get to know each other first, you know?”

It dropped the club and squatted down, peering at her closely. From here she had a clear view up its loin cloth. If she didn’t know it already, the proof that this giant was very definitely male was staring her in the face. She averted her eyes.

“So, hey, I’m a Libra. You?”

Like a snake, its hand whipped out and grasped her round the waist. She shrieked as the giant lifted her off the ground. She tugged at its fingers, fear rippling down her spine.

It brought her to its face and for a panic-stricken moment, she thought it was going to pop her into its mouth and swallow her whole.

Instead it studied her, turning her slowly this way and that. She realised it was examining her hair.

At least she had its attention. She glanced down at Shade and saw he was sprawled unconscious. The wounds across his abdomen looked red and ugly, and his caramel skin was tinged with grey.

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