“No, no, it’s fine.Thank you.”
“Thank me?”
“I mean, thank you for telling me.”
“Oh, aye.Sure.”
There was a silence.He rolled the liniment across his palmand began to apply it across a pair of bruises, just at the side of her breast.He kept his eyes firmly glued to the task.
“You know,” Zaria said, stretching herself like a cat, “Igotta say, Isaac, your massage islovely.You got me babblin’ like adrunk to a whore.”
“Am I the whore, then?”
She winked.
Isaac plucked a bone chip from deep in her armpit.“I couldstill kill you, you know.”
She broke into laughter.It quickly rose to a whoopingcackle, something so rough and unrestrained that it echoed down the streets andavenues below.
“I’m going to take that,” Isaac said, “as confidence in mygood nature.”
“Sure, love.Whatever you wish.”
“I could’ve mixed poison into this poultice, for all youknow.”
“Oh, such a marvelous killer, my squire.”
Isaac gave a small roll of his eyes, bending down to huntfor more chips of bone.“Well, I’m ...sorry that happened to you.”
“Yeah, well, so’s everyone I tell the story to.Doesn’tchange nothing.”
“No, but, regardless, I’m sorry.”
For a moment, the furred edge of her tail brushed againsthis leg, as if giving thanks.It brought the same fluttery feeling back to hischest.Isaac found himself simultaneously hating and hungering for thesensation.He rushed his way through the rest of the treatment, hoping that shedidn’t notice the shaking in his hand.
They spent the next few minutes in silence, which was brokenonly by her sighs of relief.
“Right,” he said, sitting up.He focused on repacking hisalchemy kit.“I’ve done the best I can, given the circumstance.Don’t fall on asword and you’ll probably avoid death.”
He made to stand.She grabbed his arm.
The fluttering exploded.
“Isaac,” she said, sitting up herself.“I’m sorry forfucking you.”
He blinked several times, completely startled.
“I am,” Zaria said, insisting.“I can’t help but joke aroundit, but I am.I am sorry.I wanna make that clear.”
“It’s—it’s fine.”
“Don’t you be polite on me.It ain’t fine.I took advantage,and I’m sorry.”She cleared her throat.“Your first time—you know, with awoman—it should’ve been something nice, and I’m sorry for taking that fromyou.”
A warm blush spread across his face.“You gave me a choice.I didn’t say no.”
“Well, you got the grace of a saint, then.I was mean aboutit.I wanted you to squirm.Got that in spades, was really cute, but still—”
“Zaria,” he said, more firmly.“It wasn’t bad.In fact, itwas—” He paused, searched his feelings, and the words came out before he couldstop them.“It was the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
