Kyana Of Cintra

49

Yennefer listened to every single beat of Kyana and Geralt's hearts, watching their chests rise at every intake of breath. Geralt raised a huge bag with the djinn seal inside, showing it to her. "He was attacked by a djinn." Geralt told her. Yennefer's eyes immediately widened, as if an idea had come into her head.

"A djinn?" She asked, trying to get her thoughts together as a plan formed.

"Whatever's wrong with him, it's spreading. Fix it, and I'll pay you. Whatever the price." Yennefer took the bag from him, opening it and walking back up the stairs. She saw the powerful wizards seal, her mind racing through what she can do with this power.

"You'll have to do better than juice." Yennefer mused. She turned to Kyana, a small smirk playing at her lips. "If you are the most powerful, use it. Open your mind to mine. Try and find the word to break the spell." Kyana's eyes widened in disbelief.

"I beg your pardon? You want me to what?" Yennefer turned, her dress fluttering around her ankles as she did so. 

"I'm sorry, did I stutter?" Kyana was taken aback by her sudden burst of sass, yet it was surprisingly welcome. "I meant what I said. Open your mind. Use your power to see the word."

"I can't do that, what if I hurt you?" Yennefer grinned.

"You'd have to be pretty damn powerful to hurt me. Try." Kyana watched her warily, her eyebrows cast downwards at the challenge. She sighed in reluctance. Kyana took an uneasy breath, her eyes closing slowly and her mind clearing. She had no idea what she was doing, although once in a while small whispers entered her mind. She listened for them, any of them that sounded like Yennefer, and was rewarded.

Kyana's eyes flew open. "Ragamuffin." As if Kyana had cast a spell of her own, everyone in the room stopped what they were doing, looking at one another in disbelief. Couples stood, desperately trying to find something to cover themselves. Kyana's eyes widened, unsure of how she did that. Yennefer grinned in satisfaction, her hips swaying gently as she walked.

"Follow me." She beckoned, her hand fluttering like a leaf in the air. Geralt retrieved Jaskier, following the witch through the halls, like a maze of brick and wealth. Once they had placed Jaskier in a bed, Yennefer ordered them to leave and wait in the kitchen, which the pair did while grumbling under their breath.

Geralt broke the silence between them. "How did you do that?" Kyana's gaze snapped up to his, leaving her daydreaming state. 

"I don't know. I stopped thinking about things, and I heard whispers. I listened to the one that sounded like Yennefer. I've never done that before in my life, have you?" Geralt shook his head no, observing her with newfound curiosity. 

After around ten minutes of the Witchers finding it impossible to sit still and wait patiently, Yennefer emerged from the shadows. "He's in a deep healing sleep." She stated gently, the black lace mask gone from her face, her hair still tied up intricately.

"How long will he sleep for?" Geralt asked impatiently, keen to return to the road. The earrings Yennefer wore glinted with the light of the fire, accentuating her high cheekbones and violet eyes.

"Long enough for you both to bathe." She placed bundled clothes on the table in front of them both, the sizes seemingly correct. Geralt frowned, inspecting the fabric that had been thrust into his hands.

"How did you-" He cut himself off. "Oh, right, magic." Yennefer gave him a small smile of confirmation, her red lips curling. "And I hardly think bathing in this house is going to leave us any cleaner." He referred to himself and Kyana.

"I insist. I cannot only guess the age and breed of your horses, but also their colours." She hesitated, her nose scrunching in dislike for a small second. "By the smell."

Kyana laughed at her audacity, picking up the clothes in one hand. "How flattering." Kyana walked around the table, stopping besides Yennefer and tilting her head down to meet her gaze. "Lead the way."

*****

After the bath was drawn and steam floated through the air, Geralt had gotten into the tub of steaming hot water, while Kyana sat in a white silk robe Yennefer had lent her. Kyana sat on a cushioned windowsill, reading by candle and moonlight. In her hand was a book written entirely in Elven. Although Kyana could barely read it, her eyes picked out bits of a sentence so she could understand. For the past year, Kyana had been trying to learn how to speak Elven. It kept her occupied, and Geralt found it funny when her nose was constantly in a book.

Geralt's hand swayed in the water, watching Kyana in the mirror in front of him, her hair falling onto the pages of the book and her strong, bare legs crossed over each other. He was in a world of his own as he observed her, so much so that Yennefer physically startled him when she spoke.

"Fishing for a djinn seems an extreme measure to remedy sleeplessness." His gaze shifted from the mirror to the water, watching it ripple and move to accommodate his body. 

"When extreme measures seem reasonable, yes, I'm desperate." Yennefer, who watched him from her place not ten feet away, looked down to her white silky dress. She had evidently picked a very revealing dress to wear, and Geralt couldn't tell if it was to catch his attention or Kyana's.

"And yet you didn't ask me to help you with that." Geralt gave a small chuckle, his deep voice vibrating the tub around him.

"Looming death kind of jumped the queue." Yennefer smiled, letting out a small laugh of her own. "Now I'm wondering if we can afford you. Have I accidentally agreed to indentured servitude?" Yennefer paused for a moment, her elbow meeting the floor to prop herself up in order to look more attractive, an action Kyana rolled her eyes at. Yennefer looked at the scars on his biceps, noticing more than just one. Her gaze diverted to Kyana, who's legs were scarred.

Kyana could see Yennefer's eyes wander, placing a leaf in the book to keep her page and setting it aside. Kyana unfolded her legs, placing both feet on the cold stone. "It's okay, you can ask about them. Many do." Yennefer commanded Kyana's gaze to meet her own, purple against silver. Yennefer stood, pulling the dress up to carry it around her thigh.

"Everyone else is boring." She stated, standing before Kyana and gripping her hands gently, pulling her to her feet. "Come, join us" Kyana rose an eyebrow, but complied.

"You speak as though we are doing nothing more than having tea." Kyana joked, to which Yennefer gave her a small grin. Most of the emotions behind Kyana's stoic eyes lurked in her thoughts, her sweet, spiraling thoughts that Yennefer could read as quickly as she could click her fingers.

"Surely someone of your beauty isn't ashamed of her body?" Kyana's features softened.

"Of course not." Yennefer dropped the dress, the white, glittering fabric twirling around her ankles. She remained completely unashamed, flaunting herself confidently. Kyana's hard eyes didn't once stray from Yennefer's face, yet Yennefer found great amusement in hearing Kyana's thoughts scream in confusion and slight panic. 

"Then what's the problem?" Yennefer replied, her words like hands coaxing the robe away from Kyana's body.