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There was silence from the other side of the room, and when I turned to look back at Drusilla, her brows were drawn together.
“Theron said that?” She asked slowly.
“He did,” Rook replied, holding me close. “We just need to wait for Elara to recover fully, and then we will be going home.” He sighed. “Home.”
I leaned against his chest again, listening to his heart beat. “Home.”
Drusilla cleared her throat and moved to the fireplace, retrieving the undergarments that were hanging in front of the fire to dry. “Yes, well that is wonderful, my lamb. And speaking of your recovery, the healer has recommended you bathe in the hot springs.”
“The hot springs?” I asked.
Drusilla nodded. “Yes, there is a cave system underneath the palace, and the hot springs down there are said to have healing properties. It was suggested that they’d be beneficial for you, and since Theron wants you properly healed for… your journey…”
Rook smiled down at me. “That sounds like just what you need.”
I sighed as I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Perhaps you could come with me.”
“You’re meant to be recovering,” he murmured into my ear, “and if I have you naked in a hot spring…”
I swatted at his back, laughing. “You’re a brute.”
He drew back from me and smiled. “Go down and enjoy your bath, it will do you good. I have some matters of my own to attend to.” He kissed me again, and another soft tut came from Drusilla. “I will see you tonight,” he whispered in my ear.
“I certainly hope so.” I replied, our hands staying joined as he backed towards the door, Finally our fingers dropped from one another’s, and his smile stayed on me until he left the room, and the door fell closed before him.
Drusilla rolled her eyes and shook her head when I regarded her with a grin. “Oh, to be young and in love again,” she muttered.
“I am deliriously happy, Drusilla,” I replied, falling down into the armchair in front of the fire. “Not two weeks ago I almost died, and now I am here, and happy.”
“Yes, and I am happy for you as well, my lamb,” she said, but her tone did not match her words.
I was tempted for a moment to ask her what the matter was, why her face remained creased into a frown, even as I sighed with contentment. But instead I gazed out of the window at the warm afternoon light.
In a few days, I would be healed, and then I would be free. We would be free. I closed my eyes as I thought of the beach in Isambard, the turquoise water Rook had mentioned. Soon we would swim under the twin moons.
Only a few more days.
Chapter35
Elara
The healer escorted me through the passageways and catacombs, into the bowels of the palace. It smelled strongly of minerals, the air so thick with iron that it was like running my tongue along the blade of a knife. But it was warm and pleasant, the walls dotted with torches that lit the way in warm, flickering light.
The walls around us seemed to almost hum with energy, and the sound was intensely soothing. Perhaps the healer was right, and these caves were magical. He’d told me earnestly about the powers of the caves and the waters therein, and now I had no choice but to believe him.
The stone was warm under my bare feet, my thin robe becoming quickly sticky with humidity. I had wound my hair up and pinned it on the top of my head, and the tendrils that had escaped now curled in the damp air.
We moved down a carved stone staircase, and a turquoise glow met us, reflecting off the walls in undulating lines. The staircase opened up to a flat, golden rock, and beyond that lay the glowing blue water that was meant to heal me completely.
“It is not very deep,” the healer said to me, gesturing to the water’s surface. “Up to your shoulders at its deepest point. But it will do you good. Try and stay submerged for as long as possible.” He looked down at my arm that bore the black pocked bite marks the Hadrian wolf had left behind, then smiled at me warmly. “Might even heal up some of those scars, Your Highness.”
I nodded. “Perhaps, I will have to see just how magical these waters are.”
With a brief bow of his head, the healer padded back up the stone stairs and out of sight. I inhaled the thick air deeply, feeling droplets catch in my nose and mouth. It was not an entirely unpleasant feeling.
I peeled off my robe, which clung lightly to my body, and moved down more stairs that disappeared under the water's surface. The water was warmer than I expected, hot even, but it felt so good as it traveled slowly up my legs. Even though I was healed, my muscles still ached a little, and I couldn’t help but groan as I moved further into the depths. Oh Gods it felt nice.
The floor of the springs was a little slick, and I had to paddle a little to move deeper into the caves. I remembered Rook’s promise to teach me to swim, and smiled. Perhaps this would be an opportunity to practice my swimming. I willed my body to float, which it did easily in these waters. I propelled myself slowly with my legs, using my arms to sweep myself forward. I hadn’t been swimming in years, and this was simply heavenly.
