"Come on. It's this way!" Celeste gripped Estelle's hand tightly, pulling her down a street in Nimbus. Sienna followed close behind.
They were on their way to a clothing shop that sold Peregryn leathers. Estelle was surprised to hear that they weren't being sold in the Peregryn camp itself. Sienna had explained that while most Peregryns chose to live in the camp, there were those that settled elsewhere as well. This shop was built outside of the camp for those Peregryns, and was one of her friends' favorites.
"We should hurry," Sienna called. "We're meeting Mikael and Calden at the dance hall afterwards, remember?"
"I remember," Celeste laughed. She skipped along faster, forcing Estelle to increase her own pace.
Estelle smiled, watching Celeste's bouncing curls. The decision to go shopping was a last minute one. The day had been particularly hard. Seren reached out to Estelle through her daemati powers and following the conversation, Estelle had been struck by an unrelenting tide of homesickness.
Celeste and Sienna pestered her until she finally told them how she was feeling, and they'd decided to distract her. On their way out of the camp, they ran into Mikael and Calden, who mentioned they were also going into Nimbus. They'd decided to meet at the dancing hall after handling their individual tasks.
"Here it is!" Celeste pushed open the door to a modest shop nestled in between a shoe store and a restaurant. A bell rang overhead.
A brown haired Peregryn poked her head out from behind a desk. "Celeste! Sienna! It's been a long time since you two were in my shop. How can I help you?" The female came into the open, resting her hand on her round stomach.
"Hestia, I didn't know you were pregnant!" Celeste gushed, releasing Estelle's hand. "May I?" The female, Hestia, nodded and Celeste rested her hand against her stomach.
"Hestia used to live with us even though she's much older than we are," Sienna explained, leaning towards Estelle. "She left the camp years ago with her husband. They still answer the summons to fight as needed."
"This is our friend, Estelle," Celeste said, gesturing to her. "Estelle, meet Hestia Betan."
"It's nice to meet you," Estelle replied.
Hestia inclined her head. "You as well. So, you're interested in a pair of Peregryn training leathers? I thought nothing could top Illyrian leathers."
Estelle grinned. "Nothing can. This is just part of a deal I made with Celeste and Sienna. I bought them each a set of Illyrian leathers, so they owe me a set of Peregryn ones."
"Well, let's get you taken care of then." Hestia draped a measuring tape over her shoulders and motioned for Estelle to extend her arms.
She did so, letting the Peregryn take her measurements. "I'm not doing any custom orders right now, since the baby will be here soon. You'll be fine with choosing something off the rack?" Hestia asked. Estelle nodded. "All right. These ones should fit you." Hestia led her over to one rack of leathers. "The dressing rooms are right back there. Let me know if you girls need any help. I'm going to sit down for a while."
Estelle began to browse through the selection of brown and beige leathers. Some were solely brown. Some were solely beige. Others were a mixture, like Mikael's. What do you think? She asked the shadows.
The combination, they answered.
Are you saying that because you want to match Mikael or because you like how they look?
The shadows only laughed in reply. Estelle rolled her eyes before selecting the mixed colors. She entered a dressing room and hastily changed. Estelle took a moment to examine herself in the mirror.
The leathers were soft, compared to her Illyrian ones. They fit her just as snugly, but had fewer buckles. The leathers zipped up in the back and panels of material buckled around the base of her wings. There were a few decorative buckles down the front of the leathers. The pants were lined with pockets and hidden folds, perfect for discreetly placed weapons.
Estelle rotated her limbs and did a few stretches, testing the mobility of the leathers. They made even less sound than her Illyrian leathers. She stepped out of the dressing room and spun, letting Celeste and Sienna see.
"I like it," Sienna remarked.
"Your ass looks very nice," Celeste snickered.
Estelle snorted with amusement. "Thanks."
"What do you think?"
"I like them."
Sienna stroked her chin thoughtfully. "Keep them on. You can wear them to the dance hall and break them in a little bit."
Estelle furrowed her brows. "Will Hestia allow that?"
"Will I allow what?" Hestia's voice called from across the room.
Estelle grabbed her old leathers and weapons out of the dressing room while Celeste and Sienna explained their idea to the shop owner. They were already paying when Estelle rejoined them. Hestia smiled, handing her a bag. Estelle folded her old leathers up and placed them in it, then buckled Aesira to her back and Znaniya to her thigh.
"Come back soon, Girls!" Hestia called as they headed out the door.
"Make sure you let me know when the little one arrives. I want to see her!" Celeste laughed. The door closed behind them and they started towards the dance hall.
◦═══✦═══◦
Mikael stretched his wings over the back of his seat. Calden sat across from him, holding a drink. "I always forget how long they take while shopping," he groaned.
"You take just as long, Calden," Mikael laughed.
Calden raked his fingers through blonde hair with a smirk. "I have an excuse. I have excellent taste and I can't afford to cut corners when it comes to dressing myself."
"Of course."
