The Fire Lord's Lover - 1 (31 page)

   An eager-eyed father escorted the young boy up the dais then quickly abandoned the child to resume his position on the floor. Cass imagined Mor'ded didn't allow anyone upon the dais except for himself and the child to be tested, judging by the looks she received from the assembled.

   She easily spotted Lady Verney, by her height and the feathers in her hair that accentuated it. A bewildered expression pinched her thin face as she looked back and forth between Cassandra and the Imperial Lord. Indeed, half the court watched her with expressions ranging from confusion to disgust to self-satisfaction… as if they'd known all along she sought nothing but the power of the throne.

   Lady Agnes actually winked at her.

   Cassandra cringed, her fingers turning white as they clenched at the smooth marble beneath them.

   And then her eyes met those of Sir Robert Walpole, and the expression in that dark piercing gaze made her knees go weak. He suspected. But unlike May and Gwendolyn, he wasn't quite sure he recognized the son in the role of the father. He gave her a low bow of respect.

   Lady Cassandra straightened her back and raised her chin.

   The Imperial Lord frowned at the child presented before him, and only Cass could see the slight rise of his chest as he took a breath before raising his scepter at the boy. White fire sprouted from the tip of it; Cass could feel the cold from where she stood. It hit the child square in his small chest and he grunted in surprise, his grubby hands automatically lifted in defense. A small white flame of his own blocked the scepter's attack.

   Dominic quickly followed with a twist of gray flame, then a measure of yellow, each time reducing the strength of each power. When the child countered them all, Cass inwardly groaned. The next fire would be the orange, and although not as damaging as the red, it could possibly hurt the child.

   The Imperial Lord hesitated, the scepter falling onto his muscled thigh, and the assembled began to whisper among themselves, wondering at the delay.

   She knew Dominic would not do it. He would not risk harming the child. And then their charade would be exposed. But she could not regret that he'd found his human heart, and would rather face the combined wrath of the elven lords than have her beloved reclaim his elven coldness.

   Lady Cassandra moved her arm from the back of the chair to his strong shoulder, feeling the tightness in the muscles. "I have faith," she murmured.

   He did not look at her, but she felt his determination as he raised the scepter again. A ray of the blue healing fire streamed from the rod, encompassing the child, making him glow from head to ragged foot. And the orange fire followed on the heels of it.

   The child tried to defend against the greater power, but he couldn't combat the flame with orange fire of his own. He shook in fear but not pain, for the healing blue protected the boy from harm.

   Cass almost sobbed aloud in relief. She'd married a very clever man. Perhaps they would manage this deception after all.

   Dominic halted the flow of magic and imitated the sardonic laughter of his father so well that Cass shivered.

   "Sorry, boy. No trip to Elfhame for you. Next!"

   The child stumbled from the dais, relief and disappointment warring on his freckled face.

   As they had thought, none of the children showed the slightest inclination for the higher powers, and the flames they managed to raise in defense of the scepter barely blocked the small amount of magic Dominic threw at them. And only one of the children possessed the magic from another sovereignty, a child whose bloodline must have come from the elven lord of Dreamhame, for she crafted an illusion of red flame that nearly fooled them, until Dominic realized it did not counter his attack. Indeed, he'd had to quickly strengthen the protection of the blue flame around the girl.

   Cass had been so absorbed in the trials that she'd forgotten their audience. As the last child left the dais, she glanced up at the sudden silence and froze in fear.

   Sir Robert no longer suspected the truth. He knew. His eyes glittered with understanding and an odd sort of triumph, surely calculating how he could use this sudden development in the Rebellion's cause. Since Cass had intended to tell him the truth, his certainty did not alarm her.

   But Lady Verney now gazed at Lady Cassandra in sudden understanding, a slow smile spreading across her thin lips. A few of the other lords and ladies who'd looked confused by Dominic's wife standing at Mor'ded's side shared the same expression.

   The blue flame. The Imperial Lord had never thought to protect those whom he tested. They suspected the truth.

