“Um, sir?” Evie asked.
“What?” The Villain said shortly, his eyes finding the ruined stairway covered in molten liquid. Eyes flashing to the unconscious animal, he muttered, “Did she—”
“Yes, sir.”
“Damn it.”
“I’m sure it’s fixable,” she said, patting his arm. “In the meantime, you need to find a way to get this winged lady to the cellar downstairs. And try to stop getting yourself into trouble in the meantime; I can’t keep saving you.”
It was meant to be a joke, to lighten the moment, but it sure didn’t feel like one when The Villain’s molten gaze landed on hers.
Chapter 36
Evie
The storm cleared the next morning, as she suspected it would.
The creature’s vengeful magic had run dry—he was reunited with his mate and the clouds had gone.
Evie stared at the mirror, seeing herself in a borrowed dress of Tatianna’s. It had been a little too large when she’d first put it on, but as soon as the buttons up the back were secured, the bodice slowly tightened around her until the dress fit like a second skin.
“Well, that’s a fun trick,” Evie said, inspecting the blue velvet in the large mirror on the other side of the healer’s quarters.
“I got it from a magicked dressmaker when I was visiting a friend in Verdelana.” Tatianna smiled, walked over, and turned Evie’s hands to inspect under the bandages. “All the best magic comes from the south. He said a dress should be worn to fit you, not the other way around.”
“So, no matter what…？”
“It’ll always fit like a glove.” Tatianna narrowed her eyes, clearly looking at the dark circles underneath Evie’s. “Did you sleep at all?”
“A little. Your extra bed was comfortable.” And it had been. Evie’s hands had just ached, even after Tatianna had worked every bit of magic on them. Growing back skin in places where blisters had formed was no small task, and in some areas Tatianna had admitted they were so badly damaged, it would take several magic sessions to fully heal. For those areas, Tatianna applied a salve, but Evie refused a bandage of any sort, in case The Villain were to notice the damage and ask questions.
She’d seen his reactions to her being harmed before, and the last thing Evie wanted or needed was for him to begin to think that she was incapable.
So she’d barely slept.
Of course, the healer did all that after forcing the entire story out of Evie as payment. Including the fact that she’d hidden her ruined hands, by some miracle, from her boss at the time of the injury.
The clanking of glass snapped Evie’s attention back to Tatianna, who was already at her worktable, crunching leaves and all sorts of funny-looking plants into jars. “What’s it like? Living with him?”
Tatianna snorted and continued working, the sun just beginning to come up over the horizon. “I wouldn’t say I live with him. I only ever see Trystan in the office or on the rare occasions his wounds need tending. If I desire company, I go to the nearest pub and find myself a beautiful woman to pass the time with.”
“What about Clare?” Evie said slyly, ignoring the daggers Tatianna glared at her over her bowl of herbs. “It seemed like things might not be finished there.”
“Oh, they’re finished,” she grumbled, mashing the herbs harder than before. “She made sure of that.”
“I think you’d feel better if you talked about it,” Evie said in a singsong voice, ducking when Tatianna chucked a spoon at her.
“I deal in secrets, darling. I don’t give them away for free.”
“Even to a friend?” Evie asked, a little vulnerability slipping through.
Tatianna huffed, but then her face softened. “Oh dear. We are friends, aren’t we? How did I let this happen?”
“Because I’m irresistible.” Evie spun around, running her fingers through her hair, laughing when she nearly lost her balance.
“Oh yes, that must be it.” Tatianna smiled.
“Well?” Evie urged, nodding to the small clock on the table. She still had twenty minutes before the boss would expect his first cauldron brew of the day on his desk, and in truth, she was eager to hear about how the two animals in the cellar were faring. “I’ve got time.”
“It’s a long story.” Tatianna groaned, like talking about her personal life was an offense against her character. “The short version is, I grew up down the road from the three Maverine siblings. Clare and I were inseparable ever since we were children.”