Iannis and I exchanged amused glances. “You can always sleep later,” he said, laughter in his voice, as he turned to find the familiar flask and glasses. “Here, give some of this to your friend as well. We don’t want either of you falling asleep during the ceremony.”
“Mmh,” Annia said as she drank the potion. “This stuff tastes pretty good. I’m already feeling a nice boost.”
“It’s too bad you missed the dancing tonight, but the wedding party the day after tomorrow will be even better,” I said as I pulled her to my sitting room, where her dress was hanging. “Now that you’re back in Solantha, and Noria is safe, are you going to resume working as an enforcer?”
Annia shrugged. “Eventually. It feels kind of strange, catching criminals when my own sister is a fugitive from justice. But maybe something more interesting will turn up.”
As she admired the dress, holding it up against her slim figure, Trouble came flitting into the sitting room on noiseless wings and settled on the back of a chair to observe what we were doing in the middle of the night.
“Here, let’s see how it fits.” Using a few Words, I magicked Annia’s travel-worn outfit to the sofa and put the bridesmaid dress on her. Annia slowly turned around, the silk skirt swinging with her movement.
“Prrrettty,” Trouble commented, approval in his high-pitched voice. Did he really have an opinion?
“You’re gorgeous,” I agreed, looking Annia up and down. The mysterious antique golden choker she never took off sparkled against her skin. “I hope the matching shoes fit, but if not, I can adjust them. My magic is pretty versatile these days.”
“So is mine,” she said, skimming a hand over the fabric. As I watched, the slight looseness in her waist and bust disappeared, the dress molding itself to her willowy curves like a glove.
I opened my mouth, questions bubbling in my throat, then closed it again. I was curious about her new abilities, which she’d never explained in detail, but could see that despite the potion, she was weary. And if I was honest, I was more eager for my bed than for answers. The questions could wait.
After settling Annia in a comfortable guest room, I stared at Trouble, who had come along companionably. “You, my friend, are clearly able to distinguish a pretty bridesmaid from an ugly one.”
“Prretty,” he repeated.
“Don’t act like you’re only capable of parroting. I know better.” I squinted, scrutinizing him with magic senses—now heightened and clearer, thanks to the knowledge that I’d absorbed from the Tua. Trouble had been intelligent and able to understand all along, I saw, but was hampered by a limitation I’d set when I first created him, because at the time I was intent on forming merely a stupid, temporary ether pigeon.
“Come here, Trouble.”
He squawked, then flapped his wings and soared over to me. As he settled on my left wrist, I caressed his throat with the fingers of my right hand, removing the limitation and strengthening his memory and vitality at the same time.
“Better now?” I asked.
“Much better, Sunaaaya. Thththannkss.” I grinned—his pronunciation was still bird-like, but that was the first real, complete sentence he’d ever uttered. He was capable of much more now, and I was looking forward to seeing what else he could do.
But not now, I decided with a yawn. It had been a very long day, and Iannis was waiting for me in our bed.
“Good night, Trouble,” I said, stroking him one last time as I headed for the bedroom.
“Good niiight, Sunaaaya.”
23
“You’re quiet tonight,” Iannis said as we sat in the carriage, on our way to yet another reception. “Is everything all right?”
I smiled. “I’m just thinking about how lucky I am to have you,” I said, leaning my head against his shoulder.
“As am I to have you,” he said, putting his arm around me in a gentle hug. I sighed a little, sinking into him, content to enjoy these quiet few moments while we still could. The reception we were attending tonight had been organized by the ancient Order of Master Mages, which Iannis had joined some five centuries ago. The event was going to be full of powerful mages—arrogant old coots, for the most part—who would no doubt look down their long noses at me because of my youth and lack of mage credentials. A mere apprentice marrying one of their senior members—I could just imagine their acidic comments. But I was determined not to let that spoil my mood. I’d promised myself that I wouldn’t be ungrateful for the life I had if I ever got back home, and I wasn’t about to break that promise now.
“It’s funny,” I said as I mused over the events of the past two weeks. “I thought about killing your grandmother more times than I can count while she had me in her clutches, but now that that’s all behind me, I almost feel grateful to her.”
“Oh?” Iannis lifted an eyebrow quizzically. “And how is that, exactly?”
“Well…” I took a moment to collect my thoughts. “Before she kidnapped me, I was feeling trapped by this new high-society life. All of this schmoozing and planning and dealing with responsibility…it felt like a cage, and like I would never be able to take a free day again and just enjoy life. But being held at Ta’sradala’s mercy reminded me of what a cage really is, and it’s not this. My life with you is a blessing,” I said, squeezing Iannis’s hand. “This whole ordeal has really put things in perspective for me.”
Iannis smiled. “Does that mean that the lady mages in attendance tonight do not have to fear for their clothing?” he teased.
“I’m not so sure about that.” I stuck out my tongue. “I know finally tying the knot will help, but it’s still going to take a lot of discipline to ignore all the naysayers. Especially after I’ve gone up against a Tua. I doubt any of these mages have even seen one, never mind gone up against one.”
Iannis nodded. “Now that Fenris has officially been pardoned and is safe”—Iannis had blackmailed the Minister into issuing that pardon by using an old but dangerous secret against him—“there is no more need to hide the extent of your magical knowledge. Perhaps we should just end your apprenticeship now, and be done with all that. I too am getting tired of all the criticism and negativity, especially since I know better than anyone else how woefully they underestimate you.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Does that mean I have your blessing to rattle some cages tonight?” My brain immediately began to conjure various possibilities…scenes I’d fantasized about during past moments of frustration.
Iannis chuckled. “I wouldn’t exactly say that,” he said as we pulled up in front of the manor gates. “But if the situation warrants it, I certainly don’t want to stop you. The last thing I want is for you to become some boring society matron.”
I laughed as the carriage door opened. “I can assure you,” I said to Iannis as I took the footman’s hand and let him help me out, “there is absolutely zero chance of that happening.”