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“What—”
She silenced me with the tip of her finger across my lips. “Where are my manners? Look at you. You’re filthy. That’s no way for any guest to stay at my home. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
My mind was humming, and my throat constricted. The steam in the air clouded my vision and felt unnatural in my lungs. Between the lack of food and sleep, I was feeling lightheaded and unable to truly comprehend what was happening.
Reyna sauntered to the steps and walked down into the tub, trailing her fingers across the top of the water. It rippled, and tendrils of steam rose around her. I waited as she moved to sit on the ledge and turned to face me again.
I froze while she watched me expectantly. “You can’t get in the bath with your clothes on, silly. Take them off.”
It took more effort than usual to swallow. My lip twitched, but my hands obediently pried at the hem of my shirt, untucking it from my pants and pulling it over my head.
Reyna smiled as she took in the hard ridges of my abs and the curves of my shoulders and biceps. I was fuming, but there wasn’t anything I could do. I was her plaything, a puppet, while she dangled the strings.
When her eyes fell to my groin, I wanted to vomit. But I unbuttoned my pants anyway, just as she knew I would, kicking off my shoes and socks in the process. My pants fell to the floor along with my undergarments, leaving me completely exposed.
Her eyes roamed my body, and she bit her lower lip. “Get in the water.”
Chapter Seventeen
Emilie
I tried not to think of where Reyna had taken Ladon. It was unlikely he’d be worried about me if the roles were reversed. But sitting in our quiet, empty room made me miss his presence for the first time. Or maybe I just didn’t want to be alone.
The grate in the ceiling was dripping again, so I replaced the bucket beneath it. I decided to take a shower to help pass the time, and because I felt disgusting. My clothes were still dirty from the attack and the maze, and now they also smelled like fabric cleaner from scrubbing upholstery all day.
Even though I hoped he’d return soon, I wanted the opportunity to shower on my own. Since the bathroom had no door, only a rectangle cut into the wall, privacy was severely lacking around here. The shower didn’t even have a curtain. Only a half-wall that came up slightly above my breasts.
I stripped and set my clothes on the closed lit of the toilet, then turned the knobs inside the shower. Thankfully, the water was warm. I quickly scrubbed and used the provided soaps to wash my hair, face, and body. Even though I knew it wouldn’t do any good, I also took extra time to scrub at the black vines on my skin. Had I imagined it, or had they spread even further?
Stepping out of the shower, I grabbed a towel to dry off, my eyes catching on the clothes I’d set on top of the toilet. They were now clean and folded in a neat pile. Thank the gods for that magical kindness, because I was dreading putting them back on.
The bedroom was still empty, and with nothing else to do, I decided to lay down on the bed.
I hadn’t expected to fall asleep, but the next thing I knew, Ladon was stepping into the bedroom as the door slammed behind him. I startled and sat up, expecting him to tell me where he’d been—what had happened.
But he immediately headed for the bathroom without a word to me. The shower turned on and I settled back into bed. I’d gotten my moment of privacy, so he should get his as well. He could fill me in once he finished.
Except…the water continued to run. I waited and waited…and waited. And he’d accused me of being a pampered princess. I didn’t think I’d ever known someone to take such long showers.
Once I’d lost all patience, I stepped out of bed and tiptoed to the bathroom.
“Ladon?” I called out to him before peering around the corner. I didn’t see his head or shoulders above the dividing wall, though the water was still running. “Ladon?”
I edged closer to the shower, worst-case scenarios running through my head. He’d been poisoned like I’d been. He was now dying—or was already dead.
What I found felt worse somehow.
He was sitting with his knees pulled to his chest, his head bowed down, with his hands threaded through his hair. Was he…crying?
I reached across him to shut off the water. He hardly moved at the disturbance. Even when I knelt next to him, he didn’t acknowledge me.
“Ladon, are you hurt?” I asked, gently touching his shoulder.
His head snapped up, and he growled, “Don’t. Touch. Me.”
If his words hadn’t frightened me, then the look on his face would’ve. His eyes were dark, swallowing all of the striking silver-blue that I’d come to know so well. His face appeared to be drained of life entirely, his skin pale and showing all the jagged edges of his jawline and cheekbones.
“What happened?”
