CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Calista
“What is happening?” I asked when a league of goblins entered with a massive tub and buckets of steaming water. I turned sideways in the chair by the bookshelf where I sat and refused to speak to Astaroth after he brought me back here. My newest holding cell, only this one had an electric fence and a pissed off magical warden.
“I’m taking a bath,” he said as he slipped his feet from his boots and dropped them to floor next to the bed.
“Not with me in here.”
His dark gaze speared me from across the room. “We discussed this. You will be with me, Jessandra, or Mergle at all times. They are currently occupied with the lineup, as you called it.”
I made my way to the door determined not to watch a fae Magic Mike show. “I’ll go help with that.”
Astaroth blipped in front of me, and we nearly collided. He was in desperate need of a bath, but I wasn’t about to admit that. “You will only distract them. Sit.”
I returned to the chair, grabbed the sides, and jerked it around to face the wall when he began stripping. My hands flew up creating blinders as he shucked his breeches. “At least wait until I sit!”
“You act as if you’ve never seen a naked male.” A hint of jealousy laced his words.
Nick popped into my head and the amazing night we could’ve shared if Astaroth hadn’t threatened him. Instead, he’s out there living his best life thinking I’m some kind of incestuous heathen while I’m trapped in a labyrinth with the Goblin King who wants me to have his baby. The former was definitely more believable.
Bucket after bucket of water poured into the tub, accompanied by the strained sounds of the goblins lifting something bigger and heavier than they were. The gentle swoosh of Astaroth stepping in and settling in the water followed.
“Would you like us to bathe you and wash your hair, sire?” one of the female goblins cooed.
My mouth dropped open in disgust. Her words implied a happy ending of sorts. How dare they while I was in the room. Immediately, I recalled Bobbins telling me I wasn’t the first woman Astaroth had brought here to seduce. The chair arms dug into my palms as my fists threatened to crush them.
“I can manage.”
My grip relaxed a fraction, and I released the breath I held while I waited for his answer.
“You are dismissed.”
The servants filed out of the room under my watchful gaze. I wanted to know which of the little hussies had offered to soaphim down. The last three in line met me stare for stare with smirks on their ugly, flat faces. I pegged them with a glare that didn’t scare them in the least as they pranced out. They would not be allowed back in this room. If I had my way, they would be on latrine duty for the remainder of their servitude. I almost laughed but stopped. Why in the world did I even care? I didn’t plan to stay here, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to offer up sponge baths or happy endings to the devil himself.
But you don’t want anyone else to touch him either.Ugh, I sounded just as jealous as he did earlier.If not, more so,my subconscious teased again.
“You may turn around now,” Astaroth said.
I stared at the goblin statue on the shelf in front of me. “Hard pass.”
He sighed in frustration. “I want to look at you while we converse.”
“I don’t want to watch you bathe. Hurry up—”
I screeched, clinging to the chair’s arms and lifting my legs as it turned on its own.
Astaroth smugly leaned against the tub, his arms resting on the edges. “That’s better.”
Pissed off, I raised up to scoot it back around. His hand barely lifted from the tub and the chair didn’t budge when I jerked on it as if it were bolted to the stones. I turned my head and crossed my arms over my chest.
“You are angry.”
“Pretty sure we established that,” I said, pretending to study the painting above his fireplace.
“You’re angrier.”
Did I hear a smile in his voice? I refused to find out. “You’re naked-er.”
