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“Noted.” I snatched the key out of his hand before standing. He watched my every move as I pushed my seat back in and moved around the table.
“Up there.” He nodded toward the stairs. “Second door on the right.”
I nodded and quickly made my way up the old wooden staircase. It creaked under my weight, but held true until I finally made it to the top. There were four doors in the hall. Two on the right and two on the left. They all looked identical except for the varying stages of wear, and I shoved the brass key into the second door and pushed it open.
The room was small and most of the space was taken up by a tiny bed and copper tub. I stood at the tub and stared as every part of my body ached.
I kicked off my boots at the end of the bed and pulled my dagger from them before laying it against the cover. My clothes were soiled and ripped, and had traces of mine and Evren’s blood.
I felt desperate to take them off and crawl into the bed wearing nothing, but that wasn’t possible. Not unless I could somehow manage to barricade the doorway closed with the tub.
A soft knock sounded at the door, and I jumped. Pressing my hand to my chest, I cracked the door open and peeked outside to see the woman from downstairs standing behind it.
“I just thought you might like a change of clothes.” She held up a white cotton dress in her hands along with a towel. “Evren thought you might like for me to run you a bath as well.”
“That would be amazing.” I opened the door wider, and she ducked her head as she stepped inside. “Thank you.”
“Of course.” She blushed before setting the fabrics on the bed. “If you lay your soiled clothing outside the door, I will have them cleaned and mended for you before you wake.”
“You don’t have to do that.” I shook my head as she lifted her hand, and water streamed from the wall like a waterfall.
“It’s no problem, miss. The captain pays us more than our share when he stays here. It’s my honor to take care of his guest.”
“Well, thank you.” I tucked my arms against my chest. “I don’t have money, but you do have my gratitude.”
The woman stared at me for a moment as if she was trying to figure me out, then her face softened before she turned back to the tub. The water inside was steaming as she poured in an oil from the pocket on her apron. “That should help your muscles.” She pushed the stopper back in the jar before pulling out another filled with what looked like herbs and flowers. “And that should help with the captain.”
“Help how?” I laughed, and she smiled at me over her shoulder.
“However you want it to.”
The smell drifted through the small room as the steam billowed about the space, and I took a deep, relaxing breath.
“I’m betrothed to the crowned prince of Citlali,” I told her, and she cocked her head to the side.
“Yet, he’s not the one who holds your heart.”
It wasn’t a question, but I still felt the need to answer her. “My heart belongs to me and me alone.”
“You are a brave but foolish girl.” She put her last vial back in her apron before she waved the flow of water away. It disappeared instantly as if it had never been there at all. “Love makes us foolish.”
I didn’t answer her because I didn’t know what to say. Love? I wasn’t in love with the man who sat downstairs drinking ale. I wanted him more than I had ever wanted anyone before, but that wasn’t love.
“I’m not in love.” I stepped out of her way as she moved to get by me.
She hesitated with her hand on the door before looking back at me. “Just place your clothes right outside the door. The soap is next to the tub.” Then she opened the door and slid outside without another word.
I undressed slowly, careful to try to keep myself covered in case I had any more visitors, then I dipped a toe into the bath. It was blissfully hot, and I sighed as I sank down inside it and tossed my shirt into the pile on the floor.
Steam rose off the surface of the water, and I breathed in the heat before holding my breath and slowly sinking below the water. I closed my eyes as the water engulfed me, and I tried to clear my head. My lungs began to burn, and all I could think about was Evren and what he was doing down in that pub right now. What were he and Jorah talking about?
Were they strategizing? Were they discussing me?
Had Jorah watched as I begged Evren to touch me in the middle of the woods?
I surged up out of the water and gasped for breath. Running my hands over my face, I pushed the water out of my eyes and stared down at my body. There was bruising along my skin, and I didn’t know how much of it had been there from my night with Gavril and how much of it was new from our attack.
I gently scrubbed the dirt away from my skin with my fingers before the mark on my wrist caught my eye, and I lifted it out of the water to get a better look. Seven dots of starlight danced along the dark skin there. I could no longer make out the scar from Gavril beneath, but it was still there, just hidden beneath Evren’s mark.
