With focused care, she removed the remaining patches and rinsed away the salve. Looking down, I blinked several times. The raw, bleeding wounds were replaced by flesh. It was tender and inflamed, but mercifully healed.
She had me lay back in the tub and emptied it out before the rich, sweet citrus scent of the freshly drawn bath calmed me in a deep, satisfying way, like water quenching the desert’s thirst.
I leaned my head back and almost moaned when her long, bony fingertips worked their magic along my scalp. Letting out a sigh of relief, I relaxed into what she offered.
Nevander’s footsteps crossed the tiled floor, and the door clicked closed.
“They fuss over you,” she said, and I could tell she wondered why.
“Yes. They do,” I said a bit dreamily, enjoying her pampering touch. If her hands were this deft, I was curious what the treatment would have been like if someone else had administered it and shuddered at the thought.
Seated before the vanity, I studied my reflection. The pallor had been replaced by a healthy flush in my cheeks, and somehow, despite everything, I felt…refreshed.
I caught the woman’s eye in the mirror as she brushed my hair. “What’s your name?” I asked.
“My name is Kai.” It was the softest I’d heard her speak.
“Thank you, Kai,” I said in earnest. She seemed to bristle at my gratitude, as if she weren’t used to such sentiments.
“Kai,” I said softly, “your skin is breathtaking. I didn’t know fae had such unique tones.” I marveled at its indescribable beauty.
I swore I saw a light blush bloom on her cheeks, or it would have if her coloring hadn’t obscured it.
“I amlesserfae,” she said, averting my eyes.
“Lesser fae?” I asked, not sure what she meant.
“That is what we are called, those who are not high fae,” she explained.
“What’s the difference?”
“Well, high fae look like you, and are blessed by the Mother with great power and strength.”
“And you’re not blessed with such things?”
“No.”
I wasn’t sure what to say. Lesser fae… I wondered what the societal implications were, if the distinction meant a divide in rank and status, or if it was a coincidence that she was a servant.
“The summer here is sweltering,” I said, changing the subject. “Back home, it’s not like this until well after solstice.”
She gave me a crooked smile, amusement dancing in her eyes. “As is our custom, the solstice is a celebration to venerate the Mother and our star, but summer is eternal in our land.”
I swiveled to face her. “Truly?” I asked, wide-eyed with wonder.
She turned my head back to the mirror, pinning another section of my hair up as she chuckled. “Truly.”
Kai continued putting me together piece by piece, eventually outlining my eyes in black and sweeping a rich eggplant purple across my lids, which contrasted with the delicate shimmering pink she’d applied to my lips that bordered on nude.
My breath caught as she held out the dress—I hadn’t seen this one before, and excitement bloomed in me at the prospect of wearing it.
Now ready, I beheld the dress in the mirror’s reflection.The top of the two-piece set was a skintight, dusty-purple nylon that could almost be described as a bodysuit, although the bottom was a tight skirt that came to mid-thigh.
The sheer, delicate nylon feathered at my neckline, and matching sequins glittered across the front of my chest just below my décolletage. The back had no such adornments and was fully sheer until just below the dimples on the small of my back.
By far, my favorite part was the flowing tulle skirt that draped down in layers. It wrapped around the high, tapered curve of my waist, the front open like a cape, allowing the sequins to peek through while showing off my legs. The fabric was longer than necessary and trailed behind me.
My necklace had been fashioned into a bracelet, the pink diamond going beautifully with the ensemble.
