Page 51 of These Fractured Bonds

She closed the door, an ache in her chest. She tried to remember Erick as she dressed, but nothing surfaced. It was sad to know that they hadn’t had the chance to become close; she had thought their easy rapport was born of their old friendship. She smoothed out the dress; it had a sweetheart neckline with ruffles that fell loosely around her hips. It ended mid-thigh, which was not weather-appropriate for the mountains. She walked out, barefoot, and raised an eyebrow.

Erick clapped. “You look hot!”

“I’m going to freeze,” she said blandly. She pointed at her bare legs and shoulders.

“Oh, right. I was supposed to give these too.” He handed her a fur shawl, socks, and knee-high boots.

She was still skeptical about the cold, but she took them anyway. Bri walked in as she slipped the final sock on.

“You’re looking healthy,” Bri said. “How did the treatment session go?”

Yareli hugged her. “Actually, I haven’t had a chance to ask.” She sent Erick a pointed look.

Erick said, “It went well. I managed to close a small portion of the wound.”

“I felt you going through my memories.”

He looked surprised. “You could feel that?”

Yareli nodded. He seemed to reassess her—his eyes narrowed slightly, but he otherwise kept his face neutral.

“I wasn’t looking at the memories’ contents. Rather, I was healing the shattered lines between your memories and your long-term storage.”

When Yareli and Bri didn’t say anything, Erick explained, “It’s hard to describe in concrete terms, but think of it this way. Your memories are stored in your long-term storage cabinet. When you pull one out, you have a string attached to it that places it in the correct folder. Your memories are scrambled because the strings between them and your filing cabinet became knotted, and some have even been severed.

“Undoing a knot is a lot harder than healing a ruptured line, so I started with severed lines. The tea helps loosen the knots and prepares them for more intense sessions where Iwillhave to put you under.”

Yareli turned to Bri. “So what he’s saying is that my memories are a mess, but they’re getting better.”

“You make it sound less cool, but yes,” Erick grumbled and returned to his tome.

Bri rolled her eyes at him. “Glad to hear it. Let’s get your hair done.” She motioned her to the bathroom, where a chair waited for her.

Yareli sat. “Thanks for doing my hair. I don’t really do much with it besides the occasional ponytail or braid.”

“You have beautiful, long black hair. You don’t have to do much for it to stand out.”

She blushed. Bri was not one to compliment easily. She took strands of Yareli’s hair into her palm, scrunching it lightly and letting it go. It spiraled downward into a perfect curl.

“It’s cosmetic magic,” Bri explained. “Quite popular across Izmari. Would you want me to do your makeup, too?”

Yareli nodded eagerly. “Is it semi-permanent?”

“It can be.”

“Please.”

Half an hour later, Yareli emerged from the bathroom feeling every bit the temptress Erick had argued she was. His opinionremained unchanged; he stood, clapping. “Stunning. Your dress is fire.”

She stared blankly at him.

His smile dropped. “It’s human slang. You look absolutely irresistible. If I weren’t your friend, then I’d definitely try to sleep with you.”

Yareli laughed. “Is that a high compliment?”

“He says that, but you wouldn’t be the first friend he’s slept with,” Bri interjected. “Be wary of his flirtations.”

“Funny you mention that,” Erick said, “because I recall you kept coming back for more.”