Chapter 2
Donna’s towels had roses embroidered on them, and her bathroom smelled of lemon peel.
It was a small room with a low ceiling, and although the sink, tub, and showerhead looked a few decades out of fashion, the room was cozy, not least because Donna seemed to favor pretty towels and cute cartoon drawings of chickens that had been framed and hung up next to the window.
A glance in the mirror made me wince. I really, really looked like a corpse who should’ve kept that final makeup appointment. No wonder Inkiri had been worried for me.
I undressed quickly, noting that someone—presumably Inkiri—had changed me into different bagu clothes at some point while I was unconscious. That wasn’t surprising, especially if I’d been out of it for days after the cola a-holes had come to Esaka to wreak havoc.
When I drew the shower curtain closed and stepped under the warm spray, cold crept into my limbs, and even turning the water so hot it fogged up the whole room couldn’t keep me from shivering. I hurried to get clean then toweled myself dry fast.
At least the steam meant I wouldn’t have to look at my reflection again. I was a pale mess with dry lips and drier skin, and that seriously hampered my confidence.
The change of clothes felt as good on my skin as I’d imagined, and being clean made everything better still.
I found a pair of what looked like a cross between slippers and socks in the bundle Inkiri had given me as well, so I reluctantly rolled up my cat socks and old clothes for laundry and put the slipper thingies on.
With the rain still not showing any signs of letting up, I wasn’t dressed at all for going outside.
Then again, maybe Inkiri didn’t want me to go outside.
Was that romantic? Him wanting to keep me safe and warm inside felt romantic.
Come to think of it, the way he’d been holding on to me, reluctant to let me walk by myself, that wasn’t such a bad thing either.
After all, I really, really preferred him coddling me over all the fighting and magic and whatnot.
I preferred it over trying to figure out where my magic had come from, over camping outdoors because Vergis’s dad had a theory—a ridiculous theory—and over any kind of dangerous situations or activities altogether.
With a pang, I remembered that I’d been the cause of most of those dangerous situations.
It made my fingers tremble as I tied my bagu shirt at the side.
The Koa Esher had wanted me. The realization hit home, strengthened with the force of that foreign knowing that had all but haunted me every time I’d needed to use my magic.
Or, no, every time I’d ended up accidentally doing magic while I was talking to a disembodied voice in my head.
That kind of thing needed to stop. I had to focus on being a trophy mate, not some magician.
Still feeling cold but also bolstered by my conviction to go without magic for the rest of my life, I made my way downstairs.
The bagu shoe-slippers were odd to walk in since they were pretty padded on the soles, but that was something I could get used to.
I could imagine Inkiri telling some shoe vendor that the shoes had to be very, very soft because I was so very, very soft.
Honestly, the image made me swoon a little bit.
When I got back into the kitchen, Inkiri’s eyes locked on me.
He’d taken a chair opposite Donna and was attentively listening to her explain that “camp is an aesthetic, but not just an aesthetic.” The damn chicken had totally stolen my spot and was now sitting all primly in my mate’s lap.
Her beady eyes locked on mine. Could chickens be aloof? This one was trying.
Donna’s voice ended the staring contest with the chicken before it could really begin. “There he is. Inkiri said you wanted waffles. You should’ve brought Nokim for anything fancy, but I’ve got frozen ones in the toaster oven for you.”
She had a cup of coffee in front of her and was warming her hands on it, but she got up to pour me one as well and pull some steaming waffles out of a small oven set into a corner of the counter in her tidy kitchen.
“Th-thanks,” I mumbled. “That’s so nice of you.”
To me, Donna had an au pair vibe that made me feel oddly nostalgic. Not that she was a motherly type, but just a nice person who didn’t mind going out of her way to do something for me. Hopefully, all my au pairs had made it through the apocalypse okay.
She winked at me. “Well, I wouldn’t want to let Inkiri’s mate starve. I’m happy he finally found you.”
I took the coffee while she found cutlery in a drawer and put everything on the table. “Finally?”
She shrugged. “When I first met that lot, he was already looking.”
He had mentioned that. He’d told me about how long his mate call had drawn him to me. “Right.”
“Are you feeling better, Sadir?” Inkiri set the chicken down on a chair next to him. She clucked with indignation, but I couldn’t help grin triumphantly at her when my mate stood to hug me and kiss me human-style.
I let out a contented sigh and leaned into him, careful not to spill my coffee.
