CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Severn Island
Iliana~
By the time Jareth landed on Severn Island, Iliana would gladly have returned to her cold and weedy forest stream if only it had been possible. Although without the malevolent presence of the wight, their journey had been swift, it had also been pure misery. At least for her.
Clinging to Jareth’s broad scaly back was hard. Before they had gone a hundred miles her new paws ached and the pads were raw. That was bad enough. But she kept losing control of her dragon form and turning back into a frail woman.
The icy wind blew straight through her when she was human. Twice she almost fell off Jareth and only saved herself by gripping his tail with her legs. His scales tore the skin of her thighs and before she managed to return to dragon, she was colder than she had ever been.
As soon as Jareth stopped moving, she rolled off his back and realized that she had once again turned back into a woman. A naked woman. She could hear Lexi’s and Theo’s cries of surprise. Jareth stooped over her and picked her up. So he was also human. She closed her eyes. She could not deal with more drama.
All she wanted was to sleep. And maybe to eat when she had slept for four or five years. She rested her head against his shoulder – his naked shoulder. And kept her eyes firmly shut.
“We need blankets, Theo,” Jareth said calmly. “I’ve been flying for more than twenty-four hours straight. My mate is half-frozen. You can debrief us when we’ve slept.” He kept walking.
Despite her unhappiness, she must have gone to sleep right there in his arms, because the next thing Iliana knew, she was in a soft warm bed, covered with a fluffy blanket. Light was streaming through the window, but she did not want to wake up. She had been having lovely dreams. She was not yet ready to face reality.
Lexi’s voice spoke by her feet. “You’ve slept for nearly two days, my dear, you simply must eat something after your ordeal.” The princess sounded concerned and welcoming. “You can go back to sleep after you’ve eaten.”
At Lexi’s command, Iliana opened her eyes. Remembering her liege lady’s prudishness, she sat up cautiously, holding the blanket up to her shoulders. “G-good morning,” she stammered, bewildered by the princess’ solicitude.
“Theo is waking Jareth up.” Lexi spread a silky green robe on the end of the bed. “This is for you. The facilities are through that door, I’ll wait for you in the hallway and take you to breakfast.” She smiled broadly. “You don’t want to take too long, Jareth will be anxious.”
“T-thank you.” Iliana waited until the princess had left before putting on the robe. It stopped at her knees but it went all around her new body. The princess had lent her own robe to Iliana! What could that mean?
The mirror in the bathroom, however, confirmed her worst fears. She was no longer beautiful. Her hair was long, but it was limp and shaggy, the color a dreary brown. Her eyes now a sort of uninspired mixture between green and gray. Her figure was just ordinary. She was just another plain mortal woman. How was she to get Jareth to love such a dumpling?
If she hadn’t known that the princess was waiting for her, Iliana would have sat down and wept. She hated her new body and face. She hated being a dragoness. She had not liked Jareth drilling her hill. Not at all. And she very much feared she would have to endure it again, for almost certainly she was not with child. It was all very discouraging.
Lexi’s new friendliness was the most bewildering thing of all. Why was she being so kind? Not wanting to anger the princess, Iliana hurried through her bath and combed her hair with a comb she found on the counter. It was true that it looked a little shinier when it was wet. But how long could that last? Tying her sash tightly, she opened the bedroom door, and went to meet Lexi in her bare feet.
Lexi held out both hands in the most welcoming way possible. “I am Lexi Lindorm,” she announced.
Like a blow the realization that the princess did not know who she was swept over Iliana. “It’s me,” she whispered. “Iliana.”
Lexi’s hands fell. Her smile turned to a frown. “What have you done now?” she stormed.
“Hel gave me back my soul,” Iliana said pleadingly. “She unbound Rán’s work. I am now a mortal woman.”
“And a dragoness!”
“Well, yes. Jareth insisted.”
“Did he?” Lexi asked skeptically.
Iliana nodded. “It was very cold and we had no clothes, and he thought I would die if I did not become a dragoness. But I would have refused if I had only known the truth.”
“What truth would that be, faithless servant?”
“It always seemed that when the Lord Theodor wished to rut that you enjoyed it too,” Iliana said forthrightly.
“You’ve been spying on us!”
“I had no need to spy. If you are going to gambol unclothed in the forest, you should be quieter.” Iliana sighed. It had always appeared as if the princess enjoyed her husband’s attentions. But now she realized that Lexi had not wanted to be caught when she ran from Theo.
Lexi blushed. “You should have gone away when you heard us,” she said haughtily.
“Perhaps. Then I should not have been deceived. Or I could have summoned hail and saved you.”
“Saved me?” Lexi yelped. “I suppose I should be grateful for small mercies,” she muttered obscurely. She drew a steadying breath. “Iliana, do you not like it when Jareth kisses you?”
“I did. But not the rest of it. And now I am transformed. A mortal and a dragon. And there is no hope for me,” Iliana said despondently.
“You’ll feel better when you’ve had some food.”
On cue, Iliana’s stomach rumbled. “I am hungry. Jareth gave me an energy bar, but that was a long time ago.”
“He and Theo should be in the dining room by now.” For once the princess did not seem disposed to scold. Her lips were pressed tightly together, but Iliana thought she was trying not to laugh. Of course. She was relishing the dashing of Iliana’s hopes on the rocks of reality.
Iliana followed her mistress with dragging footsteps.