   Dominic rose and extended his strong hand to her, and as she slipped her fingers in it, she met his eyes. He knew as well that several of the court had guessed that he wasn't Mor'ded. He raised one pale brow and gave an almost imperceptible shrug of those broad shoulders.

   They would play it out.

   Lady Cassandra followed him down the steps of the dais while the crowd parted to allow them passage. As one, the assembled bowed to them, murmuring "Imperial Lord" over and over. Dominic halted when he reached the king, who of them all, was not required to bow in homage.

   "Your Majesty," said Dominic, his voice smooth and strong.

   "Your Most High," replied the much shorter man, craning his neck to look up at Dominic. "The trial was most interesting. You and your new mistress"— his eyes flicked to Cass—"look stunning together in your silver satin. I congratulate you on your new relationship. You have the loyalty of my court."

   "Indeed?"

   "Forgive me for interrupting," said Walpole, straightening his own bow with a quick grunt, "but it appears you have also managed to acquire the loyalty of the people as well, Imperial Lord. Most unusual for an elven lord."

   Dominic gave the man a twisted grimace. "I hold the scepter, Walpole. I don't give a damn who is loyal." And with the lie on his lips he swept Cassandra from the room, guiding her through the silent passages leading to the ballroom.

   "They know," whispered Cass as they trod a velvet carpet past crystal globes that held liquid fire. "The king assured us of the court's support and Walpole guaranteed the people's."

   "I know." Dominic abruptly stopped, pulled her into his arms. "I just don't know why."

   "Don't you?" Cass lifted a hand, caressed that strong jaw, stared into his beautiful face. He had never looked more like an angel than he did at this moment. "You gained the loyalty of the court by revealing your suffering to them. The loyalty of the people by using your power to heal them during the fire. They want the freedom of England even more than we do, and have placed their confidence in you to gain it. They will not betray us."

   He frowned, the expression making his beauty seem a bit more human. "I am used to living a life of deception, Cassandra. But you…"

   "Hush. I'm used to giving my life to the Rebellion, but now I have your love to sustain me. I ask for no more."

   "Indeed?" He bent down and kissed her, a brush of warm lips. She would always feel her heart soar at the touch of his mouth.

   When Dominic raised his head, his frown had turned to a hesitant smile. "Come," he urged, dragging her through the hallway, toward the open doors of the ballroom. "If it were within my power, I would offer you a different life. Ours will be filled with intrigue and danger and difficulty, but I promise you that I will also fill it with nights like this."

   Lady Cassandra stepped into the ballroom and gasped. The new Imperial Lord had used the power of white fire to create a sparkling wonderland. Tiny starbursts created strands of glittering threads that hung from the ceiling, occasionally dropping one shining flake to fall to the floor like a shower of radiant snow. Between the strands dripped stalactites of white fire, near meeting the stalagmites that grew from the floor. Glittering fire sparkled along the walls, created a smooth expanse of unbroken white at their feet.

   White mist swirled in the air, reached out to curl around Cass's waist like a cool caress, urging her to join the dance. She knew that despite all the dangers they faced, it would be worth the nights she could spend with Dominic.

   "Shall we, my lady?"

   She nodded and held out her hand to him, smiling as she caught sight of her wedding ring. The petals had unfurled into a glorious blossom of hope and love and happiness.

   And then her lover swept her into his arms, into a sparkling world of magic and mystery.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Christine Witthohn, Deb Werksman, and Dominique Raccah. This world would never have been created if not for them.

About the Author

Kathryne Kennedy is the award-winning author of the Relics of Merlin series and is acclaimed for her world building. She's lived in Guam, Okinawa, and several states in the United States, and currently lives in Arizona with her wonderful family—which includes two very tiny Chihuahuas. She welcomes readers to visit her website, where she has ongoing contests, at:
www.KathryneKennedy.com.

Table of Contents

Cover

Table of Contents

Copyright

Introduction

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Thirteen

Fourteen

Fifteen

Sixteen

Seventeen

Eighteen

Acknowledgments

About the Author