Page 36 of Taken By Shadows

“Before the war.” Audrie was busy now picking up my discarded clothes from the night before.

Before the war.

“But that was over two hundred years ago?”

“Mm-hmm.” Audrie sniffed a sock and winced as she held it aloft, far away from her.

Kaedian was over 200 years old? No wonder his magic was like an extension of him. He’d had two centuries to perfect it. He didn’t need to think about it. He used his magic so easily.

I was about to blurt out a slew of questions off the back of that deluge of information, but another knock at the door cut me off.

Audrie had bounded to the door as if we’d not just been talking. A butterfly caught on a breeze.

“Oh. It’s you.”

I didn’t know who she was expecting, but she sounded disappointed. Or just less excited.

Gavrin stood on the other side of the door. Shirt closed, mostly.

“And how old are you?” I jabbed the question at Gavrin. Was he some two-hundred-year-old fae too?

“What?” His quizzical look was a bit disarming.

“What do you want? We were busy.” Audrie pushed her chin out as she spoke.

Were we?

The dismissive tenor of Audrie’s little voice was something to behold. But more so, the way Gavrin shut up and stammered for an answer.

“Well? What do you want?” The tap, tap, tap of her tiny slipper on the wooden floor was comical.

Finally, he found his words. “He wants to see her.” Gavrin flicked his eyes to me. “Both of you, actually.” He straightened his shoulders as he looked to Audrie. “And I’m—” He cleared his throat. “To escort you.”

Audrie flung a hand back. “She’s naked. We can’t go yet.”

I blushed.

Gavrin chucked a laugh to the ceiling. “I don’t think Kaed will mind that.”

“Wait outside.” Audrie shut the door in his face, and his laughing ceased.

I gathered up my leathers from yesterday. They were a little stiff, and Audrie’s wince hadn’t been exaggerated. They weren’t particularly fresh.

I ducked behind a privacy screen to dress.

“Here.” A hand appeared, holding a crystal bottle with pink-coloured liquid inside. It shimmered as Audrie shook it. “Here.” She pushed. “It will help.”

I tapped out a few drops of the sweet scent onto my neck and wrists.

That crystal liquid certainly managed to mask something. But it was heavy and cloying. Like candied cherries stuffed in my nostrils. But at least that was what it would do for anyone unfortunate enough to pass by me before I could find a tub.

I came back around the screen and handed Audrie the bottle. Which she opened and dumped another few splashes on me.

A series of coughs cascaded from both of us at the noxious smells now suffocating us.

“Everything all right in there?” Gavrin’s voice broke something in me, and I laughed.

A lot.