Her side protested the work of drawing the bath, but she wanted to be clean more than she wanted the pain to stop.
When the tub was full, she called up her fire magic. It was weaker than usual and required more urging than she was used to, but soon her hands were scalding, and she stuck them in the tub. Slowly, she moved her hands through the water until it was steaming hot. It was an unnecessary indulgence, but her body had been through so muchin the past day and she wanted just a few moments of luxury after being cold and sweaty.
Stripping off her clothes, she lowered herself into the hot water, groaning at the divine feeling of being pleasantly warm for the first time all day.
The sun was setting, and soon it would be cold enough to see her breath. Much as she wanted to stay in the tub until the water was cold, she quickly washed her hair and body. Rising from the bath much sooner than she hoped, she patted herself dry with a linen towel they’d stolen from the cabin and wrapped her hair.
Stella hesitated, trying to decide what to dress in and opting to wear the shirt Teddy had loaned her. It wasn’t that she wanted to wear something of his, but more that she didn’t want to dirty another set of her clothes yet. She’d already slept in the shirt the previous night, so it just made sense.
It had nothing to do with the fact that the shirt smelled like him and that she liked the way Teddy looked at her when she wore it—with possessive satisfaction in his eyes. She didn’t want to belong to him, but she liked how wanted that look made her feel.
Stella slipped socks and boots on, hooked her bag and weapons over her shoulder, and started to scale the tree. It was slow going as she climbed and learned the constantly shifting rung pattern. It was harder to see the new rungs as she ascended into the dark canopy.
Finally, she reached the opening to the treehouse. Her side ached as she reached up and pulled her body onto the platform.
She glanced around the space. The ceiling was at least seven feet high at the center of the room, but it sloped down at the sides. The wooden planks of the roof formed a pattern that made her a bit dizzy. A large bed sat on the far side of the room and four smaller bunks lined the walls.
Rain began to drum against the roof. The storm came on all at once and the soft patter turned into a roar.
The sound was soothing. Stella yawned and stretched, her side pinching in pain.
Teddy grinned at her from the edge of the larger bed. “Tired already? I thought you were in better shape.”
Stella scowled at him. “I was in fine shape in the river yesterday. Forgive me for being wrung out after all of that.”
His brows shot up. It was the wrong choice of words. He seemed to notice her attire at that exact moment; his gaze slowly dragged down her body like a caress, coming to rest on her bare legs. “Quite an outfit.”
“I didn’t want to dirty fresh clothes until tomorrow. I only have one set left.”
He arched a brow. “If you say so. I thought they all got a good cleaning in the river.” Teddy stood and unbuttoned his shirt, tossing it onto the bed. “Sorry, I claimed the captain’s quarters. You’ll have to take one of the bunks.”
Stella rose to her feet and tossed her bag onto the closest bunk. “I’m sure I’ll manage.”
Teddy laughed, opened the trapdoor, and descended into the nearly dark forest.
The treehouse was small but neat. On the far side of the room, there was a large glass lookout window that had a beautiful view of the valley below them through the branches. A small table was pushed beneath the window with a cabinet of dry food beneath it and several books tucked onto the shelf next to the meek provisions.
Stella set her short swords on the table and rifled through the pantry. She wasn’t hungry, as they’d had a big lunch of two large rabbits Teddy had managed to catch and wild mushrooms he had foraged, but she was hoping for sweets. She’d only been away from Olney a few days, but she was already missing her father’s baking.
She glanced at the large bed Teddy had claimed. There, in the center of it, was a piece of paper and a pile of wild berries. Stella crossed the room and lifted the paper.
For your sweet craving.
Stella stared at the note as she popped a berry into her mouth. The juice was sweet and bright and she savored the treat.
He knew her well enough to read her cravings and to chooseblackberries—her favorite. Teddy was so attentive. Alarmingly so. She’d like to blame the bond, but then she remembered how he’d known that daisies were her favorite flower, and how at lunch he’d left all of the mushrooms he knew she’d liked best for her.
The storm rattled the treehouse window. She wondered if Teddy liked being out in the chaos of it. He seemed to like being in this space, almost like he was reliving something nostalgic.
It was disconcerting, the way that the vision of Teddy she’d carried in her head for so long did not match who he was in real life. She had assumed that Teddy’s life was very charmed, but it must have been difficult to go through training with people who were looking for any chance to humble him. He’d been sweet when they were young, but that seemed so long ago. He’d been so cold to her the past few years, and between that coldness and their incessant volley of pranks, her own judgment crept in. After spending so much time with him, she had a new appreciation for the way the burden of expectation had shaped him.
Stripped of the prying eyes of court, he was thoughtful, resourceful, and warm. All qualities she’d thought him devoid of. He had seemed the black sheep among his less serious siblings, but now it was easy to see that he fit in with them perfectly and that his sternness around them was born out of protectiveness and concern for their reputations. He’d never had the option of not worrying about appearances. Of course he didn’t know how to relax.
Stella pulled her clothing out of her bag and took inventory. Everything had been dried and neatly folded, undergarments included, when she woke up that morning. Something about seeing her clothing neatly organized by a prince made her feel uneasy. The familiar territory between the two of them was now uncharted, and she couldn’t decide if she wanted to go back to how things were or charge into this new, unknown place.
Beneath the raging storm, Stella was suddenly aware of something more than the wind howling.
Death whispers.
