Page 29 of Dark Destiny: The Turning Of The Loom

They reminded her too much of the work coveralls she'd worn in the enclosure. She didn't mind them when cleaning the house or going to the grocery store, but she wasn't going to wear them on her first proper date with Yaaf.

She took them off and put on the green dress instead, the one she'd worn to the family luncheon, which Yaaf had liked. She put on pink lipstick, almost the same shade as her lips, because that was the only thing she knew how to do with makeup. When she'd tried the eyeliner pencils and mascara, she'd ended up looking like a raccoon.

"You look nice," Leehy said from the doorway.

Sullha turned. Her mother said things like that now, and she still wasn't used to it.

"Thanks."

Tomek pushed past his grandmother's legs and looked up at Sullha with a hurt expression on his small face.

"I don't want you to go."

"I'm not going far. The bar is a fifteen-minute walk away from here, and if you need me desperately, Nana can call me, and I can be right back."

"I don't want you to leave me alone."

"You won't be alone. Nana's here."

Leehy put a hand to her chest and faked a sob. "My heart is broken. Tomek doesn't want to stay with me. I'm so sad." She added another fake sob for emphasis.

This playful side of her mother was a new thing, and it was quite shocking. All that television watching was influencing her, and the changes were mostly for the better.

Tomek looked at Leehy, then at Sullha, then back at Leehy, and let out a mournful sigh.

"Fine. I'll stay with you." He patted Leehy's arm. "But you have to watch cartoons with me."

"A little bit," Leehy said, taking Tomek's hand and winking at Sullha over his head. "But if you want to watch with me in my bed, you need to shower first. I'm not letting you touch my clean sheets with these dirty feet."

"Fine." He rolled his eyes. "I'll shower."

Knowing her son, he would open the faucet, spray some water on his hair, wash his feet, and call it a day. But Sullha didn't have time to supervise his shower today, and he wouldn't let Leehy come into the bathroom, saying he was too old for Nana to see him naked.

He was growing up too fast.

A pang of unexpected sorrow lanced through her as she thought back to the plastic stick that had declared she wasn't pregnant.

"Right," she murmured as she put on her shoes. "As if I have time for a baby with everything I have to deal with."

She headed to the kitchen to get the elixir from the refrigerator. Merlin hadn't said anything about keeping it cold, but it tasted a little less vile that way.

She could take the night dose now or after she returned from the bar, but the truth was that she was nervous because she'd never been to a bar and didn't know what to expect. She measured the dropper, put it on a spoonful of honey, and swallowed the whole thing at once.

It still tasted as if something had died in it.

When the doorbell rang at precisely seven-thirty, she opened the door and gaped.

Yaaf was handsome no matter what he wore, and even more so when he wore nothing at all, but he'd never looked as good as he did now, in gray slacks and a black button-up shirt. The shirt was tucked in, highlighting his slim, muscular build, and his hair was slicked back from his forehead.

"You like?" he asked with a teasing smile.

"I like a lot." She stepped out and quickly pulled the door shut behind her, following the village's protocol to keep light from spilling out at night. "Where did you get these new clothes?"

"I ordered them after we returned from Merlin, and they were delivered today." He looked down at himself, as if he wasn't sure about his choices. "We're getting paid now. Guardian training comes with a salary."

"Yeah, I know. You told me. I'm glad you spent it on these. You look amazing."

"Thank you." He held out his hand. "You look beautiful, as always."