Aelia made it to the hatch and twisted the lever with a screech that made them both wince. With her heart racing, she pushed it open as carefully as she could before peeking her head through.
“It’s a changing room.” Aelia twisted her neck round to peer past the hatch door to make sure the room truly was empty. She wrinkled her nose at the damp smell that permeated the darkness. “A really old changing room.”
Shiva punched the air and let out a quiet whoop. “That’s how it’s fuckingdone.”
Aelia rolled her eyes and pulled herself up into the room.
“I take it this is where we were meant to end up, then.” The Inner City was meant to be the height of luxury, the physical embodiment of the Dragon's wealth and power. Aelia spun slowly on her heel to take in the filthy, derelict changing room with pursed lips. This was not at all what she’d imagined.
Shiva grunted as he climbed out of the hatch, jumping to his feet and looking around with a smug smile.
“Ready to be impressed?” he wiggled his eyebrows at her.
“More so than I am now?” she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Impossible.”
He strolled to the door and scrambled around in the dim light.
“What are you looking for?” She peered over to him, not able to see past his back.
“You’ll see.”
With a satisfied grunt, he reached up, standing on his toes to strike the flint he’d found against the wall. It took a few attempts, but finally sparks flew and flames erupted in a shallowtrench near the ceiling, snaking around the room until they ate their own tail.
“Admit it, that’s pretty impressive,” Shiva smirked.
“How?” Aelia gasped, turning to follow the ring of fire that sat in a gentle lip well above head height, encircling the whole room.
“Oil. The whole city is lit with it. And that’s not even the best part.” He crossed the room and put his hand around something on the wall. Aelia’s eyes opened wide when she realised what it was. “Get ready to love me.”
He turned the tap and dove out of the way of the water that sputtered from the rusty head in the ceiling.
“Oh, thank the gods.” Aelia nearly stripped off right then and there, desperate to get under the pouring water. She’d never felt so unclean in her life.
“Uh, did the gods make sure there were clean clothes here? It’s me you should be thanking.”
Aelia tore her eyes from the shower to look at where he stood in front of a wall of lockers, holding two tightly wrapped leather bags. She could have hugged him, honestly, truly could have hugged him.
“I thought if Fenrir and I held them up high, we could keep the worst of the filth of the sewers off them.” He chucked one of the bags at her. “Means yours might be a bit big, but beggars can’t be choosers.”
Aelia snatched the bag from the air and looked at it in wonder.
“You really were trying to save him.” She turned the bag over in her hands, opening it wide enough to see the black uniform of the Astraea tucked neatly inside. She frowned.
“It’s all I could get my hands on,” Shiva explained, reading her confusion. “But it works out well for us now. It’ll make it that much easier to get to the cells they’re keeping Keeran in.”
“You know how to get there, too?”
“It’s the same place they were keeping Fenrir. I mean, I’ve only seen it on maps, but I think I can get us there.”
Aelia took a deep, shaky breath as she looked at Shiva anew. He smiled back at her, and it held none of the snarky arrogance she was used to.
“No one uses these rooms anymore, but we still need to be quick. You shower first, just come out when you’re ready, and I’ll swap with you.” Shiva turned and made for the door.
He was just about to disappear through it when Aelia stopped him.
“Thank you, Shiva,” she said.
He just smiled and nodded before ducking out of the room. Aelia stared after him for a moment, until her gaze was caught by the flames once more. An idea sparked to life at the sight of them, and she smiled as she stepped forward to have the most thorough shower of her life.
