Page 3 of Kiss of Ice

“At least I do not sparkle.”

“Nope. And that includes your personality, my friend.”

Shade grinned suddenly, the smile transforming his face. He clasped Kam by the elbow and the two men pressed their forearms together.

“I am still not used to seeing you up here,” said Shade. “I know it has been some months since your return but…”

“I missed you too, old friend. Thank you again for trying to protect the empire in my absence.”

“I am sorry I did not do a better job. I fear my attempt to take the throne has caused divisions between clans. Divisions you will now have to heal.”

“The divisions were always there, Shade. But they didn’t surface until the question of succession raised its head. And we all know whose faultthatwas.” He threw a dark look towards the coast. Shade changed the subject.

“I hear you are opening a new healing centre today. The people will be glad to see you.”

“Just something else on the endless list of things to do. Trust me, my friend. You should thank the gods you didn’t have to take my place.”

The two jinn hung in the air, side by side. As an Elhinn and an Ifrit, they were poles apart in both appearance and temperament. Yet they had practically grown up together and were as close as brothers.

If he hadn’t been able to ascend the throne, Kam reflected, there was no-one else he would have entrusted it to but Shade.

“Do you regret not becoming Emperor?” he asked impulsively. Shade glanced at him, surprised.

“I never would have considered the notion had you been here. You know that.”

“But you must have thought about it. You fought tooth and nail for it. You made a deal with the vampires for it. Hells, you even met yourwifebecause of it. Don’t you wonder what it would have been like if you’d been coronated instead of me?”

“Do you think I resent you for coming back, Kamran?” Shade’s eyes flared neon blue. “I never wanted the throne. I did not wish to rule the empire. I only wished to stop Salaq from doing so.”

His voice rumbled through the skies, and a flock of birds flying in a vee below them were thrown into disarray.

“Keep your hair on, big guy. I was only asking.” Kam’s tone was mild and Shade relaxed. He had forgotten how Kam liked to provoke him. “But I have to say, for a hot-headed Ifrit, you were unexpectedly good at diplomacy. It’s not an art at which I excel.”

“Diplomacy is difficult,” Shade agreed. “I was lucky I was able to form alliances with the Vetali and the fae.”

“It wasn’t luck. You put a lot of work into it. Of course, it helps that you married the Fae Queen.”

“Raya was not the Fae Queen when I met her.”

“No, but you weren’t exactly Prince Charming either.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, old friend, she told me all about your relationship. And she says when she first met you she thought you were, I quote, ‘a giant A-hole’. I’m not sure what an A-hole is but it didn’t sound good.”

Shade gave Kam a sidelong glance.

“You talk to Raya about me?”

“We talk about a lot of things. She’s a truly amazing person, except for one tiny flaw. She’s crazy about you.”

Shade didn’t answer but Kam saw the smile playing about his lips. His stomach tightened in jealousy. Not because of Raya; Kam liked her a lot but not inthatway. No, he was jealous of Shade’s happiness.

“It must be nice to find the one you’re going to spend the rest of your life with,” he said lightly. Shade shrugged.

“That was not my intention when I first approached her. I needed her for political reasons. To bring her people onto my side. I fully intended to release her from our betrothal once I had achieved my goal, but fate decreed otherwise.”

“You’re a lucky man. My father’s marriage to my mother was one of convenience. It was a good match and I loved them both, but they didn’t love each other.”

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