We were in a large mudroom lined with metal shelves on one side. I spotted bagu shoes and coats, some looking warm enough for winter, some clearly just raincoats, snowshoes, and several pairs of skis. We really were out in nature, then. I wasn’t sure I liked that.
“My mate doesn’t want another,” Inkiri said. He definitely sounded smug. “He made sure everyone heard when he took my barb not an hour ago.” Well, weirdo-husband-who-liked-to-embarrass-me smug, but smug all the same.
Nokim huffed. “I didn’t even mean to join your senfesmen. I’m simply so happy that he saved my life all over again. I’m grateful.” His blue eyes focused on mine, then he grinned. “He also explained to me that banana bread is awesome, and Charles agrees, so that’s good.”
Lissir tilted his head. “I cannot argue with the quality of your banana bread.”
Lissir’s fiery eyes darted over me as if he wanted to make sure I was back to normal, but when I did the same to him, I noticed marks on his bluish gray skin.
“Hey, are you okay?” I pointed to a scab on his left hand, and he looked down and lifted his arm so the friendship bracelet on his wrist jingled.
“Yes, it’s nothing. Fellisse finally let me take the bandage off only this morning.”
I took a step toward him. “That happened in Esaka, right? I… Sorry. I ruined one of the new shirts you got me.”
Lissir reached for my hand, his brows arched. “You cannot be serious. Nokim took a bullet to the chest, and through your magic, you saved him from dying. Again. Yet, you are sorry about a shirt?”
“Was a nice shirt,” I mumbled.
The three bagua around me fell silent for a heartbeat, but then they all started clicking at me.
“We’re all soaking together, yes?” Lissir asked, and that seemed to be that.
“Yes,” Inkiri said. “Our stay with Donna, short though it was, has been interesting. Oh, Sadir, she suggested I make you some tea?”
I wondered whether tea would get me out of the communal soaking. I had a hunch that it wouldn’t.
“We can do tea later. Or some nice coffee, maybe.”
Nokim bounced on his feet. “I’ve been experimenting with toffee syrup. Is Donna well? We promised to help her with getting to Dublin.”
Inkiri nodded. “Yes. She asked for all of us to come visit.” My smug mate seemed to grow that much smugger. “I think Rory impressed her.”
Lissir put a hand on his hip. “He is very impressive for someone so small in stature.”
“Delicate,” Inkiri said.
I cleared my throat. Part of me wanted to change the subject, but then, wouldn’t a trophy mate be delicate? “Ink met Donna’s chicken. Hit it off right away.”
We headed deeper into the house, following Fellisse and Kinnek.
Nokim hummed. “I remember Donna’s chicken. It pecked Vergis in the foot.”
So the two of them had a history. That made sense.
The lintels and ceilings in the house were high enough that none of my guys had to duck or hunch over while they walked. It was pretty spacious too, with honey-colored wooden floorboards and white wallpaper.
Given that the ceiling height reminded me of the hotel in Esaka, the bare walls surprised me, but then we rounded a corner.
My mouth fell open. “Wow.”
“Charles said Kinnek did the walls,” Lissir said. “As well as all the other paintings in the house, of which there are many.”
I’d been impressed by the hotel, but this was, without a doubt, even more stunning. The wallpaper’s white faded into the colors of Aër. At the far end, I could see sunset pinks and purples, and three moons shimmering like pearls in the sky, but at this end, flowers bloomed and a silent river looked so realistic that I could almost hear its gurgling.
Nokim leaned over Lissir’s shoulder and pointed at a bird sitting on a tree branch, copper feathers splayed and beak open as if it were about to sing.
“Rory, do you recognize this one?”
