Page 109 of Kiss of Light

Tala gazed out of the window, feeling wrong-footed and a little embarrassed. She should have asked about the fae in the shop before jumping to conclusions.

They drove for the best part of an hour. Tala kept her eyes glued to the passing scenery, keen to see this strange new country. When they entered Palis City, she had to admit Lemar was right. Itwasimpressive. In fact, it was breath-taking.

The city was a sprawling architectural smorgasbord, its buildings a mix of gothic and modern. High turrets competed with skyscrapers. Wide thoroughfares alternated with cobbled alleyways.

People thronged the streets and Tala’s attention was caught by their clothes. They were a chaotic blend of old and new. Some were dressed as if they’d stepped out of a Victorian novel. Others wouldn’t have looked out of place in a New York nightclub.

The truck slowed to let a long tram-like vehicle slide silently past. It was suspended several inches off the ground but there were no rails or overhead lines. As Tala watched, it stopped to let people on and off.

More magic-driven science. And she’d thought the Spider had been impressive.

They passed another iron exchange shop. Tala bit her lip as she saw a queue of people waiting to donate their blood. She looked over at Lemar, badly wanting to apologise but not sure what to say.

He was still avoiding her eyes.

“Is the palace much further?” she asked.

“A few miles out of town.”

He didn’t offer anything further and she turned back to the window.

The terrain changed as they left the city. It became more rural, with fields stretching into the distance. Some even contained livestock.

She knew Vetali weren’t keen on animal blood, though they could live off it if necessary. She guessed the animals were kept for more basic needs. Furs and leather for clothing. Bone and hoof for utensils.

They started up an incline and the fields gave way to ravines and woodland. The road grew narrower, winding its way upwards in a steep spiral. As they turned through a hairpin bend, Tala caught her first glimpse of the palace.

Ironically, it was the most vampiric thing she’d seen in Palissandra so far. It loomed overhead, all dark towers and twisted spires. It looked like it had been ripped straight from the mountains of Transylvania. The only thing missing was a flock of bats circling it.

The transport crested the top of the hill and glided to a halt.

Tala took a breath, suddenly nervous. She knew what was at stake here. She had to persuade Prince Vassago to rescind the death warrant on his son’s head. and win his support for Shadeed instead of Salaq.

Fuck, she hated diplomacy.

The truck doors opened and the captain climbed out. Lemar made to follow but Tala grabbed his hand.

“I’m sorry,” she said in a low voice. “I overreacted.”

He gave a thin smile.

“I should have explained earlier. I’d forgotten how some of our customs might look to outsiders.” His expression became more sombre. “But Tala, please be careful when you meet my father. He’s not as tolerant as me.”

“I understand. Are you nervous?”

He didn’t answer. He jumped down from the back of the truck and after a moment, she followed.

Forty Six

Close up, the palace was a gothic masterpiece. Its foreboding façade was designed to intimidate, the black walls pinioned between four towers, each ringed with stone gargoyles. It looked like the kind of place pitchfork-wielding peasants tried to storm once a week.

“No, actually, my father is quite a popular leader,” said Lemar when Tala mentioned it. “He’s been the Prince here for well over a thousand years. And we don’t have any peasants in Palissandra.”

“Of course you don’t.”

“We’ve eaten them all.”

“That was a joke, right?”

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