"Have you talked to your father about your plan regarding Estelle yet?"
"Not yet. I want to make sure she's all right with it first."
"Good idea." Calden tilted his head as the doors opened. Celeste, Sienna, and Estelle strode inside.
Mikael straightened, taking in Estelle's new Peregryn leathers. "You're staring," she murmured, sliding into the seat beside his.
"Come on, Calden. Let's dance." Celeste took the male's hand and pulled him out of his seat. Sienna laughed, following them onto the floor. A heartbeat later, she'd found a partner of her own.
"You're right, Batsy. Black is your color," Mikael said. He swiped Calden's discarded drink and sipped it. "How do you like them?"
"They're softer and lighter than Illyrian leathers. They don't feel as sturdy."
"I know what you mean. Our leathers are made that way so that it's easier to wear the golden armor over them."
"Illyrians still wear armor over their leathers sometimes." Estelle snatched Calden's drink from his hand and downed the last of it. Mikael smirked. "Celeste and Sienna explained the Peregryn Rite to me the other day. They said you haven't completed it. Will your fathers not let you?"
Mikael clasped his hands together atop the table. "I haven't asked if I could attempt it yet. I know I'm not ready. I need to learn some restraint and increase my skills before I try."
Estelle regarded him thoughtfully. "I've been told similar things. Where's my shadow?"
In response, Umbra slunk up his arm and crawled up the side of his neck. Mikael bit his lip against a laugh. The shadow's movements were still ticklish. "I gave it a few rules to follow. So far, it has obeyed them."
Estelle's finger brushed against his neck as she lifted Umbra and pulled it away from him. "You mischievous little thing," she teased.
"You mean me or Umbra?" Mikael chuckled.
"Why would I mean you?"
"Because I let it stay and never told you."
Estelle narrowed her amber eyes. "Good point. I mean both of you."
"At first, I thought you might've sent Umbra to spy on me or something. I kept watching you to see if you acknowledged it. You never did."
"I never sent it. It came on its own accord."
"I guessed as much."
Estelle leaned closer, letting Umbra fall back onto his arm. "I don't mind if it stays with you. I can't do much to stop it anyway. Maybe it will prove useful to you."
"It already has." Estelle's gaze met his. "That night in Windhaven, I had this feeling that something was wrong, but I was trying to convince myself that I was worried over nothing. Umbra kept pulling me towards the door until I gave in and came looking for you."
Mikael studied her face intently, waiting for her reaction. There wasn't one. He continued. "I had no idea where to start looking for you, but Umbra seemed to know where you were. It guided me to you. When I went searching for your weapons later, it helped me find them too."
Estelle looked away briefly. "You were worried?"
"Yes. I kept telling myself that you knew Windhaven better than I did. I was just being paranoid. You were fine. But there was this feeling in the pit of my stomach that I couldn't ignore. Something was wrong. You weren't all right. I don't know how I knew, but I just...did."
Estelle didn't reply. She traced her finger around the rim of Calden's glass. A few shadows curled around her ears. Mikael couldn't help but wonder what they were saying.
"While you were asleep, I kept thinking of ways the whole situation could've been avoided, or how you could've gotten yourself out of it, even while drunk. I...I had an idea."
"What is it?" Estelle asked.
"Learn to control your magic better."
She shook her head. "I can't. Illyrian magic is wild and unpredictable. I can barely control it without siphons."
"If you haven't been given siphons yet, my guess is that you won't be given them until you pass the Blood Rite, and that could be a long time from now. Learning to control your magic without them will help you in case you're in another situation with Ze'ev, and give you even more control when you do receive siphons."
Estelle bit her lip. "Do you have any idea how destructive Illyrian magic can be?"
"Yes. I've researched it extensively since we got here. Estelle..." She met his gaze again. "I want to help you learn to control your magic. My father, Thesan, can help. He knows a lot about spells and magic. You might not gain total control, but you can at least gain some."
Estelle pressed her knuckles to her lips, thinking. "Will your father agree to help?"
Mikael nodded. "I'm certain he will."
"Then I propose a deal."
"What kind of deal?"
Estelle grinned. "You help me prepare for the Illyrian Blood Rite, and I'll help you prepare for yours." Mikael thought for a moment. "What do you say, Feathers?" She held out her hand.
"Deal." Mikael gripped her hand firmly. His eyes widened, feeling a tingle on his inner left wrist. He rolled his sleeve up and stared at the tattoo in surprise. It depicted a rising sun, peaked by three stars. "What is that?"
"A bargain tattoo. I've gained one too." Estelle held out her own wrist. Sure enough, a matching tattoo was inked on it. "It happens whenever a denizen of the Night Court strikes a deal with someone. The magic holds us to our word and there can be dire consequences if a deal is broken. The tattoo might disappear when the deal is complete, or it will remain while the bargain magic fades."
Mikael ran his thumb over the mark. "All right, Batsy. A deal is a deal. We'll talk to my father about your magic tomorrow." Estelle nodded, her smile only growing.