Page 142 of The Demon's Fire
“Ignis,” shouted Kole.
“Frisca.” Skyler smiled beneath her veil as Kole’s mouth arched at the corners.
“Following our custom, the female must prove worthy of her demon. Skyler Maxwell’s task of proof is the coals.” When the attendees gasped, Horach gestured toward a section of the hall where the ground was ablaze.
Kole’s eyes flicked to the hot embers awaiting Skyler. A bed of fire she was to walk across. “Hell no! She is not of our breed. I forbid her to perform this task.”
Horach’s eyes flamed. “She and her surrogate mother chose this test. It will be so.”
Kole broke with ceremony to snarl at Skyler. “Were you and Ranca crazy or soused from too much demon rum? You will not complete this trial.” He grabbed her elbow to lead her away. “You are mine and I am yours regardless of this ridiculous challenge.”
Skyler yanked her arm from Kole’s grip. “No. We will mate today in this ritual. Here, I will prove to you, along with the others present, my worthiness. Trust me, Kole. I hand-picked this test. You must trust I know what I’m doing.”
“I will not risk your life. It’s sure death.”
She linked her eyes with his. “Trust.”
He hesitated.
“Trust.”
Kole’s large body shook, rage simmering like fire on his skin. He glared at Horach. “I will accompany her across the coals. Non-negotiable.” When his uncle nodded, Kole grabbed her hand. Together, they walked toward her trial.
Firebrands lined the course, their fists clasped behind their backs, their grim expressions mimicking Kole’s.
He spun Skyler toward him, curling his hands on her shoulders before she could lift a foot. “You’re more than worthy. You have nothing to prove to me.”
“I know. I’m proving it to that bastard Horach and the rest of your family. Now hold my hand and walk with me or sit this one out.”
Skyler took the first step into the fire with Kole at her side. She closed her eyes, heeding her witch trainer’s instructions.
Kole merged with the inferno. His animus demon body absorbed the flames. The flames absorbed his body. He was in no danger. His fiery arms reached out as if prepared to sweep Skyler into them and carry her away.
But there was no need. The blaze stopped inches from her feet. She floated above it while it danced off her shimmering pale skin.
Skyler imagined the icebergs she had visited on Darque. Their cool purity. Their frigid beauty. Their silent vigil in the Frozen Northlands. The icy terrain was beneath her, solid. In her mind, snow fell around her, the flakes settling on her eyelashes, her arms, her gown. She glided forward, traipsing from ice floe to ice floe.
The moment she exited the bed of coals unscathed, the crowd roared, none louder than the Firebrands who whooped and hollered, their fists punching into the air to honor her.
Kole scooped her into his massive arms. “You did it. How?”
“Witch classes. Long hours with a bossy but patient teacher. Did you think I would let you down?”
“Never. You always amaze me, Frisca. You always will. Forever.”
As stunned as the rest of the onlookers, Horach stumbled over the final words of the Settling. “Iunc esta.So ends the public ceremony. Go to your chamber. With the last act complete, you will truly be mated.”
Kole clasped Skyler’s palm to his heart, leading her along the hall into the mating room where a humongous bed dominated the space. Off to the side was a table with two bottles of oil. One red. One blue. Each a different shape.
When Kole removed Skyler’s glittery veil of jewels, his breath hitched. He unfastened her frosty white gown, slid it off her shoulders, down her hips, and let it puddle on the floor. His hands traced the silky underclothing from her breasts to her hips. “You are beautiful. And mine.”
Skyler slipped off the camisole and panties to stand naked in front of her mate. “You are mine.” She spread Kole’s robe apart, letting her fingers slide up his thick chest, across his broad shoulders, down his arms, his biceps flinching.
Kole pointed to the bed, his voice raspy. “On your stomach, Frisca.” His thick fingers curled around the blue bottle meant for Skyler.
She rested a cheek on her arms, closing her eyes, breathing in the scents of lavender, sandalwood, vanilla, cinnamon, and jasmine. She listened to the faint sound of oil dripping into Kole’s palms. His warm hands coasted across her shoulders, pressing into the base of her neck. They glided down her back. Kole massaged her ass, applying pressure, which sent a tingling sensation straight to her core. Then he moved to the backs of her thighs.
Delightful.
