Page 57 of A Yulean Sister’s Guide to Getting Kidnapped

“No thank you,” I said. “Just picking up a few mending supplies.”

She nodded. Her hair fell in braids around her, pointed ears sticking out from them on the sides. They were lined with gold jewelry all the way down, matching her deep skin color well.

“Excellent. Just so you know we’re having a sale on our small cut fabric that’s perfect for patching.”

“Wonderful, thanks.”

I perused the store, taking stock of what I would need. The kit I had was useful, but it only got me so far. I knew I needed a few other things.

There was a basket to shop with when we walked in, and I grabbed it, filling it with different colors of thread, some different needle sizes, and a tambour frame to stretch the fabric over.

And I couldn’t pass up the sale on small cut fabric. It was obvious tears were common on the ship, so stocking up would be best. The fabric squares were organized in a range of color and material. I sifted through carefully, trying to find good matches and neutral colors that would be useful universally.

If Shadowhart had feet, I’m sure he’d be tapping one of them at me. Instead, he followed me around listlessly, his arms crossed and looking for any means of escape, as if we were in a dungeon and not a fabric shop.

Though he didn’t have a foot to tap, he did have a tail to rattle, and rattle it did. The floor was wood, and the sound bounced off it through the shop.

“Your impatience is showing.”

“You said five minutes,” he replied.

I shrugged. “Can’t rush sorting.”

“You can if you decide you don’t need it.”

“But I do need it,” I argued. “A small sewing kit will only get you so far.”

He grumbled, but didn’t argue, the only protest being the flick of his tail.

“Have you always done that?” I asked.

“What?” he said, turning his attention to a jar of buttons on the shelf.

“The rattling.”

He paused, as if he just noticed his body moving on its own, and tucked his tail up and between where he was coiled up.

“No,” he said. “I used to, but I had stopped.”

“Doesn’t seem that way,” I said.

He didn’t answer. Part of me wanted to prod further, but I didn’t. That would put me in the line of fire for questions I didn’t want to answer either.

Once I sorted my selection, I took it to the counter to ring up. I had a satchel with some coins in it from my bag, but Shadowhart was quicker, placing the amount needed on the counter.

“I can pay myself,” I insisted.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “Keep the change.”

The shop keeper was obviously pleased. “Thank you.” She bagged everything up as I tucked my satchel away.

We stepped back out onto the street, Shadowhart carrying my bag since he’d insisted.

Only a few doors down was a dress shop, exactly what I was looking for.

“I’m going to stop for a second,” I said, moving towards the door.

“No more stopping,” he said, trying to press me forward. His hand touched the small of my back. The touch was warm, working up my back like growing vines.