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“Go and wash. We need to be off the island before dark,” I said to Callum, leaning against the wall and folding my arms.
Callum unbuttoned his shirt, then dropped his pants, his head bowed.
The natural light from the glass ceiling danced across his shadowy plum skin highlighting the rosy accents that matched the light tones in his hair. Muscles rippled down his back, something I didn’t expect from a fae mage, and one who had been locked away for decades. Naked and unabashed, he moved to a showerhead and turned the metal knob.
He sighed as hot water pelted his skin.
With his back to me, I could see how his corded muscles moved when he washed his magenta hair. How each piece of flesh was honed and strong. His thighs showed years of work, and his backside was something to be admired, even from a woman who had no interest in that sort of thing. There was no time for relationships or anything similar when war raged and darkness covered the west northern lands. One day when the past was only a fleeting thought would I even consider fraternizing with males.
For all his mystery, I’d yet to see his face, at least not all of it.
Curious, I asked, “How long has it been since you bathed?”
He glided his through his hair then his cheeks. “Years.”
His husky voice rumbled in my ears, a dangerous sound that made my heart constrict. It reminded me of thunder and lightning when the two sounds collided and created something wholly unique and utterly terrifying.
A bar of soap hung on a nearby rope, and Callum took it in his hands. Some might think it rude to watch, and I decided it would be prudent of me to turn away and give the fae his privacy. He wouldn’t be escaping anywhere without the use of his magic, and thanks to the collar around his neck, his abilities were under control.
Growing up with the magi, I had spent years with old men and women who cared for nothing but lectures and research. The tedious repetitiveness of my days had prepared me for this mission. While I had recently been on many, this was my first alone. There were always guards with me, but I’d proven repeatedly that the only weapon I needed was myself.
Over the years, I’d met many races, but the fae always seemed like a mystery to me, and the dark fae culture was well guarded and hidden below the surface of Saol. Would this male be like the one I had encountered back in Farrow’s Gate? And if yes, I would need to guard myself well.
After a while, Callum shut the water off and took a towel off the bench and lifted his head.
Our gazes met and I wasn’t sure what transpired, but my stomach clenched oddly. His almond-shaped silver eyes sparkled with mischief. Water droplets ran down his high cheekbones and slender nose. I followed the rivulets as they traveled down his chiseled chest, quickly averting my gaze before seeing anything more. A fae’s aura seemed to sizzle with magic more than any human gifted with power, making them interesting, but dark fae were something else, like a refined piece of ore that had been transformed into a precious alloy that flecked with every metal known.
He grabbed the clothes, and I heard the shuffle of fabric as he slipped into them. “What’s your name, little sparrow?”
He rubbed the towel against his wet hair. Light from the skylights in the room highlighted the luminous tones in his plum skin and made the lightness of his eyes haunting.
“Kelia,” I replied, ignoring the nickname that jabbed at both my height and title. “We need to move. There’s a storm brewing and we need to make port before it starts.”
With a flourish of his hand, he motioned for me to move ahead. The collar dampened his magic, though I wondered if unleashed whose power would be greater. Stories surrounding Callum had been riddled with exploits and unbridled power, all which seemed plausible standing next to him now. Even with the collar on, I sensed a rich rumbling of magic rolling under his skin, like a roaring river waiting for the dam to break.
The guards stood to attention as we exited the baths.
“I require his collar key.” I held out my hand.
The guard nearest me unhooked a silver key from a massive ring on his belt. “I’d keep that on if I were you.”
“It’s a good thing you’re not me.” Taking the key, I sighed, and hurried outside, eager to leave the dank and acrid smell of the prison.
Callum strolled beside me squinting at the hazy sky. His mouth slightly parted, slowly drawing a breath in. Was he excited to be out? How long had it been since the sun touched his face?
Oscar waited outside the carriage. Seeing our arrival, he opened the door and allowed us in. I seated myself, Callum across from me. He stretched out his arms and legs, nearly taking up the whole space with his body. The guard clothes hugged his frame revealing he hadn’t spent his prison sentences sitting idly by.
“Are you going to tell me what I’m doing here?” he asked in a drawled-out breath as he leaned his head back against the seat.
“No one’s told you?”
His full lips curved into a smile. “Not a thing, darling.”
“My name is Kelia, and I’d prefer if you used it.”
“I’d prefer not to.”
He smiled again, and I found him to be a curious thing. “The magi need your assistance acquiring a fae light bearer from the Starlit City.”
