Page 18 of Facade

The grotesque sight twisted my stomach as the carriage rocked onward. Each bump in the road shook the image back into my mind, making it impossible to forget.

He’s been dealt with.

Something colder than fear settled beneath my skin.

I quickly pulled the curtain over the window and shut my eyes, wishing, for once, that my dreams would find me and remove the images permeating my mind.

We’d been on a bumpy road all day, barely stopping long enough for bathroom breaks, and Lyra would not. Shut. Up.

She talked about how jealous every other girl in our quarters would be of us. How she had considered going all the way with Tristan, but couldn’t find the right place. Thankfully, even if she had, Blanche made all of us take a monthly tincture to prevent pregnancy.

She even talked about her favorite food and why she liked it. At one point, she spread her legs apart, saying her lady bits needed airing. Any protest I spewed only made it worse, prodding her to reveal more. I wanted to claw my eyes out and stuff candle wax in my ears. Hell, I’d take the pain in my back over her non-stop chatter. Instead, I pounded on the wall with my fist as hard as I could. The carriage slowed, and I peered through the curtain just as Aiden dismounted and unlocked the door.

“Is there a problem, my Queen?” he asked, his tone deep, expression sharp. Unreadable.

“Don’t call me that,” I snapped, then cleared my throat as the image of that body stayed fresh in my mind.

“I need some air.” I cut him a look as I pushed past, muttering a stream of curses under my breath as I hauled the dense fabric with me.

“I have to call you that, my Queen. You don’t have to like it,” he challenged, one step behind. I glared at him over my shoulder. Everyone came to a stop, and Lyra hopped out, stretching forward to touch her toes, pointing her ass toward the males.

“We can’t stop here. We need to keep moving.”

My finger dug into my hips. “We have to stop and eat at some point!” Sweat trickled down my back from the stuffy heat in the carriage and the damn dress. I reached for my neck, massaging the new knot forming.

“We will. However, we need to go a little further. There’s a small town, another hour from here, where we’ll stop to rest briefly. Several hours after that, we should reach an old acquaintance where we’ll be staying for the night. Here.” He reached into his saddlebag, pulled out a small cloth, and held out a hunk of bread and cheese. “For you and your companion.”

I glanced at Lyra as she hitched her skirts high enough to flash her thigh and took too large a step, nearly slipping into the splits before she caught herself.

I snatched the offering out of his hand and grumbled as I returned to my cage on wheels. “She’s not my companion. She’s my punishment.”

His following chuckle only irritated me further.

“You do know that my ears work just fine. Right?” Lyra chastised, throwing herself down across from me.

“Don’t care. Here.”

I threw all of the provisions at her. She shot me a filthy look along with a nasty gesture, but took the bread and cheese, tearing into them like a ravenous beast. I wasn’t sure which would do me in first—the road, or the company.

6

Aniah

The air in the southern part of the Eastern Realm reeked of mildew and stale rot.

There were no clouds in the sky to give us a break from the sun’s rays. We were both exhausted and rank. I think it’s been a week since I last bathed. I’d had to cut my hair up to my shoulders to make it easier to care for.

We followed the river Ryker had found, though he was still unsettled over whatever he had felt the other night. Relief flooded me when we finally stopped just outside Castle Aurelia at a shallower section of water. Ryker stood watch further up the bank, unable to let his guard down. The Fae had exceptional eyesight, but not like his. He could probably see every guard on the wall, even from this distance.

I peeled my pungent clothing off and carried it into the cool water. A cringeworthy groan pushed past my lips as I sank, dipping my head underneath. I’d found wild rosemary and used that to clean myself and my clothes. The first thing I needed to do when I went into town was buy soap. I’m not sure how we forgot to buy soap, but we did. Even though our funds were running uncomfortably low, I deemed it a necessity.

After I bathed, I worked on my clothes for a while, scrubbing them against a boulder and dunking them again, and again and again. When I was satisfied that several layers of grime had peeled away, I climbed out, patted dry with a blanket, and slipped on a clean, plain lavender long-sleeved dress. Clothing was an issue. Things became pungent quickly, especially here in this climate. But I’d managed to keep the three dresses I traveled with clean enough. Ryker, though… he was a different story.

“All done. You’re up,” I said as I draped my wet things on a branch. He leaned against a tree, arms folded, gaze fixed across the meadow on the distant glow of lanterns and torches.

“I mean this as your friend, but you need to bathe. I’m not sure I can travel any further with you like this,” I chuckled.

He responded with a grunt, eyes distant.