by Everly Frost
“What is this?”
“My personal bathing chamber. There’s a bath in the next room.”
“Good for you.” I fold my arms across my chest. “Can I go now?”
“You need a bath,” he says, his nose wrinkling. “Badly.”
I scowl at him. I’ve been dirty and stinky for days. “Why do you suddenly care if I’m filthy or not?”
“You need to be clean for tomorrow.”
“To head back into the tunnel?” I scoff. “I’ll be dirty again in seconds.”
“You aren’t going into the tunnel tomorrow.”
All humor dies in my throat. I press my fist to my heart. “But tomorrow’s the last day of the week. I have to help my team.”
“Not tomorrow.”
“Wait a minute—”
“Only you would argue against a day off.”
I wrench my hand from my chest, glaring at him. “Because I’m worried about what I’ll be doing instead!”
“You’ll find out.” He jerks his head in the direction of the bathing room. “Now get inside and bathe.”
I storm across the anteroom and grip the handle as he follows me inside. “You know what would help me more than a bath?”
He growls in exasperation. “What?”
“A blanket. It’s freezing cold at night and I don’t have wings to keep me warm.”
“Well, you’re getting a bath instead.”
There’s no point arguing. In fact, I’m surprised he’s let me argue this long. I shove open the door and enter the bathing room expecting to see some sort of water cascade forming a shower of sorts. I’m surprised to find an actual bath. What’s more, it’s full to the brim with water.
When I cross the distance and run my hand through it, it’s warm. Not lukewarm, but toasty warm. A warm bath. A real bath. A small piece of heaven. I almost moan in anticipation of sliding into it. I clamp down on my excitement before Cassian catches my happiness.
Plastering myself with a cloak of disdain, I say, “Okay I’m here. You can go now.”
Instead of vacating the room, he closes the door, takes a seat on the chair beside it, and kicks his boots out, crossing one foot over the other.
Denying what my eyes are telling me, I try again. “Are you leaving or…?”
“Or.”
My eyes narrow so much that the edges of the room blur. A quick glance left and right tells me there’s nothing in this room I can use to force him out. Other than the chair he’s sitting on, the bathing room contains a bench with clean clothing and a towel folded on one end of it, a cake of soap resting on top of them. A bucket sits beside the bath. It’s metal. Could be used to knock him out. Maybe.
He casually pulls out the bone lash again. I’ve never seen one in action, but the gargoyles are genuinely afraid of it. I guess if Llion designed it, then it’s destined to be an efficient weapon.
“I’m not letting you out of my sight. Now bathe,” Cassian orders.
I grind my teeth together and blow out an exasperated sigh.
“Fine.” One thing at least, I’m not afraid he’ll try anything. Purely because I’m an elf. Howl’s mocking comments about my fertility and his contempt for half-breeds would cause Cassian to think twice before attempting anything his leader wouldn’t like. At least… I don’t think Cassian will try anything.
I slip off my boots, unbutton my shirt and pants, and rip them off. I hurl them at the empty end of the bench. They hit it with angry slaps. My underwear follows next. Slap-slap.
I plant my hands on my hips. He wanted me naked. Well, I’m naked.
He jumps to his feet, sapphire eyes wide, clearly taken back. I suppose he thought I’d at least attempt to cover up.
Show’s not over yet, buddy. Because there’s no way I’m getting into this beautiful bath without washing off some of the dirt first. Otherwise, the water will turn brown with grime and I really don’t want to soak in mud.
Hurling daggers at him, I snatch up the bucket, drag it through the water, and pour it over myself. As the water rushes over me I have to fight the urge to close my eyes and soak it up. It’s been far too long since I had a good wash. I keep a good grip on the bucket in case he tries anything. I might even carry it into the bath with me just in case I need to use it as a weapon. I’m not sure how I’d feel about using the tangle on him while I’m naked—could be a bit awkward—but I’m prepared to break his arm if I have to.
