Page 125 of The Freedom You Seek

“Let’s build camp in here. We can look around Amalach after some rest, and depending on how things go, start with the preparations for the Rite later today or tomorrow?”

“Are you actually making a suggestion instead of giving me orders?”

“We’ll be a team, won’t we? Guess I need to meet you somewhere in the middle. If I have to fight you every fucking day for the rest of my life, I’ll be miserable.”

My heart fluttered in my chest at his admission. Not only was he trying to alter his behavior to make this work for me as well, but I also had to admit that the thought of a connection only ending in death slowly lost its horror. Even though both of us agreed we’d never be anything else but platonic with each other, the thought of having Dion close for as long as possible warmed my soul.

“Yes, we are. And I approve of your plan.”

I climbed after Dion through the half-collapsed doorway leading into the ruin. Part of the roof was caved in, but the rest gave a solid and safe impression. We crossed from the antechamber into a mostly empty room and headed for the second door on the left.

Upon entering the room—a bedroom—I couldn’t help but stare, as none of the furniture was damaged or rotten. The carpet was dusty, but plush and soft. The wooden bed and wardrobe hadn’t been touched by the destructionof everything around us. Even the bedding looked usable. “How?”

“This must have been a house owned by a fae. For them, it’s often customary to use magic to protect certain rooms like bedrooms or especially nurseries. The magic at work here must be either exceptionally strong or the Wielder who created the protection got away and is still alive.”

I nodded, trying to wrap my head around the fact that magic could preserve an entire room for two hundred winters. “Why didn’t they protect the entire city like that?”

“Such shelter wouldn’t have saved Amalach’s people. The power that was at play during the destruction was different. The weapon targeted life itself—the decay of the buildings outside appears to be more like an effect that had happened over time because no one had been maintaining those structures. And apart from that, no one has that kind of power, Naya. The Wielder who protected this bedroom must have sacrificed a permanent part of their magic so the sheltering effect could last that long. Else, without refreshing, the protective magic should have collapsed a long time ago.”

“Permanent—like my dagger?”

“Yes, just like that, but on a completely different scale.”

I grabbed a piece of cloth lying on a small cabinet and wiped some dust from the surfaces to keep myself busy. “You brought your bag.”

“Yes. Remember, I was warned we might have to travel from one moment to the other, so I carried some essentials withme at all times.”

“That’s why you took your bag into your bedroll during the last few nights.”

Dion grinned, giving me another chance to admire his dimples before he turned to the wardrobe and rummaged through its contents. I couldn’t help but frown.

“It feels wrong to go through other people’s belongings.”

“We’re the first people here in two centuries, and I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to sleep in linens that have been lying out in the open for two hundred winters.”

“On second thought, go ahead.”

I put down the now very dusty towel and sauntered over to Dion, who was rifling through the contents of the wardrobe.

“Here, look at this. Do you like it?” Dion asked and handed me a bundle of cloth. The silky material was extremely soft and in a vibrant purple-to-black hue. I untangled the fabrics to find out what it was I was holding.

“So many layers.”

Dion chuckled. “Yes. It’s a ceremonial dress. I found it in here and thought maybe you’d like to wear it for the binding part of the Rite? If it fits, of course.”

“Don’t you think it’s wrong to wear something that’s not mine?”

“Again, the owner hasn’t been here to claim it back in many winters.”

“You’re right. Have you also found something for yourself?”

“Not yet, but I’ll search for more salvageable places and hope I’ll find something adequate. Can’t look like amercenary who never changed clothes once in months while you dress up as a lady.”

Dion had a smile on his face, and it was nice to see him more relaxed. I could still sense some underlying tension mirroring my own, but it was as if we had a silent agreement to try to put each other at ease.

I folded myself into the open wardrobe door next to Dion and pulled out another dress. It was much simpler than the ceremonial gown, and the cut was not so different from one of the finer dresses my mother wore when she accompanied my father to work dinners. The smooth cotton was bright turquoise with aqua lace decorations, and I also found a silky white chemise to wear underneath it.

I stepped away from the piece of furniture and turned my back to Dion. “Keep your eyes on the wardrobe.”