Page 96 of A Kingdom of Magic and Rain

The walls around my heart shuddered. “I don’t know what the future will bring. Why don’t we take it one day at a time?”

“Of course.” A tentative smile spread on his face. “Are you ready to go?”

“I am.”

“I need to glimmer us somewhere first. May I?” He lifted his hand.

When I nodded, he gently clasped my forearm. After a brief magical conveyance was complete, we stood in a flat, open field. The castle lay a considerable distance away to my left. To my right sat what looked like a wicker basket, only it was tall and spacious enough to fit a couple of people inside.

“What is that?” I asked Adrian as excitement surged.

He replied with a word in Stellian that I wasn’t familiar with.

Cued by my puzzled expression, he explained, “The literal translation is ‘a balloon filled with air’. Let me show you.” He let go of my forearm, and together we walked closer to the curious contraption. “We’ll ride in the basket. It’s attached to the envelope, which is the balloon part.” He pointed to the long stretch of lightweight, tightly woven material laid out in a line extending from the basket. “I’ll inflate the envelope with my magic until it rises above the basket and eventually lifts the basket off the ground.”

“We’re going to fly?” I breathed in awe.

“We are.” He beamed at me. “You’re going to see your domain from a bird’s eye view.”

“Is it safe?” I asked, even though nothing he could say would deter me from going for a ride in the balloon.

“It is. Let me help you get inside. Do you see that built-in opening on the side of the basket? Place one foot in it and then swing your leg over the edge, much like mounting a horse.”

For a moment, I wished I were wearing leggings under my dress for modesty, but I quickly shook off the silly thought. Adrian and I were the only ones here, and he had already seen my bare body. Still, my cheeks flushed as I stepped into the hole with one foot and grabbed onto the padded, leather-covered rim of the basket. Adrian’s hands gripped my waist for support, which only added to my already flustered state. Acutely aware of his proximity, I hiked one leg up and swung it over the edge. When I did so, my skirts rode up to my hips. Now, I wasn’t the only one flustered. Adrian’s fingers flexed on my waist as he made a sound low in his throat. Fighting a smirk of satisfaction, I lowered myself into the basket with his help. He climbed in next, effortlessly swinging himself over the rim.

“Now that we’re inside, I’ll start inflating the balloon,” he said as he extended his arm toward the long line of fabric. The air rippled slightly in front of his outstretched hand, and a few seconds later, the envelope started to grow and expand. “I’m using cold air to get it partially inflated, and then I’ll switch to hot air to make it rise above the basket.”

I watched in wonder as he did what he had described until the navy balloon floated above us.

“Will you have to use your powers for the duration of the flight?” I asked, looking up.

“No. Do you see those things directly above the basket that look like two oil lamps? I’ll conjure fire in them, and they’ll continuously heat the air in the balloon to keep it afloat.”

“Fascinating,” I murmured, lowering my gaze to him.

“Ready?” he asked with a twinkle in his eye.

“I think so?” Still facing him, I grabbed onto one of the four vertical leather-covered poles that connected the basket to the envelope.

To my surprise, the lift-off was smooth, as if the ground was simply moving away beneath us. My grip on the pole relaxed as Adrian created fire in the two burners between the basket and the envelope, and the balloon began its gradual ascent.

“Are you hungry?” he asked. “I brought a small basket with fruit and cheese. There’s also wine.”

“I’d love some wine, please,” I said, hoping that a drink would soothe my nerves. I wasn’t nervous about the flight, but rather about the less-than-appropriate memories that were trying to break free with Adrian so close to me.

“Sebastian looked happy. He and Miri make a beautiful couple,” he said as he poured a glass of wine and handed it to me.

“They do.” I smiled as I accepted the drink. “He’s going to propose.”

“That’s wonderful to hear.” He was also smiling now.

“It is. He realizes that, as a Fae, Miri will far outlive him, and he wants to soak up as much time with her as his human life span will allow.”

His smile faded at my words, and he averted his gaze, focusing on his hands as he poured a glass of wine for himself.

I took a sip of my drink and cleared my throat. “What about Thea and Tom? I can’t help but feel like there might be a hint of romance between them?”

Adrian took a sip from his glass as he rested his lower back against the rim of the basket. “I think Tom has feelings for her.”