Rivers of dirt run around my feet and disappear underneath the bath. Rushing water tells me there’s a drain beneath it. It’s a good thing or I’d now be standing in a large puddle.
As I scoop up another bucketful, a soft click sounds behind me. I look up in time to see the door close and Cassian is gone. The water sloshes in the bucket back and forth for five counts before I’m convinced he isn’t coming back.
I sag against the side of the bath.
Now I can count the number of males who have seen me completely naked at… two. I scrub my eyes, pretending that the hot water trickling down my cheeks is from the bucket and not tears.
I want to hear Baelen’s voice. I want him beside me. I crave his touch. His hands. His chest. His sexy half-smile that makes my heart flip around in my chest. Him. I can defend myself, fight for myself, but I’m tired of doing it alone.
Badenoch said that he’ll do anything not to find a heartstone, but I’m not sure I have any other choice. I have to free Baelen and heal him. To do that, I have to find a heartstone. And give it to Howl. Which will make him stronger than he already is. My shoulders slump. There’s no way to win this.
Alone now, I take the time to scrub my body and hair thoroughly with soap before I slide into the bath. I leave the bucket outside it but within arm’s reach just in case. I fully immerse myself, allowing the immersion to soothe my senses and halt my thoughts. I remain in the bath for another ten minutes, until the cooling water forces me to get out.
The world rushes back in as I slosh out of the bath. I dry myself as fast as I can and squeeze as much water from my hair, rubbing it with the towel. It might not have been a good idea to wash it given how cold it gets at night. The idea of trying to sleep while icicles form in my hair is not appealing.
When I exit the bathing room, Cassian waits on one of the seats, leaning forward, elbows on his knees, wings curved around his sides. I make enough noise to draw his attention, but he fixates on a point on the opposite wall, unusually subdued.
He says, “I didn’t expect you to do that.”
I assume he’s referring to my earlier display of nakedness. I retort, “You thought I’d try to cover up, at least turn around, get into the bath fully clothed maybe?”
“Something like that.” He lifts himself from the seat, revealing a blanket in his arms. He turns to face me, his chiseled features appearing drawn and unsettled. “I didn’t see it before, but now I do.”
“See what?”
His eyes flash to mine. “Why Howl finds you intoxicating.”
He passes me the blanket and I clutch it close to my chest. It’s time for me to get out of here. He isn’t blocking the doorway. I can walk straight past him. I head for the exit as fast as I can.
Outside, a flash of movement from the direction upward and to my right draws my attention to the bathing house roof. My eyes widen as I recognize Llion and Roar perched above me, foot claws gripping the edge, pickaxe in hand, ready to leap down if they have to. Cassian is still inside and hasn’t seen them. I shake my head, hoping they’ll read it as: I’m okay. He didn’t touch me.
The last thing I want is for a fight to break out. Especially when I’m okay.
They slink back into the shadows as Cassian follows me out. He didn’t see them.
I focus on my feet and keep walking. According to Cassian, something is happening tomorrow that apparently requires me to be dirt-free and smell like vanilla-scented soap. I race back to the space below the hammocks where many of the males are taking flight to bed. When Llion appears like normal
and flies me up to my hammock, I tell him everything that happened, including my brazen behavior.
“I guess General Cassian didn’t see that coming,” Iago cackles. He was listening in from the hammock at my feet. Llion doesn’t say anything as he reaches across from his hammock, one hand gripping the side of mine. I curl my hand inside his big palm and pull the blanket over myself, right up to my ears. It’s thick and eases the chill seeping through my limbs.
“We’ll miss you in the mine tomorrow,” Welsian says from the hammock at my head. “We’re putting up the supports. But we won’t find anything while you’re gone.”
Was I scared that they might? That I wouldn’t be there in case they unearth a heartstone? “What do you think will happen if we find a heartstone?” I ask. “Does our whole team get back what we want—or only one of us?”
My question hangs in the air. Nobody has an answer.
19
The next morning, Cassian orders me to wait in the open area in the center of the Cavity while my team and the other gargoyles disappear into the tunnels. A group of guards remains around the opening to the shaft. Another group forms a crescent behind me. Security seems much more alert today.
