Page 42 of Kiss of Fire

“For now. I will find her some rooms later. Come, Raya. We must go.”

“Go where?”

She ignored the high-heeled sandals Leona had picked out and pulled on a pair of soft-soled shoes. She’d never worn heels before and the last thing she wanted was to fall flat on her face.

“We are meeting with the Vulcani council. They have agreed to discuss whether you can act as your mother’s proxy until her return.”

He strode back towards the platform and she jogged to keep up with him. Why did he always have to walk so fast? He halted suddenly.

“Raya…” he sounded uncharacteristically uncertain. “May I be permitted to carry you? Or would you prefer I used my shadows again?”

“Oh. Um. I guess carrying is okay. If you don’t mind, that is.”

“I do not mind.”

He stepped close to her, his bare chest level with her face. A slow blush warmed her cheeks and he hesitated.

“Perhaps I should…”

Shadows swirled around him, and suddenly he was wearing a black tunic. It strained over his muscles but at least he was covered. Raya cleared her throat.

“Thank you.”

He scooped her up, one arm under her legs and the other supporting her back. She was reminded of the first time he’d carried her like this, when she’d barely been conscious and thought she was hallucinating.

He leapt out over the chasm. There was a moment of weightlessness when gravity seemed to have ignored them. And then they dropped, the wind streaming through her hair as they plunged in freefall.

Strangely, she wasn’t scared. Not the way she had been when he’d dropped her from the sky in Norway. Instead of bone-freezing terror, her heart pounded in a glorious mix of adrenaline and exhilaration.

When Shade finally unfurled his wings and soared upward, she caught him smiling. It only lasted a second but the flash of uncomplicated joy on his face did something to her insides. She looked away.

“So where are we meeting the Vulcani?” she asked when she had her breath back.

“At the border with Feyir. When I told them I had found Aelah’s daughter, they agreed immediately. But Raya, it is imperative you let me do the talking.” His face was deadly serious. “They will want a demonstration of your Vulcani power and we must not give in to their pressure. Not until you’re ready.”

“Okay. I’ll just keep quiet and look pretty.”

Shade didn’t answer. He flew east in silence, and Raya saw the lines of tension around his mouth. This meeting was really important, she realised. She vowed not to fuck it up.

They landed at the edge of the forest. The line of trees was so thick, it was almost like a barrier. She could hear birdsong and buzzing insects, but it was hard to see into the dark interior.

No-one was there to meet them.

“Where are…”

“Quiet.”

Shade waited motionlessly and Raya forced herself to do the same. The silence stretched.

Suddenly she caught movement from the corner of her eye. She turned, squinting, trying to make out what was happening. A gasp escaped her lips as the scene in front of her changed. Or maybe she was simply seeing what had been there all along.

The innocuous pattern of leaves shifted imperceptibly. A random wall of foliage morphed into figures and faces. A curve of branch transformed into a set of shoulders. A peculiar looking bush unfolded and stood up. It was like a giant optical illusion coming to life in front of them.

A dozen figures stepped out of the trees. Shade nodded at them.

“Council members. Thank you for meeting with us.”

Raya looked at them curiously. There were males and females, all as attractive as each other with long, golden limbs and perfect glossy hair. They were willowy and tall, though not as tall as Shade. Their ears were delicately pointed and they seemed insubstantial, as if a good puff of wind would blow them away. But she sensed that wasn’t the case.

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