Yes?
Ruhn went still at the faint female voice. Light glowed down the bridge, and then there she was.
A female of pure flame. Or that was how she chose to appear. Not how Lehabah had been made of flame, with her body visible, but rather a female cloaked in it, only a flash of a bare wrist or an ankle or a shoulder through the veil. She was humanoid, but that was all he could glean. She looked like one of the radical sun-priests who’d gone rogue and immolated themselves to be close to their god.
Who are you? he asked.
Who are you? she challenged. Not one hint of her face.
I asked first.
Her flame flared, as if in annoyance. But she said, The little black dog sleeps soundly on a wool blanket.
Ruhn blew out a breath. There it was—the code phrase Cormac had given him to confirm her identity. He said, And the gray tabby cleans her paws by the light of the moon.
Utter nonsense.
But she said, I’m Agent Daybright, in case that wasn’t clear enough. Now … you are?
Ruhn peered down at himself, swearing. He hadn’t thought to hide his body—
But he found only a form of night and stars, galaxies and planets. As if his silhouette had been filled by them. He lifted a hand, finding not skin but the starry blanket of the sky covering his fingers. Had his mind instinctively shielded him? Or was this what he was, deep below the skin? Was this fire-being standing thirty feet down the mental bridge what she was, deep below her own skin? Or fur, he supposed.
She could be a faun or a satyr. Or a witch or a shifter. Or an Asteri, as Cormac had suggested. Maybe the fire was that of the holy star in her.
She merely stood there, burning. Well?
Her voice was beautiful. Like a golden song. It stirred his Fae soul, made it perk up. I, ah … I hadn’t gotten that far yet.
She angled her head with what seemed like predatory intent. They sent a novice?
A chill skittered down his spine. She certainly spoke like one of the Asteri, regal and aloof. She looked over her shoulder. As if back toward the body connected to her mind.
Ruhn said, Look, Agent Silverbow gave me this crystal, but had no idea if it could even work on a mind-to-mind level. So I wanted to attempt to make contact and let you know I’m here and this is the new mode of communication. So if it’s an emergency, I don’t need to waste time figuring out how to get in touch.
That’s fine.
He surveyed her again. So, we trust each other that easily, then? He couldn’t stop his taunting question. You’re not at all worried the crystal fell into the wrong hands and the code phrases were compromised?
Agents of the Asteri don’t bumble about so much.
Damn. I’ll try harder to impress you the next time.
Another soft laugh. You already have, Agent Night.
Did you just give me a code name? Night and Daybright. Night and Day—he liked that.
I figured I’d spare you the trouble of trying to invent something interesting. She turned back to her end of the bridge, flame flowing in her wake.
No messages for me to pass along? He didn’t dare say Cormac’s name. Anything about the Spine?
She kept walking. No. But tell your commander that safe passage is granted under the cover of the waning moon.
Ruhn bristled. Like Hel was Cormac his commander. I don’t know what that means.
You’re not supposed to. But Agent Silverbow will. And tell him I much prefer this method of communicating.
Then Daybright and her flame winked out, and Ruhn was alone.
“Why not tell me Agent Daybright was a female?” Ruhn asked Cormac the next morning, standing in his living room and gulping down his second cup of coffee, Flynn lounging beside him. He’d messaged his cousin to come here under the guise of wanting to discuss the terms of Bryce’s engagement. Thankfully, his cousin hadn’t needed much more than that before arriving.
Cormac shrugged, his gray T-shirt lightly coated in sweat, presumably from the scorching walk over here. “I thought you might share your father’s outdated views that females should not be in the line of danger and balk at putting her at risk.”
“Does anything I’ve ever done indicate I’d feel that way?”
“You’re protective of your sister to a fault.” Cormac frowned. “Did you see Daybright?”
“She appeared humanoid, cloaked in flame. I couldn’t see anything, really.”
“Good. I’m assuming you veiled yourself, too.”
Only by pure dumb luck. “Yeah.”
Cormac paced in front of the TV. “But she said nothing of Sofie?”
Ruhn hadn’t even thought to ask. Guilt twisted in his gut. “No.”