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The room the Comerciante Nocturno kept me in had been musty, and always on the verge of too hot. This was comfortable, soft and clean.
I stopped moving and heard the muffled voice say, “Señorita, soy yo.”
It was Javier’s voice.
Everything inside of me settled like silt at the bottom of the river. Tears still poured down my cheeks, and the waters raged over my head, but the hysteria was cut short as I realized my dreams were reality. It was safe at the bottom. No knives, no needles.
The last day came back to me in flashes, and then all at once. I’d run away from the boat that was to take me to my new husband, only to find my bodyguards and Antonio. He brought me here. He was so angry when he found one of the scars on my shoulder, but stopped pressing when I began crying. I’d eaten, and Isolda, my old maid from Rosa de Oro, helped me undress and bathe before I’d climbed into bed.
You are safe, I told myself.
Sort of. I still had to compete in a week.
Safe enough, anyway.
I groaned and pulled the covers away.
The room was bright, and the curtains in front of the window had been pulled back to reveal the brilliant late morning light. Blinking furiously, I wiped at my face with the covers and turned my attentions to Javier.
He had released my legs, and he looked down at me with thinly veiled terror. Had I been that loud with my screaming?
He stood there, frozen like a hulking statue, and waited for me to speak.
I cleared my throat, and it felt like sandpaper was rubbing along my esophagus. My hand flew up and touched my throat, only to feel the scar trailing in jagged lines above my collarbone.
“Perdón,” I said and my voice wobbled.
Javier’s hands fell to his side, and he straightened. “¿Estás bien?” He didn’t move to touch me, but his jerky movements made it seem like he wanted to.
I shook my head, relaxing even further. “La verdad, Javier. Siento muy mal que viste esto.”
His jaw tightened, and deep lines between his eyebrows marked his skin. “Estoy aquí para protegerte.” He was older than mine and Antonio’s ages put together, but he never seemed exasperated by the way I acted. He was gentle, almost impossibly so for a man as tall and stocky as him.
There was grief behind his statement. A part of me wondered if he was in pain for not being nearby the night of the Candidates Ball. Would I have gone with Martina de León alone? Would I still have blood on my hands? Would I have run away from the Canciller’s grasp only to end up with the Comerciante Nocturno?
I looked down at my hands, which were wet with the tears I tried to wash away. “Javier,” I started, “I’d learned long ago that regrets were as useful as good intentions. What happened is already in the past, and I’m glad you are here now.”
He nodded his head once, but hesitated before he said, “Antonio gave us orders to take you to him once you were awake.”
My stomach roiled, but I shook my head. “Out of the fire, and into the pot. Or whatever the saying is.” There were too many things that happened to me which haunted my days, and I was tired of being ruled by them. If I threw myself back into tournament preparations, the scars wouldn’t bother me so much.
“Entendido,” I said and pushed myself out of bed, my limbs protesting every movement. For the first time, I was grateful for Isolda. She was normally bossy, bordering on rude, and she had insisted I bathed before sleeping. The smell of the Comerciante Nocturno’s clothes had been scrubbed off my skin, along with the grimy memories of the Mercado Nocturno.
There were still so many people that needed help.
Isolda had been waiting outside, and switched places with Javier. I smiled. Even though she was spiny, she was a welcome sight.
“Buenos días, Isolda,” I said first.
She smiled at me, but raised one eyebrow. “Buenos días señorita.” Then her eyes trailed up to my hair, and she frowned. My hand flew up to pet the kinky, tangled curls.
I looked at the door leading to my personal bathroom and took a step forward. “Me voy a bañar.”
Isolda nodded, almost approvingly. “I’ll prepare your clothes.”
The carpet felt luxurious under my feet as I walked past her and into the bathroom. A large exotic plant with wide leaves and a red blossom was set next to the shower, in the direct sunlight of the window. I reached out and touched once glossy leaf while taking in the stunning black walls, white floor, and gold trim of the place. I was tired of fighting. For right now, I could be content to enjoy the beauty of the place that surrounded me.
I undid the tie on my nightgown, and pulled it over my head, baring myself to the four elegant walls. In the corner of my eye, my movements were reflected in the mirror. I paused. I hadn’t looked at myself since all of this had happened, and the curiosity was gnawing at me.
