Page 119 of Kiss of Fire

She fought the invasive thrum of the crystalline tone that threatened to swamp her will again. In pure defensive mode, flames lit from her hands. Without thinking, still concentrating on keeping the glamour from engulfing her again, she let them run up her arms and body.

Her torse ignited into blue and orange. Flames licked at her face, their heat comforting and familiar. She hung on to the feeling.

This is who I am, she thought fiercely. Not an elven princess. But the leader of the Vulcani.

The haze receded.

My flames. They’re a shield.

Aelfric’s face twisted in fury as he realised he could no longer colour her thoughts.

“What are you doing, daughter?”

“Asserting my rights. I’m not your slave anymore, daddy dear.”

“Stop this at once. This is your home. We are your family.”

“I don’t think so. This is all too dysfunctional, even for me. And I’ve been in therapy for years.”

“We could be all-powerful, you and I.” Aelfric’s eyes gleamed. “We could take the empire for ourselves. Rule as we wanted.”

Raya’s flames kicked up a notch.

“I don’t want to rule,” she hissed. “I just want to get the fuck out of here and away from all you weirdos.”

“Then you will be sorely disappointed.”

At a gesture from Aelfric, the lords and ladies surrounded her. She could feel their collective glamour beating against her fire, testing her defences.

“Not going to work, bitches,” she told them. “My power beats yours.”

“Maybe for now.” Aelfric examined his nails casually. “But there’s just one of you. And you can’t keep your flames lit forever. You’ll need to sleep or rest at some point. And when you do…”

He grinned, and there was nothing charming whatsoever about his smile. His face was as predatory as a ferret scenting blood. How could she ever have thought he was beautiful?

“Dream on, you bastard. I can keep this up all day.”

“We shall see, won’t we, daughter?”

He was right. As soon as she let her guard slip, it would all be over.

She couldn’t even fireball her way out of there. Somehow she didn’t think the fae would be terrified by a display of pretty flowers and birds.

Even if by some miracle she got through the crowd of elven, the throne room doors were heavily guarded by bestials and soldiers. Not to mention the ogurs. There was no way out.

It was only a matter of time. And then, she knew, her father would make her pay dearly for rebelling.

Despair rose in her heart.

She sank back down into her throne and let her flames die. The silver jangle crept back into her mind and she didn’t fight it.

That’s when the world exploded.

Forty Five

The palace doors blew off their hinges as if hit by a tornado. Black smoke poured into the throne room, forcing soldiers to stumble back.

Shade strode in, his eyes twin pools of incandescent fury.

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