warm and you have time to wash your hair before dinner tonight."
"Dinner?" I echo dumbly. I’m having dinner with someone?
"Yes. You have been summoned by Lady Tadekha. I suspect your master must be here."
"Master?" I echo again, equally dumbly.
"Lord Aron of the Cleaver. You said you were his anchor, correct?" The angel looks perturbed at my ignorance. “I am told you shouted it quite repeatedly to everyone while you were…ill” She clears her throat delicately.
Ill? She makes it sound like I’m making things up—or that I wasn’t really hurting. “I don’t remember.”
She makes another sympathetic noise and then gestures at the tub. “Come. You must be clean for your master.”
"Can we quit calling him that? We're more of a partnership than a master-slave sort of thing. I'm not down for that sort of vibe." I tiptoe toward the bath, and god, it smells good. Steam rises from it and a delicate floral scent touches my nostrils. It smells so much better than I do at the moment.
"And you are not in any pain?"
"Er, no?"
She nods knowingly. "Then your master must have arrived to retrieve you."
“Still not my master, and I’m pretty sure he’s not here?”
The angel smiles. “I am sure it is not my job to speak of such things.”
The woman reaches for my clothing and I let her help me undress, since I'm not really sure how many options I have here. I'm fascinated by the way her prismatic wings ripple and sway as she moves around the room. They really do look as if they're attached to her body and not just some sort of ornament she's wearing. It’s so pretty. "So what did you say your name was again?" I ask, stepping into the tub.
"I need no name as long as I serve my lady. I am but an extension of her."
Well isn't that just great. "So I guess your goddess is not big on free will, huh?" I sit down in the perfumed water and do my best not to moan with pleasure, because it's so hot and wonderful and I'm so very grimy. I close my eyes in bliss. "I'm Faith."
"Mm." A wet hand towel is slapped against my arm and then the nameless woman starts to scrub me with rough, abrasive strokes that defy her gentle appearance. Ow. I squeeze an eye open and see that she's got a frown on her pretty face. I guess I hurt her feelings.
"I'm sorry," I offer. "I'm not from around here and I don't know the customs. And it's been a rough few days. I wasn’t trying to be rude."
Her gaze flicks to me and her scrubbing turns gentle. She smooths the cloth up and down my arm as if I’ve never washed myself before. I want to protest that I can do it myself, but it feels rather nice. I settle into the tub and let her wash me.
"It's all right," the angel says softly. "You aren’t familiar with our customs. Do you know anything about Lady Tadekha at all?" When I shake my head, she continues, her hand smoothing water up and down my arm. "Those of us that serve the goddess live here in the Citadel all our lives. We choose her glory over our own. It is a great honor to wear her wings and serve at her side."
"It sounds like it," I say, trying to appease her as she has me lean forward so she can wash my back. I wonder if I should take the washcloth from her but I'm afraid of offending again. Still, it's strange to be washed by another woman when I'm fully capable of doing it myself. Her touch has changed to delicate and tender, and the cloth moves over my skin like a caress. "So…did you say your goddess was here?"
The woman's face turns radiant with excitement. "Our lady arrived on the day of Anticipation. I have been chosen to be first among those that serve her needs…other than her anchor, of course.” For a moment, she looks jealous.
"Can I call you 'First' then? It beats 'hey you.'" At her nod, I continue. "So your goddess is here and er, my god is too. Is this a common sort of thing? All the gods showing up at once?"
"It is the Anticipation," First says as if that explains everything. Her hands glide over my buttocks. "I do not know about any other Aspects, though. As I said, we do not leave the Citadel. We remain here to