Page 57 of Shadow Wings

My face softened, and I turned around, hugging Dyter. “I love you, Dyter. And I’m so happy you’re here.” I let go of him and turned back to the dress. “I also don’t need a sextalk.”

“Al’right then,” he mumbled, the purple shade fading intored.

I picked up the dress and strode off into the bathroom. I’d gone to peek out the front doors already. I wouldn’t be the only person in a dress likethis.

“Al’right then,” Dyterrepeated.

I grinned and closed the door, pressing my ear to thewood.

“Al’right then.” He mumbled something about Phaetyn and rushing things under hisbreath.

I sniggered. Setting the dress down, I quickly washed using the smaller basin of water. My silver hair was nearly to the small of my back now, its growth having accelerated since my Drae transformation and even more since being in Zivost. I hoped the strands didn’t grow too much longer, or I’d be cutting my hair every week to avoid sitting onit.

Mother had always done my hair up nice when we went to a celebration, rare as they’d been in Verald. The memories of her touch rose, and I swallowed the lump forming in mythroat.

I’d just leave my hair down. I’d have the flower crown anyway. Which the people outside werealsowearing. I could imagine the outrage on the Phaetyn’s faces if I was the only one to show up in acrown.

Picking up the dress, I loosened the laces and stepped into the corset. I shimmied the garment over my hips and then struggled with the laces over my chest, pulling them as tight as possible for fear the dress would slide off my frame. By the time the corset was on, the bottom of the corset was snug around my hips, and the double-curve top firmly covered my breasts. Mother totally wouldn’t have let me out in this. The innumerable wisps of green and silver material making up the skirt extended to just below my knee. I wiggled my toes, guessing this was one place where I didn’t need to wearshoes.

After arranging my silver hair over my shoulders to hide some skin, mostly so Dyter wouldn’t have a heart attack, I re-entered thebedroom.

Dyter cast a quick glance at me and did a double-take. “Ryn,” he said, a smile growing over his face. “You look pretty.” He frowned, glancing at the door. “Verypretty.”

I tried to keep my own smile back, but a bit of it peeped out. “Thank you.” I crossed to Tyrrik and sat by his side. Running my hand down his arm, I asked, “Did you get more nectar downhim?”

“Yes, he drinks it easily. His body obviously knows what heneeds.”

I lay a hand over his forehead. “I really feel like he should have woken up by now. This isn’t right. Something just doesn’t seemright.”

“Kamoi seems certain it’snormal.”

“Yes. He said as much to me as well.” Was I wanting this so much I wasn’t being reasonable? How long should it take a Drae toheal?

Dyter cocked his head to the side. “Do you trusthim?”

Trust Kamoi? “I feel his heart is in the rightplace. . .”

Dyter shook his head. “That’s ano.”

I shrugged my bare shoulder. “I could, I think, in time. I’m not sure I’ll trust anyone new in a hurry now. And maybe neveragain.”

Dyter smoothed the front of his borrowed silver aketon; it had vine decorations which matched mine. “That’s never a nice lesson, my girl, and most are double your age when they’re forced to learnit.”

My eyes traced the angular planes of Tyrrik’s face. I missed him. That shouldn’t be possible, but it was. I traced my finger over the Drae’s healed wound and wondered if it still hurt. “Dyter?”

“Yes,Rynnie.”

“Do you know, sometimes Tyrrik’s scales have a bit of blue in them? The same blue color as myscales?”

“No, I didn’t.” He cleared his throat before continuing, “What do you think itmeans?”

I lifted my hand and ran it through the Drae’s hair. My breath hitched and came out a smidgen short. “I’m notsure.”

“You’ll have to ask him when hewakes.”

If that ever happened. I sighed, mulling over Dyter’s words. “I reckon I probablyshould.”

Dyter covered the Drae with a blanket, forcing me to pull my hand back so he could tuck in the edges. “Al’right, we’ll threaten the guards again on the way out. He’ll be just fine. Let’s go eat and maybe learn a few morethings.”

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