“Is there any more of that…” She paused, then twirled her hand as if she could churn the answer from thin air. “Dammit, I just said the word. The zippy bean juice.”
“Do you mean coffee?”
She snapped her fingers. “That’s the one.”
I chuckled and nodded toward the kitchen. “It’s on the counter.”
Cherry slipped out of my arms to acquire more fast bean juice. Her gait was bouncy and significantly less cantankerous with the first cup doing its job.
“That’s it then?” I called after her. “We keep sightseeing until you decide to believe me when I say I don’t hunger for human flesh?”
She returned and handed me a cup of my own before sitting back down beside me. “Gotta better idea?” When I shook my head, she continued. “On that note, have you ever eaten a human?”
Oh gods.
Cherry’s body grew tense. “That’s an awfully long pause.”
“I don’t think so,” I whispered, filtering through countless battles in my memories.
She bit her lip, her eyes narrowing. “You don’tthinkso.”
Lie. Make something up, you dullard.
As if reading my thoughts, a look of hurt marred the warmth in her eyes. “Don’t lie to me.”
My treacherous mouth opened of its own accord and sang like a canary. “I’ve been in three wars. Two of them were behind Volsog’s gate, far away from humans. The first was against Myva’s army. Some of which were human, though it was impossible to tell underneath all the armor. Most of my time was spent in dragon form spewing fire on enemy lines and well…”
“Well?” she prompted.
“Everything tastes the same when it’s charred to a crisp.”
For a moment, she simply stared, then gave a slow blink. “And you thinkinnsare gross?”
Chapter 14
Cherry
Everything’s better with a pocket full of money. I know the saying is money can’t buy happiness, but I feel whoever came up with that never had a shopping spree on someone else’s gold. Cause I felt pretty damn happy.
“Try the spongy thing next!” Alexis called from her seat beside me. The other restaurant patrons kept sneaking glances at the talking sword, who was floating happily above the chair that had been pulled out for her. After she loudly demanded that a chair be pulled out for her. I wasn’t entirely sure what the point was seeing as she had no ability to sit, but it wasn’t my place to deny her happiness.
In truth, I think she just wanted to show off her fresh polish. Soon after Dante fell asleep, Alexis and I hit the town. The first stop being the blacksmith, who balked at the idea of touching a cursed object. A few silver pieces on his counter removed his prejudice, and he happily polished Alexis until she shone. Then threw in a fancy red sheath at her request.
The talking sword turned heads at most of the shops we visited. Not that I could blame them. But thankfully the people of Kirkwall were simple and the gold in our pockets gleamed brighter than any curse.
I moaned contentedly around the bite of flan. “Sweet dancing fireflies, it’s like a cloud in my mouth.” A drop of caramel drizzle landed on my new skirt, and I quickly wiped it away. The expensive fabric was softer than the fluff on a baby lamb and made my old clothes feel like a personal attack against comfort. Even the trousers underneath were fur-lined for added comfort.
The people of Kirkwall did fashion right. Back home, women’s clothing mostly comprised simple skirts and blouses, as our climate was far too hot for much else. But this far north, the dominant weather this time of year seemed to be colder than a witch’s tit in a brass bra, and the layered clothing offered more styling options.
My dress coat was a pretty pale blue, similar to the one that had been ruined in the harpy attack. Decorative lines adorned the edges of the sleeves, while a similar pattern raced along the hem. A pale sectioned underskirt sat on top of brown trousers for added warmth. In a wonderful bout of serendipity, I was able to find a red blouse that matched the boots Dante had bought me. It even came with a decorative sash around the middle to keep everything in place. All in all, the outfit made me feel fancy and fashion-forward while still being practical enough to travel in. I fucking loved it.
It wasn’t even just the outfit. Spending the day shopping and chatting made me feel like a real person again. When I stepped outside and heard the voices of people milling about the streets, I almost burst into tears. It’d been so long since I’d heard the voice of someone else who wasn’t a dragon or a sword. It may have just been an angry mother screaming about the price of tomatoes, yet it was still the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard. I was free, and I had Dante to thank for that.
“We should probably order something for Sleeping Beauty on the way back,” I said, shoveling another scoop into my mouth.
Alexis tilted ever so slightly to the side. “Oh right, I forgot about him.”
I laughed into a napkin at her nonchalance. “Isn’t he your friend?”
