I reach up and rip it away because I don’t let fear rule me.
There’s a pregnant pause.
“You are beautiful. You will always be beautiful.”
Leaf’s words shock me. I’d almost forgotten he was here.
“I’m not-”
“You are, Mei. You are beautiful with shimmering runes, a stunning laugh; you are strong and skilled, and you glow in the light. Mei, you are beautiful to me, all of you. You don’t need to see, you are already perfect.”
Leaf’s earnest words hurt and heal something in me.
“I’m Mama Jane, and this is my boutique. I fix hair, nails, basically help you remember that you are a queen.”
“And clothes?” Leaf prompts. “Her clothes got wet, then burned in a fire.”
“We’ll get to clothes, but I’ve got a good idea of what I think you might like.”
I sit back as she gets to work. My skin crawls, and I shiver as she washes my hair. Her touch is gentle but firm, but I can’t remember ever having anyone do this before. We didn’t exactly have running water when I was growing up.
For three hours, she scrubs and buffs and puts creams on my hair and face, my nails are painted, and then she gets me to try on several sets of clothes.
It is exhausting, but I feel like I’ve been scrubbed and polished clean.
“These are all for you,” she says when we’re done. She abruptly reaches out and pulls me into a hug. I stand there awkwardly. I’ve got the stone mask Brio made me back across my eyes, but in a soft whisper, Mama Jane has described its colour and then washed it and dried it before returning it to me.
She said that it looks like the ocean, and it twinkles with blue, teal, and black light. She said it looks expensive and very, very beautiful.
She shoves the bag into my hand and then turns away.
“Make them bring you back again. We’ll have the rest of your clothes delivered to Becky’s address in the next few days.”
“I will,” I say and mean it before I remember I don’t know if I will be here. Leaf thumps his feet on the ground, startling me. I turn towards him, listening as he mutters, but when he turns towards me, he inhales sharply and staggers back, knocking over something that smashes on the ground.
Mama Jane laughs. “That’s the reaction we want. She’s pretty, isn’t she?”
“She’s gorgeous,” Leaf says in awe.
He comes over to me and reverently runs his hands up my arms.
“Shall we go find the Sirens? Though I am tempted to run away with you.”
I nod and tug at the hem of the short dress. It feels weird, like there’s not enough material, but it’s stretchy and clings to my body; despite that, I can move freely in it.
Leaf guides me through the city streets. When we’d come in, people had bumped into me and growled at me. This time, people move out of my way, apologise, and make strange sounds, but the air is thick with their interest.
I ignore everyone, focusing entirely on the dragon.
But I smell Canto, and I lift my head, listening hard. There are girls chatting and squealing. I stand there waiting for them to come over, but they don’t.
“What’s going on?” I ask after a long moment.
“They are stuck in a crowd of human females. One of them is stroking Reed’s chest; he looks like he wants to stab her in the throat.”
I laugh, I can’t help it. Reed is grumpy, but I can imagine him stabbing some poor human easily.
The laughter fades as their scents get stronger, packing punches that make me groan. Leaf had been containing his, though I’m not sure how.
