Rowan stood in the bath and raised an arm to examine it. Before he could decide whether anything looked different on his body, a rotten smell caught in his throat.
He gagged, grabbed the rim, and pressed his other hand over his nose.
Celeste and Adrian were watching him without the slightest discomfort.
He looked at them with surprise and disgust on his face.
"Can't you smell that?"
"We're using Aether to block it out," Celeste said.
Rowan looked down at the black residue coating his skin. He nearly retched again.
Celeste covered a laugh with her hand.
"I had the same reaction after my first bath. Go on, the shower's through that door."
He didn't wait to be told twice.
Several minutes later, he returned scrubbed clean and dressed, turning his hands over as he walked. His skin was clearer, but his arms hadn't grown. He had expected muscles, perhaps broader shoulders, but the change was easier to feel than see.
