Page 74 of Kiss of Fire

“You did it.”

“I did, didn’t I? Oh, but the poor tree.” The tree was scorched badly, black welts along its branches. Its leaves had shrivelled in the heat and it looked curiously naked. Raya felt guilt bubble inside her. “I should have been more careful. Will it recover?”

“Aye. It will.”

Tor gave her a lopsided smile and placed his hands on the tree trunk. He whispered something too quietly for Raya to hear.

“Tor, what are you…?”

He held up a hand and she subsided. Placing his palms back against the tree, he leaned into it until his forehead rested gently on the bark. Raya watched curiously. For a moment, nothing happened. Then she heard a sound coming from above them, a strange tearing noise. She peered into the branches.

Something was happening to the scorched wood. Charred pieces of bark were being pushed aside as new growth emerged from beneath. The damaged leaves popped off one by one and were replaced by fresh, young foliage which burst into the sunshine. The welts and cracks caused by the fire knitted together, leaving branches whole and healthy again.

Tor stood back from the tree and gave it a little pat.

“There you go, big guy. Good as new.”

“That was the single most amazing thing I’ve ever seen.”

The frank admiration in Raya’s voice made Tor shuffle his feet, even as his heart swelled with pride.

“It’s nothing. A simple trick for a Sylvan.”

“You can all do that?”

“To some degree. We’re good with living things. But we can’t create something where nothing was before. Not like Vulcani or jinn. Not like you.”

“Yeah, I created a bloody great inferno. Yay me.”

“No, before that. The fire-lights. They were astonishing.”

“Enough to convince the Vulcani?”

“Aye. I’m sure of it.”

A weight lifted from Raya’s heart.

“We should celebrate. Let’s go into town.”

Tor looked at her strangely.

“Are you not supposed to be getting ready for the dinner tonight?”

“What dinner?”

“The betrothal dinner. Everyone has been invited.”

Shit. She’d almost forgotten.

“Oh, um, yes. Of course. The dinner. Hang on. What do you mean,everyonehas been invited?”

“The head of every household within a span’s radius has received an invitation. That’s nearly two hundred people.”

Raya tried not to let her dismay show.

“Two hundred people? Coming to meetme?”

“Aye, of course. You’re to be presented as the future First Lady of Nurhan. Everyone in town is talking about it.”

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