“Oh, really?” Olenka aimed a smirk at Gwennore. “With the way he’s behaving, everyone’s going to figure out that he’s your lover.”
The servant gasped and dropped half of the clothes while Dimitri muttered a curse and shut the door.
“It’s not true!” Gwennore cried.
“Careful with those!” Olenka snatched the fallen clothes up and dumped them on top of the servant’s load. “By the Light, there must be enough here to last a week.”
Another shot of alarm skittered through Gwennore. She couldn’t remain here with Eviana for a week! Didn’t the general understand that they needed to return to Eberon as soon as possible? “I must see the general right away. It’s urgent.”
Olenka snorted. “I bet you’re not the only one feeling urgent.” She motioned for Gwennore and the servant to follow her. “Fortunately, there’s a bedchamber close by.”
Gwennore gritted her teeth. Could this day get any worse? After making sure Eviana was happily eating, she followed Olenka and the servant through the dressing room to a bedchamber.
“This is the nanny’s room.” Olenka whisked the dust cover off a wide, four-poster bed. “Put the clothing here.”
While the servant arranged everything on top of a blue linen bedspread, Gwennore looked around the room. A comfy armchair, draped with a dust cover, rested close to the hearth. Next to the chair, there was a table and candlestick. Two small tables flanked the bed. The room was bright, thanks to several windows that faced west, where the sun was moving toward the horizon.
“Quickly, now,” Olenka told her. “You should change before your lover arrives.”
“He’s not—” With a frustrated groan, Gwennore glanced down at her bedraggled gown, stained with urine. No matter what ridiculous things people might think, she still needed to talk to the general right away. “I’d like to wash up first.”
“Of course.” Olenka frowned at her own gown. “I have a water stain on my skirt from drawing the bath. I should change, too.” She dashed through the dressing room, calling back, “I’ll return shortly!”
The servant curtsied and started to leave.
“Wait.” Gwennore gave her an apologetic smile. “Could you help me with these laces?” She turned sideways, motioning to her back.
The servant inched toward her slowly as if she were a poisonous snake ready to strike.
“I’m not going to hurt you. What’s your name?”
“K-Kendra, my lady.”
“I’m Gwennore.” She lifted her loose and tangled hair out of the way. Goddesses help her, it might take an hour to get a comb through the disheveled mess.
Kendra fumbled with the laces for a few minutes, then gasped. “I didn’t know elves were spotted green and blue!”
“Green and…?” Gwennore winced. “Those must be bruises. I took a hard fall earlier.”
“Oh. Well. You’re all done now.”
“Thank you.” Gwennore turned to face her. “Could you mind the princess while I bathe?”
“Yes, my lady.” The servant dashed from the room as if she were escaping the threat of imminent death.
Gwennore groaned. The next time someone acted as if she were a frightful creature, she really would vent her rage.
She removed her soiled gown, selected a clean shift from the new clothes on the bed, then went back to the dressing room. She’d noticed before that there were pipes along the wall. When she turned a spigot, cool water splashed into the tub. Amazing. She would have to ask how this was accomplished, so Luciana could replicate it at Ebton Palace.
After washing and putting on a clean shift, she peeked into the nursery to make sure Eviana was all right. Nissa was back, and Kendra had left.
Gwennore returned to the nanny’s bedchamber and selected a blue silk gown. When she slipped it over her head, her back twinged once again.
A shadow moved across the room, and she glanced at the windows. A large eagle was flying back and forth.
“Brody!” She ran to the windows and nearly tripped on the hem of her gown. Without the laces done, the gown was dragging on the floor and in danger of falling off.
Pinning the bodice against her chest with one hand, she used her other hand to unlatch the window and push it open. The eagle flew inside and landed on the floor.
As Brody’s form began to shimmer, she realized he would be naked once he shifted. Quickly, she pulled the dust cover off the armchair and tossed it on top of him. He flailed about underneath it, then emerged.
At the sight of his bare shoulders, she turned her back to him. Then, with a silent groan, she realized the back of her gown was open.
“Gwennie, are you all right? Where’s Eviana?”
She glanced back to find him standing with the white sheet wrapped around his waist. “Eviana is next door in the nursery. Please let Luciana know that we’re perfectly fine, and we’ll return as soon as possible.”
Brody scowled. “You’re not fine. I saw the bruises on your back. What the hell did they do to you?”
“Nothing. The bruises happened when I fell through the air and crashed into Puff.”
“Puff?”
“He’s the dragon who caught me.”
Brody stepped toward her, an incredulous look on his face. “One of those wretched dragons abducted you, and you named him Puff?”
“He didn’t abduct me. He saved my life!”
“He brought you here against your will.”
“No, I asked him to. I needed to stay with Eviana. And Puff promised he would help me get her back home.”
“Wait.” Brody held up a hand. “The dragon promised?”
Gwennore nodded. “I can hear them. And communicate with them.”
Brody’s eyes widened. “How? I can’t do that.”
“I don’t know how, but Puff said he would help. And I think the general will, too.”
“General Dravenko?”
“Ye know him?” Gwennore glanced at the door to the dressing room, which was still open just a crack. “He should be here any minute now.”
Brody nodded. “I’ll talk to him. I’ve dealt with him before.”
“Oh, good.” She stepped closer. “Before he comes, I need to tell you something. Ye know about my gift, right?”
“Aye.”
Gwennore lowered her voice. “I touched the
