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Kaelin’s gasp in response has me instantly on edge.
“What are those? We don’t need any of it!” I try to stand, but I can’t beat Tia’s strength as she holds me down.
“Your scalp is full of dead skin and is black for some reason. Trust me, your hair will thank me.”
“Oh, it is going to feel amazing. What smells do you prefer? Something floral? Fruity?” Kaelin asks excitedly.
“I don’t trust anyone. And no scent,” I grumble.
“No…NO SCENT?” Kaelin shouts, obviously offended by my answer. “Are you kidding me? Scents are important for women. They can attract a mate. Or gather people to you. They can even be used to warn people away!”
“Kaelin, reel it in,” Tia laughs with her hands paused in my hair.
“Sorry, but she said no scent! I don’t even think that is a real thing! Oh! Don’t you worry; I will bring you the one that best suits you! You will be amazed how a fresh new scent will make you feel. Once we are done with you, you will never turn back to your old ways. We will…” Her overly excited voice fades as she continues ranting while walking from the room. Tia just laughs and resumes her work.
At first, my shoulders stay stiff as she continues to touch me. But then her strong fingers start scrubbing at my scalp. Despite my practiced self-control, I moan from the sensation.
“If I could pay someone to spend all day doing this to my head, it would be worth every rupiah.” She giggles, but I ignore her attempt at small talk. I may be involuntarily enjoying it, but I will not offer any other kind of niceties. She clears her throat and changes the subject. “We will need to get you out and fix fresh water. You are a bit dirtier than you first appeared. Is your hair white?” she asks, peering closely at my scalp and scratching more ink away.
I look down at the black water and realize it is all ink. Whatever kind of shampoo she is using is stronger than the soap I usually use. And if the water is any indication of how much she has already scrubbed away…
“I…I…” I swallow my panic. There is no way she could know! She can’t possibly…unless she was still alive then. I may not have a lot of memories from before, but I know what my hair means. No one can know! It would put an even bigger target on my head. I put on the mask of death I wear during a kill so that I can feel in control again. “Yes, it is. And you will say nothing to the prince. I need more ink to replace what you washed away. It is a disease. It’s not a contagious one. So, I don’t need anyone getting any wrong ideas about me and treating me worse than they already do.”
Smooth. Real smooth, Nyx!
Annoyingly, she isn’t even phased by the sudden change in my demeanor. She only grabs me by the shoulders and forces me to look her in the eyes.
“We have dyes that are healthier for the hair and don’t come out even when washing or getting caught in the rain. It would either have to grow out, or we would use a special compound to break the dye down. No one would be any the wiser of your true hair color.”
I pull away from her and sit on the other side of the tub.
“Why help me?” I narrow my eyes. There is something she wants for my cooperation. There is always something. Nobody ever does anything without expecting something in return.
“Because I can.” She narrows her eyes back at me. “Let’s drain the water.”
“Just do what you have to. Draining the water is a waste.”
“We have plenty of water. No need to stress about it.”
“Why waste it?”
“Because it’s black. You can’t bathe in that!”
“I normally bathe in the river. This is fine!”
“Stop arguing with me.”
“Elani are dying of thirst, and you are sitting here calmly refilling huge tubs multiple times. Shame on all of you!” She has the good sense to flinch at my condemnation. I only wish I could kill her for it. Unfortunately, I cannot. All I can do is cross my arms and watch as she drains the perfectly good water and turns the knobs once again. So much to answer for.
“We should just put your hair under the water until it runs clear and then worry about filling the tub later. They need to have a shower up here.”
I don’t say another word as I stick my head under the flowing water and allow her to scrub my scalp until it is raw. Her long fingers comb through the strands repeatedly until they easily slide through. She moves my head to the side, adds more shampoo, and begins scrubbing all over again.
“I found the perfect sce—” Kaelin stops in the doorway and stares wordlessly. “It’s white!”
“The oil?” Tia says, holding her hand out to her sister.
“Oh, right. Here.” She hands her the bottle, still staring at me. “Were you that dirty or…”
