Page 38 of Secrets of Ruin

“Was someone here?” Kaylia asked anxiously.

Did Brokk wake up while I was in the shower? She’d never forgive herself if he did.

“It was a guard,” Lexi said. “He came to report there’s been no change in Brokk, so you don’t have to rush back.”

That news filled her with both relief and dread. It didn’t matter what they said; she had to get dressed and get back to him soon. She’d been gone too long.

Striding over to her closet, she opened the doors to reveal her eclectic mix of pants and tunics next to the much-loved dresses she hadn’t worn in months. She’d spent so much time fighting recently that she’d put aside her once daily wear of dresses in favor of more snug clothing that wouldn’t catch on things.

She didn’t regret that her peaceful life in the crone realm had come to a screeching halt the day Sahira and Brokk entered her life. She loathed the fighting and death that followed, but they’d all done so much good for the realms, and she’d do it again if necessary.

However, she was so tired of fighting, and the fight wasn’t over yet… it may never end. Countless, greedy immortals would do anything to remove Lexi from her throne and claim it for themselves.

They’d also promised Ryker they would find his king, which meant a return to the place that nearly destroyed her and Brokk. Every part of her rebelled against entering Doomed Valley again, but she’d uphold their promise and see an end to the ophidians.

Brokk and his brothers would also be determined to make the ophidians pay for what they’d done. She would be there to help them, but she was ready to feel at least somewhat normal again.

Removing a cheerful yellow dress with dark blue and red flowers, she removed her robe to tug on the lightweight material. She smiled when it settled into place around her.

The supple fabric soothed her raw flesh. Before the war against the Lord, the dress had hugged her frame, but now it hung off her shoulders and flowed freely around her waist.

She shoved aside the sadness creeping into her; she’d regain the weight, and one day, it would fit as well as before. She and Brokk were alive, and that was what mattered. Lamenting things she couldn’t change wouldn’t do anyone any good.

“Do you feel better?” Lexi asked when she emerged from the closet.

“Yes,” she said, but mostly to put Lexi’s mind at ease.

She wouldn’t feel better until Brokk was awake again. Pulling her skirt forward, she settled at her dressing table and picked up her brush. She ran her fingers over the bristles while smiling at the simple design that made life easier.

When she went to brush her hair, her hand froze as, for the first time, she saw Doomed Valley’s effect on her. Her cheeks and eyes were sunken, and the once shiny hair that flowed to her knees was dull and tangled around her shoulders.

The rosy color once blooming on her cheeks had taken on a dull pallor that made her look sickly, and perhaps she was. She hadn’t eaten well in months and was denied access to the vibrant nature that nourished her soul.

Like her weight, they were changes she could correct over time. She’d never considered herself vain, but Kaylia couldn’t look in the mirror when she lifted the brush to her hair. That woman in the glass was one more reminder of the dungeon.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

Sahira rested her fingers against Kaylia’s brush when her hand trembled. “Let me help.”

Unable to deal with the mess of her hair and feeling drained from all the effort it had taken to shower and dress, Kaylia handed the brush to her. With tender care, Sahira started working the knots out.

“What happened to your hair?” Lexi asked as she settled onto the seat beside her.

“I cut it off. It was getting in the way,” Kaylia replied.

“It looks beautiful.”

“It’s lopsided.”

“I can fix that when I finish brushing it,” Sahira assured her.

“Thank you, but I have to get back to Brokk; my hair can wait.”

“You and Brokk…?” Lexi’s voice trailed off into a question.

“I love him.” Kaylia pressed her hand to her chest when it flipped strangely. “And he loves me.”

Lexi leaned against her side. “That’s wonderful.”