Page 48 of Kiss of Fire

He waited patiently as she took hold of a stirrup, dithering over how best to boost herself into the saddle.

In the end, Torven solved the problem for her. He grasped her by the hips and lifted her off the ground.

“Excuse me, my Lady,” he said as he settled her easily into the saddle. Flustered, she picked up the reins and was pleased she remembered how to hold them correctly.

“I’m not really dressed for riding,” she said, as her dress rucked up. Thankfully it had enough folds to cover most of her legs.

“Martha will do the work. Just sit comfortably. Let’s go.”

He vaulted onto the bay and they headed out of the woods and into the sunshine.

Out on the plains, with the sun’s warmth on her face and the rhythmic gait of the horse swaying beneath her, Raya felt an unexpected spark of contentment.

For the first time since Shade had rescued her, she finally felt as if her brain was knitting back together.

Nineteen

Raya was grateful that Torven felt no urge to make small talk. They rode in companionable silence for a long while before she spoke.

“It’s Raya,” she said.

“I beg pardon, my Lady?”

“My name. Not ‘my Lady’. Just Raya.”

“In that case, I’m Tor. Only my mother and the Vulcani council leader call me Torven. I’m not sure which of them is scarier.”

She giggled.

“Loris did seem terrifying. I can’t believe he took orders from my mother.” A thought struck her. “Did you know her? Aelah?”

“No. I was a bairn when she left Nush’aldaam. But I heard all the stories.” He glanced over at her. “She was known for her outspokenness. She hated injustice and she always took the side of the weak. Of course, she was a thorn in Aelfric’s side.”

“I thought Aelfric liked her? Magda, the Gatekeeper, said he had a thing for her.”

“Maybe at first. And maybe she thought she could redeem him. Change him into someone different. But she gave up in the end. It’s almost impossible to turn someone into something they’re not.”

Raya fell silent.

Wasn’t that whatshewas trying to do? Become someone she wasn’t? What would happen in seven days when she tried and failed to summon her powers in front of the Vulcani council?

Tor broke into her thoughts.

“May I askyousomething my La... I mean, Raya?”

“Sure.”

“What is the human world like?”

“Completely unlike this. Normal.”

“Normal?”

“You know. Ordinary. Anyway, I’m the wrong person to ask. I spent most of my time there locked up.”

Tor was shocked.

“You were a prisoner?”

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