Page 35 of Untraceable
“How long have you been in this shape?”
Azila lifted her head and closed her eyes. “Eight years.”
Amori came in. “Has it been eight years already, Azila?”
She opened her eyes and nodded. “It has. Eight years of being locked to this city. I swear, if I ever see that dark elf again, I am going to tear him in half.”
Amori nodded. “I won’t stop you. We don’t have mage-bonding here. No one is bound the way you have been.”
Heyval paused. “You didn’t ask for her.”
“She was a gift as part of a minor contract. I accepted her to get her away from them.”
Azila smiled. “Life here hasn’t been bad, but I know there is so much freedom that I am missing out on.”
Amori sat near them with his plate, bread, butters, and some pies. The napkins were draped over his wrist.
Heyval smiled and continued eating.
Azila said, “Now for shoes. I am hoping you can manage heels for formals.”
Her fingers ticked rapidly, and she was silent for a few minutes while Heyval shared her water with Amori. The coffee was hers alone.
“I can manage them.”
“Good.” Azila smiled and finished tapping. “Done. I will begin receiving deliveries today. Your Majesty, do you want her in the guestroom, or shall I have a new wardrobe installed in your rooms? Your dressing room, specifically.”
Amori chuckled. “You have my authorization to install a wardrobe for Heyval in there.”
“Excellent. We will also take half of your daily wear storage.”
Amori grinned. “I expect nothing less.”
Heyval was stunned that he would just give up his space like that.
“I have also ordered wraps for my hands in case I have to beat the hell out of your mother if she gives Heyval any trouble.”
Heyval looked up with crumbs clinging to her lips. “What?”
“Oh, yes, miss. You are a useful person, and there are few of those people in the king’s life. I expect you to remain here, have cute, little, heavily furred, and multi-tailed babies, and rule over the city with him.”
Heyval glanced at Amori, and his eyes glowed as he kept eating. “Uh, that is a little putting the cart in front of the horse.”
Azila smiled. “And Heyval, would you like to go for a few beauty treatments? A nice massage, haircut, mani-pedi?”
“I could use a trim, and my hands are really dry from work. No one in their right mind turns down a massage.” Heyval smiled. “If you can find someone to take me.”
“I can take a break and do it myself if you don’t object.”
Amori’s head was up, and he was nodding. “Heyval, let her do it. She’s really good.”
Azila smiled. “I am rather good at it. I have reset his arm a time or two when he tried rock climbing.”
Amori sighed. “I wasn’t rock climbing. I was helping get an orc detachment out of the city.”
His assistant waved her hand carelessly in the air. “Whatever.”
Heyval laughed. “You are all kinds of fun.”
