Page 105 of Kiss of Fire

“Aelfric will have your guts if you damage her.”

“I’m not going to damage her. I’m just having a little fun.”

Raya’s heart thudded. Aelfric? Was Shade working with Aelfric? She was totally confused. Shade sneered.

“Look at her. Not a clue what’s going on.”

The shape at the outer edge of Raya’s vision moved into view. She tried to make sense of the creature which now stood in front of her.

It had the torso and arms of a man, though its features were thickened and almost neanderthal in appearance. Its brow was low, its nose flattened, and coarse hair grew over its cheeks.

But it wasn’t a man, at least not entirely. At the waist, he became a horse. Four hooved legs moved restlessly, the front one almost pawing at the ground.

Centaur.She remembered what Shade had told her. A centaur had killed his best friend. The centaurs were loyal to Aelfric.

The creature came closer and now she could smell him. His odour was rank, the fetid stench of a barnyard animal. He examined her curiously.

“So this is what all the fuss is about?” He snorted and shook his head. “Why does Aelfric want her?”

“Leverage, I think. Who cares? The sooner we get her to Feyir, the better.”

Shade’s words chilled Raya’s blood. Aelfric wanted her. Panicked, she concentrated on her power, trying to make flames burst from her fingers. But it, like the rest of her, was paralysed.

The fucking rose. It was still clutched in her hand, thorns buried deep in her palm. Blood dripped steadily down her forearm and onto the ground.

Shade peered round, frowning.

“Where’s Bellemar? I need his help to get her onto your back.”

“Can’t you use your shadow power?”

“I can manifest his shape. Not his powers, cretin.”

Raya looked from one to the other, her eyes the only thing she could control. What the hell was going on? Suddenly she heard a familiar voice and her heart leapt.

“Raya? Are you all right? Raya!”

It was Tor. Relief washed through her. Tor had followed her, he’d found her. He came into her peripheral vision and she strained to turn her head towards him but couldn’t. All she could see was the centaur and Shade blocking his way.

“Look who’s trying to come to the rescue.”

“You’re not Lord Shadeed. You don’t have the aura of a jinn.”

“Clever little Sylvan.” Shade sneered. “Shame the Vulcani here doesn’t have your smarts.”

His features started to swim. Dark hair grew and changed colour. The muscular body shortened, cinching in at the waist and out at the hips until it became more curvaceous. The tunic morphed into a diaphanous dress with a plunging neckline. Leona smiled triumphantly at Raya.

“Recognise me now, halfling? The last time we met, I was blonde. Did you enjoy the ambrosia berries?”

Among all the emotions now tearing through Raya, the uppermost was relief. It hadn’t been Shade saying those things.

It was swiftly followed by anger. She glared at Leona and the si’lat laughed.

“Oh, if looks could kill. I was hoping that the berries would make you jump all over your Sylvan in public. It would have made it impossible for Shadeed to keep you around after that. Shame your woodsman here has such high morals. Luckily, I had a plan B.”

“Doesn’t matter. Your plan has failed. She’s coming back to the castle with me.” Tor drew a dagger from his belt. Raya saw it from the corner of her eye and was startled. She’d never seen Tor carry a weapon. “Let me past, bestial.”

“You think a tiny little knife like that will do any good?” The centaur snorted and pawed at the ground.

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