Page 80 of The Last Slayer
you to a special guestroom. I hope you approve.”
“I’m quite certain anything you provide will be exceptional.” I was getting the hang of this lord and lady talk.
Toshi led me to the new room. It was as big as my previous one and had more of the same lovely flowers. Crystal and pale gold provided the bulk of the decoration, giving it an air of opulence that rivaled Versailles. An angel bed with a canopy made of golden thread dominated the right corner of the room. It looked large enough for a whale.
But most striking were the mirrors. Every panel on the walls had them. They lined the ceiling and some of the furniture. Hundreds of my reflections shifted when I moved.
I’d avoided having a lot of mirrors in my condo. If they aren’t warded correctly, they’re good entry points for demons who know how to bypass thresholds. Besides, it wasn’t as if I had enjoyed staring at myself every time I glanced around the room. Now I didn’t even look like myself anymore. Hundreds of gorgeous clones seemed to be spying on me.
It was a little freaky.
I turned to Toshi. “What’s this room called?”
“This is the famous Chamber of Reflection.” He searched my face. “Do you not approve?”
“It’s quite…nice.” If it weren’t for all those mouths moving in unison with mine.
He rose up into the air and touched some crystals. “These are diamonds of the first water. They should make you feel better. Diamonds are ladies’ best friends, are they not?”
Oh god. De Beers’ influence had reached even to Besade. And if all those chunks of crystal were actually diamonds, one chandelier alone was probably worth about fifty times more than my condo. Maybe more than the entire building my condo was in. “I guess that depends on the lady.”
Toshi’s foreclaws came together in front of his face. “Do you not like this room?” He began to tremble. “Is it unfit?”
“Not at all. I love this room.” I smiled at the poor fairy dragon. “Let me bathe, and then I’ll have breakfast.”
“As you wish.” He looked somewhat reassured. “I’ve added healing agents to the water, so your wound should be fine after your bath. Please soak for at least an hour, however. A cut from a dragonlady’s sword takes that much time.”
“Thank you.”
“As for your breakfast, would you like the famed Chicken of Tso again?”
I bit my lower lip to hide a grin. “No. Just scrambled eggs and sausage. And coffee with extra cream and sugar if you have any.”
“Yes, milady.” He made a little hovering bow and left.
A small folding screen hid the bathtub from the entryway. White rice paper stretched between rosewood struts, providing a bit of simple Asian elegance to the atmosphere. The tub was round, and large enough for me to submerge completely without bending my legs. This was one luxury I would definitely miss once I went back to northern Virginia. Maybe Toshi would want to tag along. I could use some domestic help. Probably couldn’t afford him, though. I looked up at the diamond chandeliers, feeling glum.
I discarded the ruined dress—so much for “You can keep what you wear to the banquet”—and stepped into the tub. The hot water fizzed and bubbled over my skin. The sensation was unfamiliar but nice, almost ticklish. Once seated, I undid the coil my hair was in. Charity had done an amazing job. It had held through my duel with Nahemah and an amphitere flight.
In the mirrors on the wall, blonde women tugged their hair free and started scrubbing their faces. The water in my hands turned the colors of blood and dirt and dropped back into the tub, where it became clear again almost instantly.
My previous looks—the mousy brownness—had been glamour to hide me from the Triumvirate. But they’d found me anyway.
What would my life have been like if I hadn’t been so plain? I’d certainly have had more dates. A better high school life. The faces in the mirrors twisted as I remembered the cruelty of boys and girls, the in clique.
But if I had been this beautiful back then, I might not have studied so hard. I might have tried to get by on just my looks, and it probably would have worked. Dragonlords’ beauty and radiance made lingerie models look like gorgons. Hell, men might have dated Valerie just to get into my bed.
I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the rim of the bathtub. What was the point of having studied hard if I couldn’t even recognize a disguised samael? What was the point of being smart if I wouldn’t listen to people who knew more than I did? It looked like the only thing I’d done right was having Ramiel by my side, and he had practically had to force me into that.
And what was his deal, anyway? We had shared something amazing back in Nahemah’s bathhouse. Aside from the way I’d felt, when you can see Sex being created from a union like that it’s pretty much impossible to fake. Ours had sparkled and danced like fairydust. But since then, Ramiel had seemed a bit distant.
But I knew what I wanted now. Despite my determination to have a “normal” man as my next boyfriend, it wasn’t going to be possible. Not when I had so many feelings for Ramiel. They were new and unexpected, pleasant but confusing at times. I preferred to keep all my relationships clean and simple, especially considering the way my first lover had died. On the other hand, Ramiel was nothing like Miguel. For one thing, it’s damn hard to kill a dragonlord.
I spun the ring around my index finger. I still had unfinished business—finding the incubus who’d killed Miguel. And dragonlords are technically a sort of demon, which meant Ramiel knew their world. Maybe he could help me find some closure.
I took a deep breath and submerged myself completely.
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