Page 126 of Kiss of Fire

“You are right,” said Shade. “I am truly sorry.”

“Look, I know we have a lot to talk about, but can we go?” Aelah gestured at the palace. “We’re still in enemy territory here. And I for one donothave any happy memories of this fucking place. Pardon my French.”

“I still have a lot of questions,” Raya said.

“And I will answer every single one as soon as we’re out of here.”

They started towards the door. They’d barely taken two paces when the ground started shaking. Raya looked about her wildly as huge cracks appeared at her feet. Shade took her hand and they stumbled back, trying to keep their balance.

Suddenly a wall of thorns erupted upwards. It reached to the ceiling, bristling with wicked barbs and completely blocking their way.

“None of you are leaving.”

They turned to find Aelfric behind them, his remaining lords and ladies lined up next to him. His face was white with fury. The glamour he usually used on himself was absent. His robes were smudged with dirt and the golden circlet on his brow was askew.

“Give it up, Aelfric.” Aelah taunted him. “You’ve lost. And you deserve it for what you did to me.”

“You enjoyed it. You enjoyedme.”

“Only because you made me think I did, you twisted fuck. You kept me here against my will. The only good thing that came out of it was Raya. And I’m telling you now, the Vulcani will be supporting Shadeed for the throne. There’s no way I’m ever letting you get your hands on Nush’aldaam.”

“I’m your king!” he screamed. “You obey me!”

“Go to hell.”

Mad with rage, Aelfric lifted his hands. A dozen jet shards appeared.

“Then let me show you how it feels to lose something you want so very, very badly.”

With a screech, he sent the shards arrowing directly towards Raya.

Shade reacted instinctively, throwing shadows up as a shield. Aelah’s reaction was faster and more deadly. Fireballs rocketed from her hands, engulfing first the shards, and then Aelfric himself.

He screamed as his flesh blistered and his bones charred. The crown on his head melted into liquid gold and blended with his ruined features. Raya turned away, the smell of burning meat making her blanch. The screams stopped.

In the silence that followed, a cloud of ash drifted gently to the floor. Nobody said anything.

The remaining elven turned towards them. Lord and ladies, alert and watchful, their beautiful faces intent. Raya braced for attack. Next to her, Aelah readied another fireball and Shade unfurled his shadows.

There was a long moment.

Then as one, the elven bowed. First from the waist, and then down onto one knee, their heads bent in deference.

Only one looked directly at Raya. The lord with the dark skin and blue eyes, the one she’d danced with while under the glamour.

“The king is dead,” he said. “Long live the queen.”

Forty Eight

“So this rose is linked to Caroline and Ross.” Aelah stroked the petals gently and patted down the soil around the plant. “I’m sorry for what happened to them. I chose them because they seemed like good people.”

“They were. I was very happy. Until that demon found me.”

“He was looking for me. Well, for us. I hoped Aelfric wouldn’t realise I was pregnant but I guess he figured it out when I broke the glamour.”

“What a bastard. It must have been horrible.”

“I was just worried about you. I knew I couldn’t stay in Nush’aldaam. So I span a story about falling in love with a human and left. Magda helped me.

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