“I’m relieved,” she confessed. “The two people who hurt us the most are now gone.”
“All that’s left is a couple of arrogant gods.”
I felt her smile.
“Then peace.”
“Then our peace.”
My fingers combed through the lengths of her tangled hair.
“It pains me to see your stunning hair so neglected. At least let me run you a bath.”
She chucked softly, and I collected that sound every time like tiny candles to place in a hall of my mind, a reminder of what true light in this life felt like.
When Astraea stood naked, I helped her into the milky water filling the room with an aroma of honey and lavender. She sighed sitting back, closing her eyes, and I dragged a stool to the edge, unable to keep my hands off her for a moment.
Gliding a sponge over her clavicle, I reached a hand up to her bruised cheek.
“Father or Fedora?” I asked, controlling my wrath.
“Father,” she admitted.
My teeth ground. “Perhaps there’s a necromancer somewhere. I don’t think I’m quite done with him after all.”
Astraea took my hand, and her fingers traced over the thin black vines over my forearm. Her lips pressed to the tip of them halfway over my bicep.
“Where do you think Fedora went?” Astraea asked.
“Back to the sea, probably killing off more clans in her anger.”
“Do you think she’ll be a problem?”
“A creature like Fedora isn’t going to stop now. She lost her ally on land because she chose the wrong one, but she’s prideful and determined. I don’t doubt she might attack us herself again, and we can’t underestimate her with the trident.”
Astraea nodded, and I wished I could take more of her burden.
“You could join me in this bath,” she said.
“Hmm. As tempting as that sounds, we’re about to be—”
“What the fuck happened?!”
I groaned against her skin at the intrusion and Astraea’s hands lashed over her chest.
“Zath!” Astraea shrieked, twisting her head over her shoulder.
He’d barged in without a knock, along with Rosalind. At least she had an apology on her face for how they’d interrupted us, but Zath didn’t seem to care if Astraea was in a bath or otherwise. The primal instinct in me to have another male so close, with my mate so vulnerable right now, itched violence in me no matter who it was.
“I’ll give you this one warning to get out while Astraea is naked,” I said, taming my wrath.
Rose gripped his bicep with both hands to drag him out.
“Wait! What happened? Did you know it’s snowing in the throne room? I need answers—!”
His rambling faded with Rosalind forcing him out of Astraea’s rooms entirely, and I never thought I’d be thankful to the one who despised me most.
Astraea giggled, leaning back again as I quelled my irritation with the interruption.
