Flame and Sparrow (Flame and Sparrow Duology Book 1)

by S.M. Gaither

“What is it?” “It’s still strange to not see stars when I look up.” I pulled my gaze back down to his. “I’m not complaining, of course. You gave me a kind of sun, after all—the forgelight is more than enough.” He considered my words for a moment before slipping his hand from mine, a mischievous glint in his eyes. He stayed on the peak of the hill but put some space between us, summoning fire into his palms as he walked away. As I watched, huddling against the cold, he started to hurl handfuls of flame into the sky. The fireballs scattered as they flew upwards, breaking into droplets that moved more like liquid than fire until they were mere dots against the vast sky—about the size of distant stars—at which point they fixed in place. Over and over he did this, until there were more fiery stars hanging in the sky than I could count. Then he lifted his hand, made a sweeping gesture, and all at once the points flared brighter, bursting into bright shades of orange and red and white. They stayed in place and continued to sparkle even after he lowered his hand and turned his attention back to me. “Not exactly stars,” he mused, strolling to my side. “But the best I could do on short notice.”