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Magda looked up to see Odie trotting away from her, rushing to the bowls of water and food that Ravi had prepared. Ravi had also laid out an extra blanket for Odie to sleep on in the corner of his kitchen.

Suddenly, she noticed Ravi holding onto his left hand, and a gash ran along his fingers.

Magda stood to her feet. “You’re hurt!” she exclaimed.

“It’s nothing.” Ravi shook his head.

Magda crossed to him, examining his hand in hers. While it wasn’t actively bleeding, it was badly bruised, and a red line ran across his palm. If only she had healing powers right now.

Ravi winced in pain, pulling away. “Ow!”

“That’s your violin hand. Do you have bandages?”

“In the bathroom.” Ravi cocked his head to a door at the side of the kitchen.

Magda crossed to the door, opening it and stepping inside. It was smaller than the kitchen, with a shower, sink, and cabinet. Odie followed her, barely separating from her knees. Magda reached the cabinet, removing alcohol as well as bandages.

When Magda turned around, she noted Ravi had followed her into the bathroom. “This might hurt,” she said as she unscrewed the alcohol bottle, letting a whiff of the strong liquid clog her senses.

Magda looked sincerely at Ravi before taking his palm in hers, feeling his coarse calluses on his fingertips. Then she held his hand over the sink while she poured the alcohol over the wound. Ravi winced slightly, but didn’t make a sound.

Then Magda used the cloth to carefully bandage his hand. All the while, she was aware of Odie, pressing up against her leg. When she was done, she replaced the items in the cabinet.

“Thanks,” Ravi said, letting out a sigh of relief as he examined his hand.

“No. Thank you. For everything. How will I ever repay you?”

“You don’t have to.”

“But I almost got you killed,” Magda confessed.

“Neither of us could have known what would have happened,” said Ravi, “You got Odie back, and that’s what matters.” Ravi leaned down and scratched Odie behind the ear. The dog tilted his head into Ravi’s palm, his tail wagging.

Magda beamed as she looked at Odie, who hadn’t left her side since leaving Vex’s hideout. He was dirty, with matted fur and blood sprayed onto his snout. Then Magda turned to the mirror above the sink. She too, was splattered with red-wine stains, blood, and dirt. Her silver hair was in a tangled mess, the half-back style almost fully undone.

“By the guardians, I need to bathe,” Magda let out.

“Help yourself,” Ravi gestured to the tub behind them. He grabbed a towel from a hook on the wall and tossed it to her.

Magda caught it abruptly.

“I’ll be outside,” said Ravi, heading into the kitchen before shutting the door behind them.

First, Magda drew the bathwater, which she assumed came from a communal tank for the surrounding houses. It wasn’t as hot as she liked it, but at least it wasn’t ice-cold. Then she took a sponge from the cabinet, dipped it into the bath water, before bathing Odie, ensuring that his coat and nose were a shiny color once again. She knew he wouldn’t enjoy getting into the bath, and she would rather not make a mess in Ravi’s house tonight.

Then Magda slipped out of her stain-ridden dress, letting it slip from her shoulders and onto the floor before removing her corset and other undergarments. She submerged her body into the bath, and the luke-warm temperature was refreshing in the sticky, Flaustran heat.

For a moment, she had an ounce of respite. Her fingers traced through the water, remembering the mystical waterfalls and fountain displays that her father and brother had always put on for show. The people of Azurem loved magic, and they loved the entertainment of it, as if it was a welcome distraction from the days in the mines and the illnesses plaguing the kingdom. As she soaked, she let her other hand fall to the side, petting Odie. He had his chin propped against the bath, his tail wagging, clearly never wanting to leave her side again.

When Magda had scrubbed the dirt from her body and hair, she got out of the bath, wrapping the towel around her bare shoulders. Then she remembered—she had left her knapsack and belongings at the inn, and she didn’t have a single change of clothes.

Magda peaked her head out of the bathroom door, standing in the towel. “Ravi—do you have something I can wear?”

“On it,” he called from upstairs.

“Odie, go fetch,” Magda ordered her dog.

In a flash, Odie was darting up the spiral staircase. In an instant, Odie returned to the bathroom, a shirt and pants between his teeth.