Victor took a strip of dark silk out of his inside pocket. The little paper flower he'd promised to keep safe came out with it and caught on a button. He had crossed most of a ruined city without giving away his position, but getting four petals loose without losing his air of authority proved a bit much even for him. Felicity took the flower off his hands and put it on the shelf by the hearth.
"Are you planning to give me the silk as well, or do I have to come over there and earn it?" she asked. It felt good to stand up in a room full of men who wanted her and have the laugh that followed be hers.
"I thought you might let me put it over your eyes." Victor ran the cloth through her hand. There was a soft, hemmed edge her claws wouldn't catch in. "Would you enjoy guessing who'd got his hands on you, or would you rather see us coming?"
