Page 50 of Kiss of Fire

“No. I mean, peoplesaythey can do magic but it’s mostly just tricks. Illusions. But here, people can fly. Or make fire with just a thought. Or communicate with animals.” She shook her head. “In a normal world, that’s superhero stuff.”

“To us, they’re natural abilities. But some are stronger than others. Your mother, for example, was extremely powerful but many Vulcani can only conjure a single weak flame. Lord Shade, as you call him, is the only Ifrit powerful enough to fly. Is it not the same in the human world?”

“Yes, it is. Some people are stronger or smarter than others. I never thought of it like that.”

“And then, of course, there are those that envy the gifts of others and wish to control them. Like Aelfric.”

He stopped suddenly, and Raya looked at him curiously.

“What?”

Tor turned to face her, his expression serious.

“Please do not repeat the things I say in public, Raya. Out here, in the open, we are safe but in other places there are ears always listening for signs of dissent. Aelfric will not tolerate subversion. Other fae who have criticised him have disappeared. I don’t want that to happen to you.” He gave a crooked smile. “Or me.”

“You don’t like the boss. I get it. Your secret’s safe with me. But if he’s such a bad guy, how come he’s in charge?”

Tor shrugged.

“Elven are powerful fae. They bend reality around them. Make you feel one thing, or see another. It’s called a glamour. All elven can do it, to some extent. But Aelfric’s glamours are the strongest and darkest. He can create things so real you can touch them. Instil any emotion in you. Reduce you to helplessness. And if he wants you to think you’re dying, you’ll die.”

“But Vulcani throw fire, you can control animals…”

“No defence at all against someone who can get inside your head.”

Raya shuddered.

“How could my mother have been attracted to that?”

“Don’t judge her too harshly. The elven aren’t called ‘the beautiful folk’ for nothing.”

“I hope I never run into them.”

“Don’t worry. You’re not likely to. They tend to stay close to Feyir. Now, Raya of the Normal World, tell me about some of the marvels where you come from.”

They spent the rest of the journey talking and laughing. Tor was pleasant company and Raya relaxed with him. The fact that he was easy on the eye didn’t hurt. And when she spied the castle in the distance, she was almost disappointed the ride was coming to an end.

“Nearly there,” Tor said cheerfully. “And well before sundown. Looks like I’ll get to keep my head after all.”

The road to the castle became more populated. In the outlying villages they passed carts and donkeys laden with bags, and people carrying baskets on their heads. Children smiled and waved from huts where women were cooking over open fires. Goats and sheep seemed to wander at random, and dogs barked as they passed.

As they drew closer to the castle, the villages gave way to the suburbs and finally the main town. Houses became larger and more ornate, interspersed with shops and cafes. Groups of people were gathering after a day’s work, smoking pipes or sitting at tables outside the taverns with a well-earned ale.

When they reached the town square, Raya saw bunting had been strung between the buildings. Every door had a banner or streamers hung from it, and children chased each other with brightly coloured balloons and flags.

“Is something going on?” she asked. “It looks like a celebration.”

“Aye, they’re getting ready for the Melae. It happens every year to welcome in the spring. There’s feasting and merry-making across Nush’aldaam. You should go. It’s quite a party.”

“I’d have to check with Shade.”

“Bring him too.”

Shade? Letting his hair down?She suppressed a grin.

“Maybe.”

The road turned sharply upwards and they left the townsfolk behind. From this angle the castle looked forbidding. Its turrets and towers stabbed unyieldingly into the sky, more fortress-like than it had appeared from the air.

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