Siban smiled and nodded.
Delphina threw down the rag. “You’re going to need a new gown for when you meet your new family.”
“What’s wrong with what I’ve got on?” Rell smoothed her hand over the black tunic. Thanks to Delphina and her mother’s cooking, she’d finally begun to fill it out. “They’re comfortable.”
“Nothing wrong with them, but don’t you want to look like a lady?” A wistful expression crossed Delphina’s face. “I know I would if I was ever lucky enough to meet my family.” She blinked a few times and then looked at Rell. “I’ve got a fair bit of skill when it comes to sewing and my daughter is an artist when it comes to embellishing fabric. She used to make extra coin by selling what she made in the market on Saturdays.”
Shame pinched at Rell. It was easy to believe that others hadn’t suffered as greatly as she had when she was a Bane. But when Delphina spoke of her life, Rell was humbled by the woman’s strength. “I’m sure she does beautiful work.”
Delphina beamed at the girl, causing Serena to blush.
“Perhaps I can start making the gown while you lot are gone.” The woman circumvented the island in the middle of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. “I’ll just need to take your measurements before you leave.”
Taken aback by Delphina’s generous gift, Rell struggled to find the right words. “Thank you. That’s incredibly generous.”
She waved a hand in the air. “It’s my pleasure.” She looked at Willa. “As long as your mum don’t mind me taking the reins on this. I don’t want to overstep my position.”
“Of course I don’t mind.” Willa untied the dirty rag from about her waist. “Perhaps Jacob has some old gowns we can repurpose.” She propped her hands on her hips and smiled at Delphina. “Or if we’re really lucky, maybe he’ll take us to the market to purchase everything we need. Jade told me about a little shop that carries the most amazing fabric.”
Lord Le Daun’s feeling for Delphina were apparent, but she was a bit more difficult to read. Unable to resist, Rell smirked and said, “I believe if you allow Delphina to ask him, you’ll get everything you need.”
The woman’s eyes grew wide and she sputtered an incoherent retort. Willa cupped a hand over her mouth in an unsuccessful effort to hide her smile. Obviously enjoying her mother’s discomfort, Serena giggled.
“Come now, Delphina,” Siban said, joining in the fun. “Surely you’ve seen the way he looks at you?”
“Lord Le Daun is a gentleman and would never be drawn to the likes of me.”
Willa’s expression softened. “You mean a beautiful woman who has turned his cold manor into a home again?”
Delphina opened her mouth to reply and then closed it, her gaze drifting to the wooden island. She scratched her thumbnail against the grain and fidgeted. “He couldn’t possibly fancy me.” She paused, sliding a glance to her daughter. “I’m soiled.”
For the first time since Rell had been turned, she felt a kinship with another female. In a rare urge to comfort, she stepped forward and took Delphina’s hand. “You are no more tainted than I am.”
The woman looked at her and swallowed hard. “But you didn’t have no control over being turned Bane.”
“And you didn’t have any control over your mother selling you to a pleasure house.” Whether from Delphina’s emotions or her own outrage, fury rolled through Rell. “Even though life was difficult, you not only survived, but cared for your children and put their needs above your own.” Rell inhaled, trying to get control of her ire. “You are not soiled.”
Serena wound her arms around her mother’s waist. “Mummy, you’re the best person I know.”
Delphina swallowed and hugged her daughter. “No, you are the best person I know, love.”
“Jacob Le Daun is lucky that you are in his life.” Trying to lighten the mood, Rell gave a half smile. “But I think he already realizes that.”
Siban chuckled. “As a matter of fact, I think you are the only one who hasn’t realized that.”
“Well…” Delphina straightened away from Serena and ran her hands down the front of her skirt. “The man must be daft.” She patted her hair. “I look like a scullery maid.”
Willa walked around behind Delphina and untied her apron. “Now, why don’t you freshen up and then go ask Jacob about buying supplies for Rell’s gown. I’m fairly certain he’ll say yes.”
Delphina bustled out of the kitchen, muttering to herself.
“If I know Jacob,” Willa said, “he’d give her the world if she asked.”
Siban squeezed Rell’s shoulder. “Love will do that to you.”
One more day and they would leave the safety of the warded grounds and head back into the world where Rell’s nightmares had originated. Knowing she would not be able to sleep much, she volunteered to take the first night watch with Siban and Meran.
The evening was unseasonably warm, the nip in the air tempered by breezes from the south. The buzz from night hoppers seesawed from the darkness, their mating song a comfort as Rell patrolled the perimeter of the warded boundaries of the manor.
This was the third watch she’d taken, but the first she’d actually done by herself. Siban’s constant vigilance rarely left her time alone. She stared at the night sky, realizing how much she enjoyed and needed privacy. Once social and outgoing, she now preferred solitude.
Keeping with protocol, she guided her Tell outward to the far corner of the warded area. All was as it should be. She let it seep beyond the distance she normally extended her powers. Always she endeavored to improve her skills, to become stronger, striving to regain the level of power she had experienced as a Bane.
Her senses ghosted across an aberration, instantly drawing her attention. No taint of Bane bit against her skin, but neither had she ever felt this kind of disruption in her surroundings.
A sparkle winked at the corner of her vision. She snapped her head to the right, but the object had disappeared. Again she sent her Tell toward the area she thought she’d seen the light. Her awareness flickered across the anomaly again and then it winked out.
Straining to see beyond the dark line of trees, she prowled the edge of the perimeter. Nothing appeared out of place. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that all was not as it seemed.
She crept along the warded barrier until she reached the opposite end. The sensation of a thousand stinging bees spread along her arms. Without warning, searing heat burned through her body and gathered in her palms. She fisted her hands, trying to control her Bringer reaction to a nearby Bane. Juna had explained what would happen when encountering demons, even going as far as saying the reaction would be swift and powerful. That seemed a bit of an understatement.
Rell stepped away from the border. Though protected by the wards, she couldn’t get careless and cross onto unprotected ground. Thin spindles of lightning sparked between her fingers and palm when she clenched and unclenched her fists, trying to get control of her power.
She inhaled a calming breath. The action soothed her nerves, but also brought with it a scent of the familiar. With a slow, silent exhale, she focused her awareness several yards beyond the ward near the forest. Her Tell slithered across the ground like an encroaching fog until it found the demon. Her pulse quickened. Though he had been lurking the night of her transformation, she’d not felt him since.
“Icarus?” She took a small step forward. “I know you’re there. It’s me, Rell.”
He glided out of the darkness, his black skin gleaming in the light of the near full moon, each muscle cut to perfection in the blue glow. His yellow eyes remained fixed on her and his strides closed the distance. He stopped a mere foot beyond the boundaries.
Silence stretched between them. His stare skated over her, taking in every inch of her human body. With caution, she opened her senses and tried to gauge his response. A chaotic consciousness filled her mind, crowding her soul. She staggered against the overwhelming force and slammed her mental shields down to block out the familiar and unwanted darkness in which the Bane dwelled. Now free from her demon form, she could no longer bear the suffocating touch of the desolation.