Mispronounce One Word is:
Ness slipped out of bed on bare feet, and moved toward the inner bedroom door across wood floors, worn smooth by years and hundreds of different guests’ boots. She had kept one of the towels tied around her as a makeshift dress before bed, hesitant to sleep naked in an unfamiliar place— their clothes were not meant to be returned until some time in the morning. She was grateful for that choice.
The bath was incredible. Ness moaned in simple ecstasy as she lowered herself into the hot water. After days— weeks? She had lost count— of living rough and of so much walking, the feeling was absolutely exquisite. She swore she would never step foot outside a city again.
Phaine stared down at the tankard of ale like she was a gambler and she thought the beer was bluffing.
It was difficult to converse with Mictlan while they walked back across the plains, which Ness thought was probably for the best— Mira did not seem to be in any mood for conversation. The three walked single file, back the way Mira and Ness had just come. They had a long walk ahead of them, and Ness was extremely unenthusiastic about it.
As Ness grew accustomed to her magically-enhanced sense of smell, she realized that she could discern not only Mictlan’s trail, and hints of the wild animals around them— but also the scent of Mira’s skin, silky and spicy, and the salt tang of her sweat. She ran harder, muscles burning despite the magic coursing through her. She ran hard enough that she couldn’t think of how good Mira’s skin would feel, with all of that energy surging through her.
“Ness, wake up.” … “Ness, come on!” The voice was urgent, quiet, and right next to her ear. Ness groaned exhaustedly, and tried to roll away from it.
“No no no no no no no no—” Ness was hugging her knees to her chest at the side of the trail, hyperventilating.
Mira rested her injured hand on Ness’s leg, and the power flowed into her; a still powerful stream, but manageable. Barely. She breathed deeply, careful to not let the pain radiating from her hand leak into her voice, or disrupt her metre.
Mira slumped against a tree opposite the one Ness was propped up against, defeated. She tried and failed to come up with any idea that had the slightest chance of working.
Chapter 8 — Misgivings The branch gave way and gravity ripped the other out of Ness’s hand, and then there was nothing but disorientation and tumbling. Her first thought was that she should’ve accepted her friends’ offer to teach her to rock climb. Her second thought, when she felt the back of her head hit a tree limb, was that the headache was going to be wicked. Before that idea could even fully crystallize, she was no longer thinking thoughts. ...