Shadow Wings (The Darkest Drae Book 2)(54)

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 sex talk.”

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

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 like this.

“Al’right then,” Dyter repeated.

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

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

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 on it.

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 my throat.

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

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 wear shoes.

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

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. “Very pretty.”

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 down him?”

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

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 seem right.”

“Kamoi seems certain it’s normal.”

“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 to heal?

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

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

Dyter shook his head. “That’s a no.”

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 never again.”

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 learn it.”

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 my scales?”

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

I lifted my hand and ran it through the Drae’s hair. My breath hitched and came out a smidgen short. “I’m not sure.”

“You’ll have to ask him when he wakes.”

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

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 more things.”

“I’m sick of learning today.” I stood and picked up my flower crown, knowing I would be stepping into more games the moment I left the room.

With a heavy breath, I jammed the stupid crown on my head.





22





Dyter opened the door for me and proceeded to threaten the four guards in the hallway until I interrupted him. The Phaetyn looked familiar, but I dismissed it. They all wore those purple aketons, and with their long silver hair, a lot of them looked alike.

Dyter stopped menacing the soldiers and held his arm out, but when I just peered at him, he took my hand, like Kamoi had, and tucked it into the crook of his elbow.

I half turned to him, arching a brow.

“You’re a lady now,” Dyter said, red creeping up his neck. “You need to be treated as such.”