I hated that even in this, I couldn’t focus solely on the man by my side.
“It’s true.” The low, seductive rumble of his voice sunk through my bones, making me shiver. “Areyou tame, or do youneed taming, my pretty bride?” Leaning close, he nibbled on my ear.
Heat flashed through me, centering between my legs where Ithrobbed. It was all I could do to think. All I could do to breathe. How could he light me on fire so easily when last night . . . I would not allow myself to think about last night. Merrick was my husband. It was right to respond to his touch.
“What would you prefer I call you instead of fawn?” he asked in a voice that made me want to drop onto a bed and let him devour me.
I shrugged, the only response I could drum up while my brain whirled.
He tugged on one of my strands of hair left dangling. “You're fiery. Passionate. Shall I call you blaze?”
Please, no.
“Firestorm?' Leaning away from me, his eyes lit. “I know what it should be, and I love it. I'll call youwildfire.”
My hands shook, and I darted my gaze to the deck.
“It fits, don't you think?” His light tone told me he'd decided and that was that. I was stuck with the name I adored as much as I hated it.
“Why that name in particular?” What kind of cruel game were the fates playing with me?
“Your hair. Your spirit. You’re fiery.”
“Then call me fiery.”
His smile widened. “No, I think it needs to be wildfire.”
Of course. Of course. Leave it to him to pick the same nickname Lore had branded me with.
I gave him a weak smile. “It's nice.”
“Nice?” He laughed, the sound tickling across my skin.
“You could call me Reyla. It’s my real name.” The one my mother had given me herself.
“I love pet names, don't you? Since we're growing closer, I want to use something that's personal for us alone. If you don't like it, I'll think of something else,” he added with a touch of concern.
I pushed for a smile. “No, it's fine. Thank you. I love it.” No, no, I didn’t, but how could I tell him this was the name Lore used as well?
“Perfect, then.” He kissed the side of my neck before turning to lean against the rail.
Someone wearing a cloak hurried up one of the streets, leaving the pier. Lore running away?
Actually, I was the one who should run.
My gaze swept across the sprawling city that was more compact and populated than the village around Bledmire, my only experience with a fae court. “To answer your question, your city is grand. Majestic.” Cobblestone streets wound between the three-story, slab stone and mortar buildings and even early in the morning, merchants pushed carts or moved them through the air with magic, most making their way to a central area where they must set up a market each day. From what I could see from here, the buildings looked neat and well-maintained. Those living here had wealth. There wasn’t a scrambled-together structure in sight, like in some of the villages I’d defended from the back of a dragon.
Colorful flags and banners fluttered in the sea breeze from the fronts of most of the homes and even from a few rooftops.
A skinny man who’d had too much to drink lurched along the pier, near the wall, his clothing ragged and with a bottle and cup in his hands. When someone came near, he thrust out the cup. People ignored him, scooting past without looking back.
The hills beyond the city rolled gently upward, growing in height with each, and grand manors dotted the tops, their metal roofs sparkling in the sunshine. Enormous, colorful gardens added a touch of whimsy to the landscape. They’d built on the hills for the best view of the shimmering sea below.
But it was the enormous structure looming above them like a bird of prey that caught and held my eye. The stone castle dominated the skyline, its multiple spires reaching toward the stars. A marvel of architecture and magic, its walls gleamed in the sunlight.
“What’s the history of the castle?” I asked.
Farris sat beside me, staring through a gap in the rail, appearing as curious as me about our new home.
