Page 76 of Kiss of Fire

He started for the exit and Raya called out to him.

“Wait. If everyone’s in masks, how will I know it’s you?”

“You’ll know.”

And he was gone.

Raya made her way slowly back to her room, trying not to dread the evening ahead. It was only dinner. She could make it through one dinner.

Now, what did one wear to one’s own engagement party?

Twenty Eight

In the end, she didn’t have to decide for herself. A dress had been laid out for her on the bed.

It was stunning; a pale gold sheath that skimmed her body in a figure-hugging silhouette. A low cowl neck revealed the merest hint of cleavage. The long skirt appeared demure but a clever slit up one side showed a flash of thigh as she walked.

It was the perfect combination of chaste and seductive, and the champagne silk perfectly complemented her colouring.

She looked at herself critically in the mirror. Her body had filled out since she’d left the hospital. Good food, and plenty of it, had put flesh on her bones and rounded out her hips and breasts. The shadows were gone from under her eyes and her face had lost its gauntness.

She knew she wasn’t beautiful. She’d seen enough pictures of models and actresses in magazines to know that. Her lips weren’t full enough and her nose wasn’t straight enough. But at least she looked more womanly now.

Even her eczema had improved. She rubbed her ears thoughtfully. No dry patches. Her skin shone with health

There was no Leona to help her with her make-up. In fact, she realised she hadn’t seen the si’lat for a while. She considered asking Pasha to send someone up, but in the end she contented herself with a coating of mascara to darken her lashes and some rouge on her lips.

Her hair was more of an issue. There was no way she could replicate what Leona had done the other day. So she brushed it through until it was lustrous and glossy, and left it at that.

To be honest, no-one would notice her hair anyway. They’d all be staring at the amazing dress. She wondered if Shade would let her keep some of the clothes when she went home.

Home.

She frowned as the thought occurred to her. Where exactlywashome? She would never return to the hospital, obviously. But she had nowhere else to go. Maybe… she bit her lip. Maybe if Shade ever found her mother, she could go live with her.

She resolved to ask him about Aelah tonight.

There was a knock at the door. Pasha entered, his customary black robe starched and spotless. Raya had never seen him wear anything different and she wondered if he had a cupboard full of them.

“Lord Shadeed asks that you join him in the Library.”

“You have a Library?”

“Of course, my Lady. Please follow me.”

He led her down the corridor to a set of large oak doors beautifully inlaid with ornate carvings. The room beyond took her breath away.

Floor to ceiling shelves groaned with books of every size, from large leather-bound tomes to simple cardboard picture books. She ran her fingers over them, delighting in their texture. Some were in languages she recognised, like French and Spanish, others were written in beautiful symbols she had never seen before. There was even a table piled high with novels.

Eagerly, she picked one up.

Ernest Hemingway, the Old Man and the Sea.

She selected another.

Geoffrey Chaucer. Her eyes widened. First edition?

The next book she picked up was a favourite of hers by Maya Angelou. She opened it up and began to read, so absorbed that Shade’s voice behind her made her jump.

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