Wow.Her room was…it was…extraordinary!
My mouth fell open.
The sitting room was identical to Aegir’s, in the sense of size and room orientation, but Amani’s room, the walls—they were all beautifully painted. Moving closer, I noticed that the technique used involved thousands, if not millions of tiny black dots and fine lines. Each dot, each stroke, meticulously placed. A tiny fragment, a small part of a larger drawing. A giant octopus covered one wall, a whale, the other.
Her seating area consisted of scattered mattresses and cushions. Smoking pipes and ashtrays were haphazardly placed on the low table. An impressive wine collection covered one of the walls, the one parallel to Aegir’s library.
She giggled at my jaw-dropping reaction.
Her bedroom was space itself. It was as if I had entered a smaller version of the universe. In contrast to the sitting room,the bedroom walls were painted in onyx black, and drawn in white dots were planets, moons, and stars. All beautifully designed. “Whoa.”
Then she led us into the bathing chamber.
Flying white birds now adorned the cobalt blue tiles. It was like each room, each theme, represented a different part of herself, and I was equally impressed with each one.
Instead of decorative columns and a fountain, at the very end of Amani’s bathing chamber was what looked like a bar. The extensive bottle collection and laid-back couches at its front confirmed it.
I refused to remove all of my clothes, and so I now lay on the stairs of the bath-pool, my back against the uneven tiles, wearing my nightdress, or rather, her nightdress. Amani sat sprawled next to me, completely naked. Well, not completely—most of her skin was covered in black ink. It was as if her body was an artistic masterpiece. I still thanked the bubbles of soap that finally covered most of her skin, though.
“How do you do these skin paintings?” I asked. “And do they hurt?”
“They are called tattoos, and yes, they hurt a little. But having a healer brother is a big plus. It heals instantly, and the ink stays there permanently. And…you’re looking at her.” She ended the sentence pointing at her face.
“You did these? You did Aegir’s? And Eldric’s?”
“Mmhmm, I painted my rooms, too. So much for telling me that my brother said nice things about me.”
“Oh, I just wanted to scare him a little.”
“Oh, I like you.”
Two servants came in, both carrying a tray, which they laid floating in the pool close to us. I indulged myself in fresh orange juice, a variety of fruit, dried meats, eggs cooked three ways, and bread filled with the most delicious cheese.
Although not looking anything like them, the two servants reminded me of Sabriela and Nadya. I wondered about their well-being. I hoped that they were eating better now, since Mounir…
“That was delicious. Thank you.”
I leaned back against the tiles and closed my eyes, letting out a soft “Mmm.” This was nice.
A funny smell hit me and my left eye opened. I peeked at Amani. She held a cigarette holder between her thumb and forefinger. She inhaled, then extended her hand towards me. I coughed so hard I thought my lungs were going to explode.
Amani chuckled. “Don’t tell me that you’ve never smoked one of these before? And you were raised in Ramel. That’s absolutely hilarious.”
“It is common there, but it is also illegal. Let me try it again.”
This time, I inhaled carefully, taking in the burning breath a little at a time. I thought I was getting the hang of it, so I took another. She snatched the holder away from my face. “Perhaps that’s enough.”
Wow, was my skin prickling! It felt as if I had the tiniest needles and pins forming all over my body. I let out a soft laugh.
“It’s nice, isn’t it?” she asked, removing a salt-and-pepper curl away from her face. I noticed her lips were full like Aegir’s, but her chin was less defined, like Ryvar’s.
“Mmhmm. Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.” She turned her body sideways and traced her fingertips along the soapy water.
“Do you—I mean, do Silchans even like warm baths?”
“Random much. Yes, we love warm baths, and hearths, and warm blankets, too. But we’re much more resistant to low temperatures and a bit more sensitive to hotter ones.”
