Page 40 of Fallen Angels

‘Course, I do all the same.

Walking into the bathing room, I find a copper tub that must be enchanted because as soon as I touch it, it fills itself to the brim with steaming and florally scented water. I close the door behind me and shed my clothing. I notice a mirror on the back side of the door and looking at it, I barely recognize myself.

My hair is long and unkempt. I’m growing too much hair on my face and my body is narrower than I remember, and more battle scarred. In fact, there’s a nasty red gash on my side where that fucking soldier nailed me with his Fae magic. This bath will do me a world of good.

Within seconds I step into the steaming water. Noni pops in a few minutes later to place a pile of clothes on a stool beside me. She hands me an unlabeled bottle with a smile.

“Noni bring you this for pain.”

The words catch me off guard. None of my companions have noticed my wound, but this little creature has? “Thank you,” I grumble. Her smile widens and she hurries over to the door. Noni pauses for a moment and I turn to look at her.

“He’s alright, you know?”

“Who?”

“Your friend.”

“Which friend?”

“Thora something,” she starts and my stomach drops. “Thoradin?” she asks.

I don’t respond but she continues. “Noni see him. He in the Veil. He watch you. He know you sad and he worry, but Noni tell him you be alright too.”

My heart begins to beat faster. I swallow hard. Thoradin was my head Centurion, and my only friend.

“Noni think he a monster at first, but he make Noni laugh when he grumpy. Don’t be sad, Mr. Shadow King.” She slips through the door and I feel an enormous weight lift off my chest. It eases my pain to know my old friend is here, in the Veil, where he’s watched over by Noni and Pyre.

A million thoughts scatter through my mind as I clean myself. I shave my face and wash my hair. When I find a pair of scissors on the lip of the tub, I waste no time in cutting the hair away. I feel like a new man—I’m no longer the same Dragan I was months ago, banished and forgotten in the Gorge. I’m no longer Variant’s prisoner, but I’m now a refugee.

Once finished grooming myself, I climb out of the tub and catch my reflection in the mirror. My hair is much shorter but it’s uneven and needs work. I pick up the scissors and cut the rest of it to a length very close to my head. I look younger without the beard. And it’s a good feeling. A refreshing feeling.

I take a moment to enjoy the lack of grime that built up while I was in that cell. The clothes Noni brought are all black, which suits me, even if they are a bit too large. I quickly dress and join the others in the nearby bedroom.

Flumph snores loudly on Eilish’s pillow. He sleeps under a tiny towel. Due to his wet hair, and the fact that it looks like he’s naked under the towel, I assume he’s also bathed. Thank God forsmall favors, because he smelled so bad, he was less like a sprite and more like a piece of shit with wings.

I glance at Eilish and notice she’s still covered with grime and dirt. She sits on the floor and the brownie holds her hand. I look at Cambion sitting in a nearby chair, one ankle languidly perched over the other. The fucking fop looks like he’s just returned from a hunting expedition and is only missing his glass of bourbon.

“What the hell are they doing?” I ask.

“Brownies can summon objects that belong to their household,” he responds as if that’s supposed to make any sort of fucking sense.

“So?”

“So, Noni’s finding the dagger Pyre gave Eilish,” he replies with an air of boredom. “Did Noni tell you about Thoradin?”

“Yes.”

“I must admit I was shocked when I heard it. Shocked in a good way…”

“Don’t pretend like you gave two shits about Thoradin,” I interrupt him. “You’ve made it clear you’re only with us because I gave you no other choice.”

“Well, I wasn’t going to pretend like I give two shits about Thoradin,” he responds in that patronizing tone of his. “I admit to only giving one shit about Thoradin.” He takes a breath as I shake my head. “As to the balance of the realms, though, I most certainly give two shits about that. Possibly even three…”

I don’t respond. Cambion gets up from his recliner and walks past me towards another bathing room that joins this one. I find it interesting that the sleeping arrangements are all within the same room, but it appears we each have separate bathing rooms?

“You found it!” Eilish says gleefully as the dagger Pyre gifted her appears in Noni’s little hand. She passes it over to Eilish whogiggles happily. Eilish doesn’t even notice I’ve returned to the room.

A freshly bathed Revenant appears in the doorway and I’m surprised to see he’s walking and no longer requires support. Pyre’s magic is strong and it’s powerful. Good thing Revenant takes the cot at the far end of the room because I don’t want the fucker anywhere near me.

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