The Burning Season by Belinda Burke

Author:Belinda Burke [Burke, Belinda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Totally Entwined Group Ltd
Published: 2015-05-22T05:00:00+00:00

Macsen almost sprang out of the wood just at the sight of Bran, but he saw enough to still him the moment after that. He was not the only one who had come looking for his lover. The thing that Macsen had wanted to prevent, he could see with his own eyes. Kas. My Bran. Anger and fear consumed him, remembering. Kas if you say a word—

There came a brightness that dimmed almost immediately into shadow, a swelling fire, compressed into dense coal. The Summer sun, immortal, eternal, was eclipsed to a bloody glow that spread outward like crawling fingers. The moon hung beside the half of the sun, a slender filament curved against the orange of the sky, a beacon of power—Bran’s power, summoned to a first breach of its full.

It was only an instant, a moment, before Summer twilight was dissolving into Summer noon as it should be, but still something of the feeling remained. Intangible, it faded into nothing as swiftly as it had come into existence, yet it remained in Macsen’s memory, clear and dark as if the world had not returned to its former shape. Bran, what power is in you?

Only one thing came to him, and it was Lumi’s word. Valravn. There had been subtle slaughters in that sense of Summer power, dark wings spread wide across the sun. There had always been more than fire in Bran—there had always been the ease of his comfort in the Red Kingdom’s night, even when the Winter cold oppressed him. But to hang the moon in the Summer sky, that was power like Macsen’s own. A king’s power. That was more than anything he’d suspected or seen in their time together. What had drawn that out of him?

Bran and the Black King were talking, but Macsen couldn’t hear, could see Bran clearly but only the shadow of Kas’ profile through the trees. He stepped closer and came through the undergrowth at the edge of the clearing in time to see Bran draw back his fist and drive it into Kas’ jaw. Kas staggered back, stumbled and almost fell, and Macsen smirked when Bran spoke and he could hear him this time, his voice low and hot with anger.

“I’ve owed you that, and more.” Shining, blistered, the imprint of Bran’s knuckles stood out against Kas’ skin. “Do you know what you did? Do you know what you almost broke, lying with those words? Lust and blood.” There was a growl in his voice, deep displeasure. Darkness flickered again at the edge of Summer’s sky, but did not overcome. “I don’t know what you want from me, or what Saoirse said, but—”

Kas rubbed his jaw and stepped closer again. “I wanted only to talk to you. The girl said that if I needed Macsen to listen, it was you I should talk to. If you don’t want me here, I’ll leave.”

“I don’t,” Bran answered bluntly. He shrugged. “But if you have something important to say, I’ll listen.”

Macsen could’ve sworn that Kas looked in his direction, but it was only for an instant.

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