Once the miners are well and truly out of sight and the faint sounds of clanging metal indicates they’ve started work, Cassian signals a guard waiting at the entrance to the Cavity—the bottom of the ramp with the mine carts attached to it. The guard flies up and out of sight and I can only assume he’s flying to the surface.
We wait another five minutes.
A breeze kicks up around me moments before a strong whooshing sound reaches me. It’s different to the hum I heard when Cassian brought the King’s bones to the food hall for choosing.
This is wings. Lots of wings.
A swarm of gargoyles shoots through the opening, pulling up high in the Cavity roof to slow down before settling to the ground. There are maybe fifteen of them, all carrying crates attached to their boots. Black robes cover their bodies from head to foot, complete with veils covering their faces, but their gossamer wings give them away. They’re all female.
Sliding their feet out of the straps on top of the baskets before settling down, most of them head directly toward the tool room, ignoring me completely. Two hook their baskets over their arms and head in my direction.
“The miners don’t know,” Cassian says at my elbow. “Once each week, the females from Slave Station bring clean clothing and linens and take away the dirty ones. They also replenish our food supplies. The miners think the cooking staff take care of it all. You are not to tell your team or any of the other gargoyles what you’ve seen today.”
The two females reach me, holding out their baskets. They don’t remove their veils so I have no idea who they are underneath.
One of the females says, “We’ve brought provisions for the Princess.”
Cassian clears his throat, shifting uncomfortably at the mention of ‘provisions.’ I roll my eyes at him but smile at the females. I’m happy to see them whoever they are.
Cassian says to them, “You may use the food hall to show the Princess what you’ve brought. Once the door is closed, you may remove your veils. Nobody else will enter while you are there. I will knock when your time is up.”
Provisions and the whole place to ourselves. It’s practically a party. All of my worry about what was going to happen today disappears. I lead the females to the food hall and wait for the cooking staff to vacate the room and the door to close behind them.
Gilda and Carmen remove their veils, smiling at me. They both wear their gorgeous hair pulled back into tight buns, but they can’t hide their beautiful wings. The patterns in them catch the light of the spider webs around us. “Hello, Princess.”
I surprise them by embracing each of them. “I’m glad to see you, Gilda. Carmen.” I shake my head in disbelief. “But Cassian said all of you were from Slave Station. How did you get permission to come here from Harem Hall?”
“Howl chose us personally. He probably thinks it will remind you of his threats at Crimson Court. To make sure you’re still behaving yourself.”
My happiness fades as I remember the way he’d hurt Carmen that day, telling me he’d kill her if I didn’t obey him. “Well, you can assure him, I’m following the rules. I even had a bath when I was told to.”
Gilda laughs, an infectious sound in the empty room. “I thought you were looking remarkably clean after spending a week in the mines.” Her smile fades. “You should know that we’re required to report back to Howl about your behavior, appearance, demeanor, basically everything about you that we witness today.”
A wry answering laugh wrenches out of me. “I guess he misses me.”
They exchange glances. Carmen tucks some stray hairs behind her ear. “He’s been in a particularly bad mood since he sent you away.”
I study their faces and hands, wherever their skin is exposed. I’m looking for bruises. If he’s taking out his bad mood on them… A sigh builds inside me. Knowing that I can’t do a damn thing about it is killing me.
“What about my friends?” I ask. “The Phoenix and Baelen Rath?”
“I’m sorry, we haven’t seen either of them since that day at Court. But Howl did say something…” Carmen looks to Gilda. “Something about trophies? What was it?”
Gilda purses her lips, recalling, “He said he put his trophies in the Royal Residence. That’s his home. It sounded like he meant your friends. As well as the High Priestess.”
“Former High Priestess,” I correct her.
She sighs. “Ah, yes, we all know the new High Priestess got away, but nobody dares to call Howl out about it. As long as he claims to have the High Priestess, we all agree that’s what she is.” She changes the subject. “Here, let me show you what we’ve brought you.”
