“Good, since you’re not thinking straight anyway. Come on. You don’t have anything I don’t see in the mirror every day.”

More hesitation.

“Fine,” Surreal said, turning around. “I won’t watch.” And it will give me time to brace myself in case there are any nasty surprises.

Silence. Then, finally, the sound of clothes being removed.

“All right,” Jaenelle said.

Surreal turned around. Stared. Frowned. Circled slowly to study Jaenelle from the back before continuing the circle until they were facing each other again.

“All right,” she said, “I’ll play the game. What’s wrong with you?”

Jaenelle’s mouth dropped open. “Look at me.”

“I am. What’s wrong with you?”

“I’m—”

“Skinny. You were always slender, but now you’re skinny.” Surreal tipped her head to one side. “Despite that, you’ve got a decent pair of tits and a nice ass.”

Jaenelle just gaped at her.

She growled in frustration. Jaenelle had picked a lousy time to become sensitive about her appearance. “You need to eat more to fill out a bit, need to start working out to build up and shape your muscles again. Lucivar can help with that.”

“He won’t,” Jaenelle said, looking away. “I asked him. He said no.”

“He’s going to help. Trust me.” Surreal picked up the robe and handed it to Jaenelle. “As for the rest, we’re going to Amdarh tomorrow.”

“But—”

“I heard of a new place that opened a few months ago. Pure female indulgence. Manicures, pedicures, massages, the works. We can even stay there, so we don’t have to bundle all the appointments together. The place even has shops.” She held up a hand before Jaenelle could grumble about shopping. “And you’re going to get your hair trimmed so that it has some style.”

“I was growing it out,” Jaenelle protested, one hand reaching up protectively.

“Which doesn’t mean you have to look shaggy,” Surreal countered. “And, yes, some new clothes. Something that fits. Not a lot since you’ll grow back into your former wardrobe, but enough to cover different activities until then.” She paused. “And then, once you look like you again instead of a stray wearing hand-me-downs, you’ll go to the town house and see Daemon. And you’ll tell him in direct, simple words that you are completely healed.”

“Then what?”

If you can’t guess how Daemon will react to that . . . She shrugged. “Then you’ll know the truth, one way or the other.”

Jaenelle sighed. “So what do we do today?”

Surreal gave her friend a knife-edged smile. “I’m going to have a chat with Lucivar.”

2

Smiling, Surreal waved Lucivar into Daemon’s study. She put a Gray lock on the door as she closed it, and by the time he turned to face her, she’d called in her crossbow and had it aimed below his belt.