Page 20 of Kiss of Fire

Magda held up a hand.

“My Lord,” she said respectfully. “Are you saying you’re going to try to make her powers manifest? Because that can be quite risky and I wouldn’t recommend it.”

Shadeed rounded on her.

“What else do you advise? What other choice do I have? Either I unite the Vulcani behind me, or I lose the throne. Tell me, Gatekeeper, what great plan do you have? Do enlighten me. Because I assure you, I would love nothing more than to leave the pair of you here and damn well go home.”

There was a long silence. Then Magda sighed.

“You’ve made your point. Put your wings away. Let’s figure out the safest way to do this.”

“You will assist me?” he said warily.

“Of course. I know I’m just a simple people-loving kobold, but I’m always on your side, my Lord.”

For a fraction of a nanosecond, Raya thought she caught a totally alien expression flash across the jinn’s features. But no, she must have been mistaken. That surely wasn’t gratitude, was it? Whatever it was, it was gone. Hidden behind the now familiar granite expression.

“Then it is agreed. We will stay until the halfling finds her powers.”

Or she dies trying.

Nine

They stood in the clearing, facing each other. The sky was impossibly blue and the sun glinted off the snow. Its warmth felt good on Raya’s face.

She hadn’t slept much. She’d had to keep looking out of the window to make sure she wasn’t back at the institution, about to be rudely awakened by Griggs.

At least she’d managed to have a bath that morning. The Gatekeeper had insisted.

“You smell of feet, girl.”

Not that she’d needed much persuading. Sinking into hot, soapy water was one of the deepest pleasures she’d enjoyed in, well, forever. And best of all, no-one had been watching her.

She’d forgotten how much privacy meant to her.

After she’d dried off, Magda led her to a wardrobe full of warm clothes in different sizes and varying degrees of hideousness. All donated from villagers, she explained helpfully, who thought she was a harmless eccentric.

Raya had grabbed the first things that came to hand; a pair of elasticated fleecy trousers and baggy thermal sweater, topped off with a sheepskin jacket two sizes too big.

She examined herself in the mirror. Holy crap. She looked like a charity shop had thrown up all over her.

Shadeed, on the other hand, appeared relaxed and rested. She didn’t know where he’d spent the night but certainly wasn’t in Magda’s tiny hut. And he’d found a shirt from somewhere. A tight-fitting tunic that left his arms bare and did almost nothing to disguise the delineation of his muscular torso.

She glared at him resentfully. Did he never look like shit? Or feel the cold, for that matter?

He folded his arms as he regarded her narrowly.

“Fae and jinn are distant cousins,” he began. “But in both species, abilities usually manifest during adolescence. If they do not, there are other ways to bring them forth. Emotional triggers. Fear. Anger. Passion. Desperation.”

“Okay,” she said uncertainly. “Well, I don’t think fear is the trigger. I’ve had tons of that, thanks. Not even asniffof a superpower.”

“Perhaps.” He started towards her. “But let us make sure, shall we?”

Raya backed away, hands held out in front of her.

“Whoa there, Shade. What are you planning?”

He stopped.

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