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“I'll be downstairs if you need me,” she added, then left with a whirl of her skirt, her braid snapping behind her.
I glanced at Sariel, who was already looking at me.
“She’s… interesting,” I said, sitting up so that I could assess the tray of food. My stomach growled its complaints, and I was suddenly very grateful for the little sandwiches on the tray.
Sariel scoffed. “She’s beautiful and talented. That’s about where it ends for the good traits. She’s conniving, manipulative, vindictive, murderous… She’s your worst nightmare, if you get on her bad side.”
I choked around my mouthful. “And you brought me here?” I coughed out.
“She thinks she and I can have superpowered babies…” he trailed off at my wide-eyed expression. I took another sandwich from the tray and took a bite as I stared at him. “She won’t do anything that pisses me off.”
“Right,” I said, swallowing around my mouthful. “That’s very reassuring.”
He dared to grin as I glared at him.
“Where’s the bathroom? I’d really like to take a shower,” I asked.
He motioned to a door on the other side of the room. I waited patiently for him to leave before I grabbed the clothes and scurried off to the bathroom.
A huge claw-foot tub sat in the center of the room, framed on either side by an open shower and a marble countertop with a deep basin. I found a clean towel already resting on the counter, an unopened razor and toothbrush next to it.
I tried not to be insulted by the insinuation as I snatched the razor up and filled the tub. The cupboards beneath the counter revealed unopened shaving cream, shampoo, and conditioner, as well as a washcloth, body wash, bath bombs, face wash, deodorant, moisturizer, and lotion.
I hadn’t realized how badly I needed a bath until I sank into the lavender-scented, lukewarm water. My muscles turned togoo, and my brain stopped working for long enough that I even began to hum mindlessly while I shaved my legs.
I left the bath and moved to the shower, quickly ensuring the door was locked beforehand. I washed my hair, rinsed off from the tub, and then emerged a new woman. I had never been more grateful for toothpaste than I was now as I scrubbed days' worth of grime from my teeth and tongue, and even further for the face wash, moisturizer, and mint-and-chamomile scented lotion.
Dessi had left me a pair of panties with the tag still attached, as well as a black strapless maxi dress that was fitted around the breasts but hung loosely to my ankles. A slit ran up to mid-thigh on one side that I only noticed when I exited the bathroom. Since she was shorter than me, I had to tug it down to ensure I didn’t flash anyone through the slit as I walked.
The dress would be impractical if we were ever in a situation like the one we’d just escaped, but I felt it would be rude to ask for something else. I’d ask Sariel if we could get me better clothes later. And some shoes.
Sariel was sitting at the edge of the bed, face in his hands, when I emerged with a towel wrapped around my damp hair. He straightened, his eyes sliding over me in a way that warmed me all the way to my toes.
He jerked his thumb over his shoulder towards a tray of food. “Eat all that, drink the water, and let’s get this shit over with. I don’t know how much longer I can be around Dessi.”
I did as I was told with no complaints. Sariel sat sentry as I ate quickly, drank down the entire water bottle, and then let out the most disgusting belch in quite possibly all of existence. Although he’d absolutely heard it, he chose to ignore it, and for that simple act of kindness, I wanted to kiss him on the mouth as thanks.
He took the tray, and I followed him down the stairs.
I hadn’t really taken in the room I’d woken up in, but as I left it, I still turned to mourn the cloud-soft mattress and appreciate the dark wood of the furniture paired with the cream-colored accents, from the curtains to the sheets and blankets. The room had been way bigger than I’d noticed. The bed was set in the center between two large windows, beneath each of which was a small side table; one held a bouquet of fresh wildflowers, and the other was empty, now that I’d drank the bottle of water that was on it. On the left was the door leading to the bathroom, and on the right, another entry that I presumed led to a walk-in closet.
The hallway outside the room was lined with pieces of art. Some were terrifying depictions of history, like the one I’d paused in front of that depicted Achilles as he learned of the death of Patroclus. His expression was almost manic with his eyes wild, and his mouth opened in a roar.
“Aria,” Sariel said from the top of the staircase, his eyes flitting from me to the painting.
I jerked away from it guiltily and lifted the bottom of the dress to jog after him.
Dessi waited for us in the living room. The house was decorated in a mix of modern and vintage furniture and art. Dessi sat on a giant red velvet couch, her legs crossed so that her bare feet were visible. I was unsurprised that she also wore rings on her toes and several beaded anklets.
“Sit,” she instructed, gesturing to the armchairs opposite her. Sariel dumped the tray on the coffee table and sat heavily. I took my time sinking onto the cushions. “What do you want?”
“A cloaking spell,” Sariel answered. “All we need is a cloaking spell.”
Dessi’s eyebrows rose. “And who are you hiding from?”
Sariel’s lips pursed.
“I see,” Dessi cooed, leaning forward to prop her elbows on her knees to stare at us. “She’s been discovered…but by who?”
