the same way you and the others are, but his interest is purely out of duty.”
Duty. She jerked on her hair so hard a few strands might have come out. She’d never hated a word more.
Bell snorted. “Are you braiding your hair or fighting it? Here, let me.”
He came around the bed and took over, just like when they were younger. Normally that would have made her feel childish. But now, with everything changing so fast in both their lives, the old habit brought her a much needed sense of comfort.
“Nothing elaborate, okay?” she clarified as she settled on the bed, knowing otherwise he’d spend two hours making her hair into an elaborate bird’s nest or something equally ridiculous.
“You’re the Goddess-Born, Haven, and mortals are just as shallow and vain as the Solis. You need to look the part.”
“Or I could just look like . . . me?”
He snorted as if that was the most awful idea he’d ever heard. Thankfully his hands worked fast, gently pulling and weaving strands of her rose-gold hair back from her face.
“You say his interest in you is simply duty,” Bell began, circling back to their previous conversation, “but you didn’t see the monstrous thing he released on the Hall of Light after you were taken.”
She stiffened. “What monstrous thing? What happened?”
“Nasira called it his Shadow Familiar. Whatever it was, it might be the most terrifying thing I’ve ever witnessed. And as you know, I have a lot of experience in that department.”
“What did it look like?”
“Like an inky mist at first, but then it grew gorgeous black fur and teeth and onyx talons long enough to gouge stone when it walked, which wasn’t really walking but prowling, by the way. Its giant paws shook the floor with each footfall. It had these horrifying red eyes and it was huge, this massive . . . wolf, for lack of a better word.” Reaching across her, he retrieved the black hair tie from her nightstand and secured the braid. “The thing was death in beast form, and I don’t think he could control it. If not for Nasira it would have killed us all.”
Haven shivered. “He told me his Shadow Familiar was dormant, all but dead, probably forever.”
“Well apparently his familiar got bored of near-death and reanimated.”
What would Bell think if he knew something possibly even worse lurked inside her? She met his bright blue eyes in the dressing mirror across the room, wondering how that conversation would go.
It has horns and wings and looks like demon-spawn, but it’s nicer than it looks?
He caught her frown and smiled softly. “There. Now you look like you could be the daughter of Freya instead of a swamp creature. But I suggest brushing your teeth to solidify the look.”
She swatted his arm, but she indeed brushed her teeth using the small basin of water by her bed. And when her gaze once again met her reflection, she could almost ignore the bruised crescents beneath her eyes.
The session took place in the small courtyard outside their rooms overlooking the bay. Xandrian, Delphine, and Surai showed up an hour later, and they sipped tea as they watched Haven and Bell work. Mostly swordplay with a bit of magick thrown in.
By the time the sun had risen well above the walls of the city, he’d proven proficient at both wielding the light rapiers he now preferred as well as spelling the weapons to inflict maximum damage and improve his aim.
He could only keep the magick flaring down the blade for a few seconds at a time, but that would improve with practice.
Haven savored the way her muscles burned and lungs seared as she sank into the table stools, covered in sweat. She’d pushed a grueling pace, using the ache of her body to distract her mind from last night’s mortifying encounter.
“Where’s the brooding bastard with the horns?” Xandrian asked by way of greeting.
Haven was sure her swallow was audible as she shrugged, praying her cheeks weren’t bright red.
Delphine and Surai discussed something for a moment and then Surai explained, “Delphine said Stolas never returned to his room last night.”
“Should we be worried?” Xandrian asked, eyeing the basket of biscuits as if a viper hid inside.
Another volley of signs passed between Delphine and Surai.
“He’s Stolas,” Surai said, “I don’t think it’s him we should be worried about.”
Delphine passed Haven the tray of fruit. Grateful for the distraction, Haven quickly performed the sign that Surai taught her for thank you. When she was