Page 12 of Silver (Shunned Mages #2)

Silver

It had been easy to convince Xari and Niam to make a ward around our trailer, too, making it silent as well.

I didn’t want them hearing us, and I knew they felt the same.

I was also looking forward to our long talks about everything and nothing, something that was just ours.

Something that didn’t involve Niam and Xari.

“Honestly, that’s my only concern whenever we’re fighting,” Xari finished.

We were talking outside the van while Wilston and Niam talked about the different kinds of fish the lake held.

Wilston seemed to know a bit about fish and felt he knew enough to be able to tell if they were edible or not, not that Niam couldn’t, but it seemed like a good chance for both to carry a conversation, something I knew Niam had been waiting for since we’d found Wilston.

“Seriously?” I replied. “If it bothers you so much, then why don’t you stop using it for a couple of days?” Niam had apparently once hit him in the face and he kept fearing it would happen again.

“Oh, it’s hard to get it back in even just after a few days without,” Xari shrugged. I did, too, not knowing much about nose piercings to truly give my opinion on it.

Niam gasped from the small distance between us. “Xari!” he exclaimed, looking mortified. “You can’t just talk about our sex life like that! I know it’s not exactly a private matter these days, but damn, keep something sacred!”

Xari and I looked confused at one another then both said, “What?”

“What do you mean what?!” Niam gestured wildly with his hands. “Don’t talk about my asshole, you asshole!”

I burst out laughing, Xari following right behind as we fell to the ground crying with laughter.

“Don’t laugh at me!” Niam stomped his foot with his hands fisted at his sides, clearly fuming at us.

Xari seemed to know that now was the appropriate time to stop, having emotional reading was truly useful sometimes. “Baby,” he said, holding both hands up. “We were talking about my nose piercing.”

Wilston boomed out a laugh from behind Niam, which only started me and Xari again.

Niam seemed too embarrassed to join us, but he smiled shyly and shook his head at the whole situation, waiting patiently for us to stop laughing.

I’d never heard Wilston laugh so loudly and uninhibitedly before. It was amazing to witness.

I shook my head, smiling widely as I got back on my feet.

“We should get some sleep,” I told them as we all tried to reign in our laughter.

I walked over to our makeshift bathroom.

It was a wooden house Xari had built; its intent was for us to have a place where we could brush our teeth and wash our hands.

It had a container of water we could use.

Niam just had to refill it daily. Xari had also built us an outhouse at the edge of our enclosure, and he had to do a daily cleanse, which meant he used his earth magic to drag our waste down into the ground.

It wasn’t glamorous or anything, but it was useful.

Niam and Xari preferred to bathe with Niam’s magic, but I didn’t want to show them my goods, so I would bathe in the lake with some natural soap, or have Xari make a bath that Niam could fill for me.

That actually sounded perfect! And something we could all very much use.

I was doing my best not to rub my hands together and cackle evilly as I planned something for me and Wilston.

I just needed Xari’s help first and then Niam’s.

I brushed my teeth and hurried over to Xari.

“Hey, I have an amazing idea and I need your help.” He always seemed eager to hear whatever ideas I came up with, so he followed without question.

I led him to the end where we’d made our small garden.

“I need you to build a big bathtub. And then make a privacy fence around it. Oh, and it needs to be big enough for two.”

The smile that spread across his face was pure mischief. I quickly added. “I will be the first to use it. Hopefully with Wilston.” No way was I letting them break in the new tub. It was my idea after all.

He huffed. “Fine,” I’ll add a ward around it, too, so whoever uses it can do so without others listening in.

” He shot me a wink and began crafting, making the tub out of porcelain and adding the fence right after.

He was quick when he built stuff now. Clearly the many things I’d made him make us had helped him practice plenty.

“I’ll grab Niam to get him to fill it with hot water,” I said, walking back to the van.

When Niam was informed and eagerly followed my orders, I went to search for Wilston. I found him waiting for me in our trailer. I poked my head in, “Want to bathe with me before bed?”