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And I could have fought the impulse to inch closer to the impossibly comforting warmth of his body sleeping beside me in the hours I’d lain awake listening to his breathing long after I’d finally given in.
But I didn’t.
Refusing to indulge in my own self-loathing, I instead focused on whatever was being said in the hall. Straining my ears, I could still only make out every third word or so. The tone, however, was urgent. Angry. I stiffened. Had something happened?
“Get dressed,” Scion said abruptly, slamming the door.
I peeked over my shoulder. “If I’d been sleeping, that would have been a terrible way to wake me up.”
“I knew you were awake.” He rolled his eyes as he strode over to the chair in the corner where his armor was neatly stacked. “I can hear the difference in your breathing.”
I shook my head slightly, having been momentarily distracted by all the hard planes of muscle before me. “I suppose I should just call myself lucky that I am still breathing at all, trapped in here with you all night.”
He gave me a long, searching look, his mouth slightly ajar, and I could almost feel the tension that hung in the air, but he only said, “Dress quickly. I’ll wait for you in the hall.”
I wasn’t sure why I felt slightly guilty as the door slammed behind him.
* * *
I took far longerthan I would have liked to redress myself in the same clothing as yesterday.
Finally, I managed to tie the straps of my dress into something resembling a corset, tight enough that it hardly mattered that I could not manage to find the sleeves. I sighed. The dress now covered about as much as my blanket had last night, and yet I was now about to walk into a room filled with strangers. If we were going to stay for two more days, I would need some additional clothing. Even as a servant, I hadn’t been forced to wear the same filthy clothing for days on end. No, that sort of thing was only for days spent in dungeon cells, and if I was not meant to be a prisoner, I deserved to at least bathe and wear fresh undergarments.
Resolving to tell Scion this as soon as I readied myself, I made my way to the bathing room and looked in the small mirror. I winced. My hair—wild on the best of days—had reached a size three times larger than my head.
It was times like these that I was reminded how much I missed my sister, as she would have teased me relentlessly before taming the nest. I had no extraordinary skill with braiding but managed something simple that at least kept the curls at bay, then darted out into the hall.
Scion leaned against the wall outside the door, waiting with his arms crossed and one ankle thrown over the other. He looked up at me through his long, dark eyelashes. “Ready?”
“Yes,” I mumbled. “You know, if we’re going to be staying long, I’ll need something else to wear.”
I expected him to argue or at least ask questions, but he only gave a curt nod. “I’d rather see you out of that dress, anyway.”
I glanced down at the mulberry gown. I would give him that it was now dirty, and I’d tied the straps far worse than Thalia had done, but I’d thought it looked nice yesterday. That was, before it was ruined by being practically dragged through the street. “Forgive me if I do not take your advice on clothing, my lord. If I did, I’d find myself dressed for mourning every day of my life.”
He looked down at his all-black attire and scowled. “You and Bael both with your…colors. This is practical.”
I grinned. “Practically morbid.”
He cocked his head at me. “Was that a joke or an insult? I can never tell with you.”
My lips tipped down, turning back into a flat line. I wasn’t sure, and pointing it out had ruined the moment. Anyway, he was far worse when it came to insults than I was.
I was saved from having to respond as an enormous blue-black raven swooped out of the still-open door behind me and landed hard on my shoulder. I winced, ducking, when his talons dug into the bare skin of my shoulder. “Ow!”
Quill dug his talons harder into my skin and cocked his head at me, blinking slowly. He opened his wide, black beak and let out a croak of greeting.“Hello, you.”
“Yes, yes, hello,” I said to the bird, still somewhat annoyed as my shoulder smarted with pain. “Let go of me.”
Scion raised an eyebrow as the bird tittered, pecking at my hair. “He’s never that affectionate with anyone.”
“Yes,” I grumbled, dipping a bit at the weight on my shoulder. “So I’ve heard. Could you…” I trailed off, gesturing helplessly at the raven, which was at least a third of my size, perhaps more.
The prince put out an arm, and the raven jumped to land on him instead, where at least his bulk was somewhat better distributed. I ducked with the force of his takeoff. While I liked the raven quite a bit, I’d only carried him around when the statement outweighed the…well,weight.
“When did he arrive?” I asked, massaging my arm.
“He’s been circling the city,” Scion answered shortly as he shifted Quill from his forearm to his shoulder, where the bird fluttered its wings briefly before settling down. “If I do not wish to be recognized, Quill must remain unseen. There are many who may not know my face but would remember the raven.”
