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ould you look at this!” Feenaly gasped, holding my robes up to the light. I had forgotten to do something about it before I fell asleep, and now my skin underneath was stained, too. The horrified look in the mermaid’s eyes was a little amusing.
“Sorry,” I said. I sat there trying to think of what else to say, but luckily the mermaid was not listening. She gibbered something in mermish and dashed out of the room.
Alone now, I sighed. Last night at been the first time I had talked to Levent for anything more than a few clipped sentences, and it felt like progress. I grinned a little.
Feenaly reappeared as a pile of clothes with legs. Swiftly, she dumped the clothing on my bed and began shuffling through them. Selecting a red ensemble, she set it aside.
“You must have a bath, miss. Please cleanse yourself.”
I was directed down the hall and into a steam-filled room. The mermaid pushed me forward and swiftly shut the door. It seemed I had flustered her rather badly.
I removed my clothes and crawled into the inset bathtub in the middle of the room. Sinking into the near-boiling bathwater inch by inch, I eventually was submerged up to my neck. The water smelled fantastic – some blend of spices that was different from yesterday. It was lovely, but I felt like I was simmering in a stew. After a few minutes, I climbed out again.
“Feenaly?” I called through the door.
“Ah. Are you finished already, Miss Taimi? I’ve placed a towel and fresh robes by the door!”
Cautiously, I opened the door and snatched the clothing, quickly wrapping myself in the towel. As I changed into the new robes she had chosen for me, I realized that the red color made me feel like a walking apple. I shrugged. It was something I was just going to have to live with.
I walked out of the bathroom, flicking wet tendrils out of my eyes.
“Shall we?” She asked then, her dark eyes on mine. It felt like she was taking everything into those large pupils.
“I suppose. Sorry about the robe, by the way...”
I sighed. There was no way postponing this temple opening would do us any