Reyla stepped away from me. Her hand snapped up, latching onto Delaine’s wrist, halting it before Delaine made impact. A quick sweep of her leg, and Delaine’s body was ripped out from beneath her. She fell hard on the floor.
Reyla had always been better at hand-to-hand combat than Delaine. But we’d grown up at the fortress, wrangling with each other on a regular basis. We’d trained all the time. Delaine was a latecomer, and it was clear from the start that she’d been pampered. She tried in all her classes; I’d give that to her. And our instructors had molded her into a decent enough fighter. But it was clear to anyone who watched her for more than a moment that she wasn’t a product of a lifetime in the fortress.
“Ladies. Ladies.” Brenna placed herself between Reyla and Delaine. She held her hand out to Delaine to help her up while glaring at Reyla. “You. Leave my suite this instant. Ladies do not behave in such a demeaning manner.”
Reyla swallowed hard, and her gaze met mine.
I nudged my head toward the door, hoping she read the promise in my eyes. I’d look for her soon, and we would talk.
She gave me a tiny nod before striding to the door with astiff spine that deflated when she reached out for the handle. I suspected by the time she reached the hallway, her eyes would appear dull again. She’d slink through the castle like a ghost, ensuring everyone believed she was still a drained Nullen.
“You should dismiss her permanently,” Delaine wailed, striding over to join me and Brenna. “Look what she did. Look what she did!” She pointed at her nose that beamed bright red and was puffy already.
“I’m sure the swelling will go down,” I said. “The bright color will fade. Kerune won’t even notice.”
“You.” Delaine’s hands rose, and she stalked toward me.
“Delaine.” Brenna gasped. “What are you doing? Have all my ladies gone wild?” She flicked her hands toward us both. “Leave my presence, both of you. You’ve been at each other from the moment you arrived this morning. I don’t want to see you back here until you’re prepared to behave in a polite manner toward each other.”
That was fine by me. I was no lady’s maid. Give me a blade in my hand, a dragon beneath me, and the thirst for blood in my heart, and I was a happy woman.
I dipped a curtsy Brenna’s way. “Would you like me to return later to help you dress in a day gown?”
Drask bobbed forward along with me, my cute guy.
“I can do it myself,” she said stiffly. “I’m not completely useless.”
“I can’t believe you’re sending us away,” Delaine cried. Were her tears fake or generated because of the pain in her nose? I didn’t care. If I didn’t have to serve Brenna, I could work in theaerie. I had more value than lying beneath Vexxion, thank you very much, Delaine.
“Very well,” I said sweetly, dipping a smile toward Delaine. “I’ll see you prior to dinner, then, my lady?” I tossed the last out to Brenna just in case.
“Yes,” Brenna said. “Evening gowns are much too complex for me to don on my own, let alone managing my bath, make-up, and hair. Please, do not bring back that bird with you when you come, Tempest. It’s a menace.”
He was a sweet boy, but I was so happy to have Reyla back, I could let this go.
With that, I left, scurrying down the hall to avoid the wrath of Delaine. If she chased me, I didn’t see her as I made my way through the back halls of the castle to Reyla’s door. She shared a room with three other collared Nullen women who worked in the castle.
When I knocked, she didn’t answer. I cracked the door open, but she wasn’t inside. Turning, I leaned against the wall and sighed. Where was she?
Well, I was going to find her, because my Reyla was back, and I needed to hug her again.
Now all we had to do was work on Brodine, and we could be a family again.
My eyes burning with tears, I bumped away from the wall. Drask bobbed along on my shoulder as I started down the hall again, weaving my way through the servant area, pausing periodically to listen for Reyla’s voice.
I couldn’t stop grinning.
And, because I was so happy, I stopped at paintings andreleased more creatures. Taking my cue from the pixies I’d freed in Ivenrail’s bedroom, I created mirror images of each I drew from the frames, leaving their fakes to mask the fact that the original had been released.
A troll-like person writhing alone on a craggy peak at the top of a steep hill slipped out after I cast my spell.
“Thank-ee,” he quipped. He stared up at me. “A favor for thee as thanks I give.”
Please, no more favors.
Before I could speak, he flicked his finger my way. Something odd jolted through me.
“What . . .” I wasn’t sure if I should thank him or not.
