Chapter 4 preview
The clothes were… acceptable, she supposed. Melusine rubbed the fabric of the pants between her fingers, not sure what it was made from. Frankly, it didn’t feel like it would last through much travel, and as something that wasn’t tailored, hung awkwardly on her frame. Was there even tailoring anymore? It might explain why no one seemed to have clothes that fit.
Ereshkigal had spent most of the morning whittling her staff and carving in the reinforcement runes. Her face was blank as she did so—not the expressionless mask she usually donned, but a complete lack of anything that made her Ereshkigal. Cold fear tickled Melusine’s heart until the other woman blinked and confirmed she was still alive. It wasn’t even possible for her to… But they already had enough impossibility today…
It was a warm day, the middle of summer on the western continent, dry and full of pollen. It would be harvest season soon, probably had already started in places. She had helped people rake in bales of hay before, because sometimes, the only thing people needed from a Knight was the extra strength to put food on the table. There was something comforting about the smell, warm and inviting. Would that she could cloak herself in it and sleep the day away.
“Anyone have any ideas about what to do next?” Imatar drawled, obviously trying to make it seem like the answer didn’t matter. They leaned against a tree, hands folded behind their head. Melusine didn’t know where they found the string to tie their hair back.
“Resh,” she said, “Are you going to veil us from divination or should I?”
Ereshkigal’s eyelids fluttered, as if she was coming awake.
“I shall do it,” she said. “If you are sure it is necessary.”
Imatar pushed off the tree. “Maybe it’s not. There’s no way this Castle guy knows magic. We’re just hampering our efforts to find him.”
Ereshkigal stood and took her phone out of her jacket. “In this world, there are other ways.”