Among the objects that spill out of the baskets are a hairbrush, toothbrush, two sets of Marbella-sized work clothing, and another blanket, much warmer looking than the one Cassian gave me. Not to mention the things I’ll need when my cycle comes around. There’s even a bag to keep everything in. I close my eyes with gratitude. “Thank you.”
Gilda snatches up the hairbrush. “You may be clean, but you’re in need of some grooming. May I?”
I’m glad she’s gentle. My hair has become a bird’s nest, made worse by its length, my tresses knotted from my scalp to my waist.
“We heard the tunnels here are some of the most dangerous,” Carmen says.
“I haven’t seen any of the other mountains, but the fourth and fifth tunnels are the worst. They’ve put us in teams and nobody wants to mine those two tunnels.” I skip the part about us fighting for tunnels. I’m sure Cassian will have reported back to Howl about my fight with Arlo. No need to worry Gilda or Carmen about it.
Carmen asks, “The teams can’t help each other?”
Oh boy. How to explain that the teams are basically in competition with each other? “We aren’t allowed to.”
As she runs the brush through my hair, prying apart the worst knots with her fingers, Gilda asks, “Do you talk to many of the gargoyles here?”
It’s a casual question, but Carmen immediately shoots warning daggers at her. I’m not sure why until I remember that Roar had said that Howl’s harem is made up of the wives of the gargoyles most likely to oppose him. Gilda’s husband could be any of the males here. I have no idea which one and even in this empty room, I don’t dare to ask outright.
I remain equally casual, saying, “My team has four males.” I pause after I say each of their names, waiting in case Gilda gives me a signal. If I know which one she wants to hear more about, then I can tell her. “The males in my team are: Llion, who you saw at Crimson Court, Iago… Welsian… and Roar.”
Gilda tugs my hair as soon as I say ‘Roar.’ I hope I’ve read the signal right because I continue speaking. “Roar is my team leader. He has these amazing wings with a blue pattern on them that reminds me of Elyria web. Sometimes I think the pattern gl
ows. He’s very strong, never takes unnecessary risks, always looks after his team. He didn’t want to choose me at first. I guess he thought I’d be a liability.” I smile, genuinely meaning it when I say, “I don’t hold it against him.”
I clasp my hands in front of me on the table. “He misses his wife. I’m pretty sure he would do anything to get her back. But he won’t endanger her either. He stays alive for her.”
Gilda is very quiet behind me. I can’t see her face. She sniffles. Across the table, Carmen’s eyes fill with tears for her friend, but it would be dangerous for either of them to break down.
Carmen gulps, takes a deep breath, and quickly changes the subject to distract Gilda. “Speaking of Elyria light, I’m surprised you haven’t found it a problem, Princess. Most elves would struggle to see properly underground.”
“I’ve adjusted and now I love it actually. It’s warm and welcoming, and I can see the color changes, like in the morning when it turns green. I miss the sun though. I guess it’s in my nature as an elf to miss the sun that the ancient elven Queen gave her life to become.”
“Just as we love the moon,” Gilda says, her voice shaky but returning to normal. She leans down to my ear and whispers, “Thank you, Princess.”
She finishes tying my hair just as there’s a loud knock at the door. She and Carmen quickly flip their veils over their faces and retrieve their baskets. By the time I turn around, they look exactly like they did when they came in.
“Thank you for coming,” I say. Words aren’t enough for the gratitude I feel right now and not just because they brought me the basic necessities. For a few moments, I remembered what it was like to have female friends, to be surrounded by kind, caring females. I miss them the moment they take flight outside the food hall, joining the swarm of other females accompanied by guards.
I turn to Cassian, the bag of supplies filling my arms. Without thinking, I say, “I really want to put this in my hammock. Can you help me?”
He frowns from me to the ceiling, eyebrows pulled down, shoulders hunched. His response is clipped and dangerous. “How do you think I’m going to do that?”