“Now I feel better. I was beginning to think you loved the chicken more than me.”
Inkiri chuckled and Donna laughed.
“Yes, the blue softie is a bird person. Wilson usually isn’t that friendly. Then again, it’s not like I get visitors, so she only has me,” Donna said as Inkiri sat and pulled me into his lap. “Can I interest you in chocolate spread?”
My mouth watered as soon as she said “chocolate,” and I bobbed my head eagerly, putting the coffee down so I could pull the plate toward me.
“Yes, please.” I watched as she took a big jar of the stuff from the fridge and slathered the waffles with the glistening spread.
“The chicken’s name is Wilson? It’s a girl chicken though, right? ”
“Yeah, but she’s definitely a Wilson, keeping me company on this lonely island of solitude in the Irish countryside.” Donna left the spread with the spoon still in it on the table—a typical au pair move when no one was looking to chastise them about sugar. “Enjoy. You look starved.”
For the next few minutes, I couldn’t really focus on anything other than the food, and not even the glaring chicken upset me. It was like my body desperately needed the fuel and couldn’t be distracted until it’d had it.
Eventually, I focused on my mate’s clicking again, but before I could swallow and apologize for just wolfing down my food, I heard the door open and close, then Vergis and his daddy came into the kitchen.
I turned on Inkiri’s lap to look at them.
They were damp from the rain, their dark blue horns slick with it.
Kinnek’s long braids with the silver highlights were matted against his clothes, and he’d taken his shoes off.
I didn’t mean to stare at the paw-like bagu feet with the skin folds that protected their claws, but I couldn’t help myself.
Kinnek noticed and made a sound of amusement that sounded more human than bagu.
“Well, sweet pea, you have a bit of a chocolate mouth going there. Muffin, do you remember when you were little and refused to eat anything but chocolate for a week? Your chocolate mouth was worse than our Loathly Lady’s here. ”
Okay, so maybe Kinnek could be fun. I still found it difficult to get over how alike he and Vergis looked, apart from Kinnek’s longer hair and the bluish gray strands in there that I was more and more certain were a dye job rather than a sign of aging.
Kinnek looked pretty darn spry, and unless they’d gotten distracted or given up due to the inclement weather, the two of them had just killed one of the purple beasts; the kind that seemed to think I was food. Neither of them looked like they’d done anything more strenuous than admire the roses.
Vergis turned to his dad, nonplussed. “Except I was a kid, and he’s a grown twink.”
Donna’s wooden chair creaked as she leaned back in it. “I cannot imagine you as a child, Vergis. You were this big?” She lifted her hand to hip height.
“Oh, he was smaller.” Kinnek nudged his head toward Wilson. “Maybe a little bigger than the chicken. He’d fit into the crook of his daddy’s arm.”
Vergis narrowed his eyes at his father. “Do not compare me to that bird.”
“Aw, baby Vergis must’ve been adorable!” Donna cooed.
“Oh, he was the most precious little bagu baby!” Kinnek rocked back and forth on his paw feet.
“You have any photographic evidence on you?” Donna asked, and dang it, I loved Donna.
Kinnek shook his head. “Oh, afraid not, fair Donna. My Vergis gets very cross with me when my fatherly love does anything to threaten his carefully curated public persona.” He leaned closer to Donna.
“Don’t get me wrong, he was the sweetest baby, but he also didn’t shed a tear for the sacrifice he had to make for his first spell.
I am quite proud. Got the job done on the first slice. ”
Inkiri was very much focused on me, while I remained focused on chewing and swallowing and watching Donna’s eyes go wide as Kinnek spoke.
The stupid chicken was back on the table and sort of prowling.
Clearly, she was waiting for her opening to get back on my mate’s lap.
Not even the waffle I hadn’t gotten to yet seemed to interest her.
“The chicken loves you,” I said through a mouthful of food.
Inkiri clicked. “Hmm. Birds are easy to please.”
“I’m easy to please.” I reached for the napkin Donna had pulled out of a dispenser on the counter behind her. “I’m just like a chicken.”
“What’d I tell you?” Vergis turned to his dad. “Chicken-brained twink gold digger. Isn’t the Loathly Lady supposed to be graceful, not stuffing their face with chocolate waffles?”
“Well, chocolate waffles never did feature in the myths.” Kinnek hummed. “Who knows? It might be a distinguishing trait.”
Donna tsked. “You two aren’t blaming us poor humans for our cravings, are you?”