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She turned to me. “What color should I try next?”
I blinked and turned to Riven. He was dressed in his usual black garb and my own clothes were dark enough to be mistaken for it. “I would trust Nikolai’s judgment with that.”
Nikolai gave me a sideways smirk and squeezed my hand before disappearing behind the mirror to fetch something from the racks of clothes.
“Are you adjusting well?” I asked Fyrel, trying to keep my tone light. “Is there anything you or the others need?”
Fyrel continued to stare at herself in the mirror. Her hair fell around her shoulders as she swayed. “Everyone has been very kind. Yesterday, Lash and Gerarda taught us how to use the vines and climb the Myram by faelight.” She turned to me. “We wereflying.”
I laughed and fixed the back pleat of her robe. “Did you choose a room in the lower city or the groves?”
Fyrel rolled her eyes. “Who would refuse a chance to sleep amongst the stars?” She glimpsed Riven in the mirror and stilled. “Gerarda told me that you’re the Shadow.”
Riven’s jaw fell slack to the side. “I’m sure that’s not all she said.”
Fyrel shook her head. “She also said that you did it to rescue Halflings and bring them here. Just like you did with us.”
Riven’s face fell into a soft smile and he nodded. “And I won’t stop until they are all free.”
Fyrel straightened at those words. “I will help.” She peered up at him and the swirling cloud of shadows behind him. “And you should know I don’t find you that gloomy at all.”
Riven’s smile fell to a flat line as I burst out laughing.
His shadows twisted around the end of my braid and gave it a playful tug just as Nikolai appeared with a bright clementine dress. Fyrel’s eyes went wide as she beheld the silks. “Now this is a dressfit for a young warrior.” He hung it behind a red curtain and nodded for Fyrel to change. “Be mindful of those pins.”
She scurried inside without protest. Nikolai wrapped his arms around me and lifted me off the ground in a big spin. I would have laughed but his squeeze was too strong. “Are you well?” he whispered as he put me down.
“Well enough.” I gestured to the entire hall. “Where did all these clothes come from?”
Nikolai rocked back on his feet. “Donations. Feron had a lot of older robes stored in Aralinth from Elverin who have passed. He thought this was the perfect occasion to bring them out of hiding.” Nikolai grazed a wistful hand along a hanging silk.
I laughed. “You’re enjoying this.”
“Too much,” Riven quipped.
Nikolai ignored him. “Hard not to when everyone is having a great time. All the Shades have filled their closets and then some.” His face dropped for a single moment.
I raised a brow. “Except …”
Nikolai pointed across the hall with his chin. On the farthest platform stood Gerarda, who had a miserable look on her face as Elaran held up what seemed to be another rejected shirt. I turned to the pile of pinned clothes that were strewn across a stool next to Nikolai.
“Who is hemming these?”
Nikolai took a deep breath. “Feron. He has a group of Elverin in his chambers.”
I turned to Riven. “Can you bring these to him? I’m going to try to …” I trailed off and just pointed in Gerarda’s general direction.
Riven looked relieved to have a reason to leave the hall and all its color. He gave us both a quick nod and carried the garments across both arms.
I slowly approached Gerarda. Dynara came by with a handful of dresses and long robes but Gerarda instantly refused. “No dresses. And I prefer trousers to robes.”
Elaran shot Dynara an apologetic look. Dynara sighed but smiled when she noticed me. “I didn’t think the Dagger would be more stubborn than the Blade, but I’ve been proven wrong.”
I chuckled under my breath. “We’ve been butting heads for almost sixty years.”
“I heard that,” Gerarda called from her podium.
I smirked. “You can still wear black if that’s the problem.”
