“It’s perfect,” I stammer. “Ariadne, you’re a genius. Thank you.”
She won’t meet my eyes but mutters, “You are very welcome. As for the other gowns, I’m afraid I have only this selection of material in my stores.”
I flip through the small collection of fabric swatches. None is as beautiful as what I’m wearing, but I choose a dozen different options, more than I actually need.
“Can you make half of these with pants for riding?” I ask.
She smiles, finally lifting her gaze to mine. “That’s a request I’ve never encountered before.” She pulls out a pad of paper and sketches a quick design. She shows it to me. Pants and a tank top are camouflaged by a long, belted top layer that mimics the style of the dresses I’ve seen Nevina wear. “This is perfect.”
She nods but her face falls. “For the dresses, undergarments, shoes and accessories, it will be expensive.”
“How much?”
“Twelve thousand quill.”
“For all of them?”
She nods.
“Give me one moment.”
I pull the curtain back. The second Damien sees me, he smokes at the edges like he’s coming apart. He’s in front of me in an instant, his deep inhale filling my ear as his lips brush over my neck. “Little bird, you look achingly beautiful in that dress.”
“Thank you.” I allow my lips to brush his before placing my hand on his cheek. “Ariadne says it will be twelve thousand quill for this and the others I’ve ordered. Is that too much?”
Slowly, without taking his eyes off me, he shakes his head. There’s a clinking sound. He looks away only long enough to drop twelve large gold coins into Ariadne’s hand.
“Very well, sir,” she says, bowing deeply at the waist. “I’ll send a trunk to the castle in a few days’ time.”
“Thank you.” He lifts one of my arms, and I twirl in place. “You’ve truly outdone yourself with this piece.”
“Well, that one, I had ready. It was the last I designed for Nyx.”
Damien does a double take and then looks again at the dress, his expression more serious. “It suits her,” he manages, although his voice is thick.
“I agree,” Ariadne chimes softly.
“Can I talk to you outside for a moment?” I whisper.
He nods, and we say our goodbyes to Ariadne, who watches us go with an expression that I can only interpret as one part pain and two parts gratefulness.
Only when we’re back at the rabble beasts do I gently explain what happened.
“She drank your blood?” He seems truly alarmed.
“I’m okay.”
“I don’t like anyone treating you as prey.”
“She’s starving. She couldn’t help it. Everyone in this village is.”
I sigh. “I suspected as much after my visit to the general store. The man who worked there seemed thin but healthy. He implied he couldn’t leave the village but wouldn’t explain why. He acted as if I should know. If everyone here is hungry, why can’t they hunt?”
“Ariadne wouldn’t tell me much either, other than that their condition is not caused by the wasting disease. I think she was afraid. But she suggested that the queen had something to do with it. What if there’s a policy or a law that’s keeping them from feeding themselves?”
A storm brews behind Damien’s eyes. He hands me his rabble beast’s reins and a few gold coins from his bag. “Take these quills to the tavern.”
“What are you going to do?”
