Page 31 of The Oracle of Dusk

“Trust that if I attempt to seduce you, there will be no question about it,Phaedra.”

“That’s right,” Phaedra purred, rubbing his groin with her thigh, “It would be just that, anattempt. And a pathetic one at that. As if a backwater little no one like you knows how to please a wom—”

He captured her lips, his fingers teasing her nipple. Aurora was about to intervene when Phaedra gripped Silvanus’ moonstone-coloured hair in her hand and devoured him in turn, pressing herself against him. So now she wanted him? Goddess, Phaedra could be so contradictory sometimes. Why couldn’t they do this somewhere else? Aurora hid in her little bed, mentally sighing as the two continued getting…well, whateverthatwas out of their systems. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be long until Phaedra—

“If you don’t fuck merightnow…”

No, she was not going to listen tothat. Not even for Phaedra. Aurora ripped open her curtain.

“Alright, that’s enough! I’m not going to sit here listening to the two of you,” she huffed, trailing off when she realised just what state they were in. Clothes and hair in disarray, hands down each other's pants, they were a single slip from the act itself. Aurora slapped a hand over her eyes and pointed in the direction of another curtain. “Please, just get dressed or go somewhere else,” she groaned, blushing madly. It wasn’t the first time she’d caught Phaedra in the middle of a tryst, it wasn’t even the seventh, but it never stopped being disconcerting.

“Aurora! You’re awake!” Phaedra launched herself at Aurora, wrapping her arms around her.

Aurora hugged her back, holding her as tight as she could. Phaedra was alive. Whole. Her heart ached with relief.

“At least wash your hands first.” Aurora choked on her laugh.

“My filthy hands are as close as you’ve gotten to fucking in months. You should be grateful.” Phaedra squeezed her back.

“Animal.”

“Prude.”

“I thought you’d died,” Aurora whispered.

“You saved me.”

“Nonsense.”

She needn’t speak lies just to make Aurora feel better. Didn’t she know that her being alive was treasure enough?

“No, truly.” Phaedra pulled back. “The whole world around me was suspended in time. I escaped the blast because of your magic.”

She was about to deny it, but Phaedra was most definitely healthy and whole, not a scratch on her. But she’d never seen her in such garb before. The fabrics were soft only because they’d been worn hundreds of times, the colours dull and washed out. They looked like a well-to-do farmer’s hand-me-downs. Aurora would know. Her family were esteemed cloth merchants, specializing in rare dyes.

“What are you doing up? You’ll undo three days of hard work, young woman!” A middle-aged woman with tawny skin and black hair strode into the room, a bundle of clothes on top of a basket in her arms.

Aurora looked around for the person the woman was remonstrating. Silvanus had disappeared, only to re-enter behind the stranger.

“Aurora, this is Macris. Macris, Aurora.”

“A pleasure to meet you,” Aurora said, stepping out of Phaedra’s embrace to shake her hand. Macris took her hand and led her to one of the cushions Phaedra and Silvanus had tossed aside. Macris sent him a dark look.

“Never mind the introductions. Sit down, Aurora. Goddesses, I can’t believe you let her get out of bed. Weren’t you supposed to be watching her?” Macris hissed at Silvanus.

“I came to get you as soon as she woke, did I not?” Silvanus replied, his cheeks red.

Macris waved him off.

“I don’t understand what all the fuss is about. I’ve never felt better.”

“That’s because you’ve been under my care for three days. You broke your back. Among other things. You’re all lucky to have survived, but you especially. Now sit still and let me have a look at you.”

Broken her back? Three days? Merciful Triad. She didn’t remember much after they’d barrelled into the mountain. Perhaps that had been a blessing. Perhaps that was also why, now that she paid attention, she smelled like she hadn’t made the acquaintance of perfume in some time. How embarrassing.

Macris’s gaze was distant and unfocused. Magic poured through Aurora as if she were a sieve, over and over. A sharp pain ran up her spine. Aurora gasped, fists gripping the fabric of her trousers. These too had been well-worn but cared for. She closed her eyes, trying to shift her focus, holding her breath as the pain built and built. Then, in a sudden rush, it drained from her.

Macris sighed.

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