“Kara,” Lady Ivory’s sweet voice calls up the stairs to me and my back stiffens all over again at the sound of my name. “I have a red dress in the closet. You’ll like it. Stay for dinner, won’t you?”
Dinner. Saint’s Inn gets busy the moment the sun goes down. Staying for dinner would be … entertaining and slightly awkward.
“I’ll think about it.”
I don’t turn to her or say another word as my boots drag up the stairs. On the second floor, I pass two more beautiful women and they smile kindly at me. I don’t have the strength to give them a kind look in return.
I push the door to my aunt’s room open. High ceilings are cast in the white morning sunlight. The walls are a pretty shade of blue and are accented by stark white trim. A large four-poster bed, big enough for several people, sits in the center of the far wall.
She’s remodeled since I’ve been here.
In our society, there are very few things that prosper any more. Technology was long ago replaced by magic. Then magic was ripped away. The bones of society are all that’s left.
It’s hard to even find food now. But sex will always be in demand.
Dirt crumbles from my boots as I cross her luxurious white carpet. My fingertips trail over the glossy dresser before opening the bathroom door. I close it behind me and turn the small lock in place. Locks are something of an obsession with me. If one is available, it will be turned. I’d lock the whole world out if I could.
It becomes too clear to me how badly I need a shower. My blonde tresses are dry at the ends; coarse between my dirty fingertips. Turning the silver knob, the shower clicks on. Lady Ivory’s establishment is one of the few homes in town that has running water. This really is Saint’s Inn.
White steam drifts through the room and I relish in the feel of it warm against my skin as I begin to undress. Lastly, I unwrap the black cuffs against my forearms.
When I first came to my father’s sister for help, I had been alone on the streets for months already. I wore long gloves even then. She never asked, though I know she assumed they were to hide the self-inflicted pain I might be hiding. Those few months after he died were the hardest. I hated asking her for help. But she accepted me without question.
She’s one of the few people who have accepted me in my life.
I push the thoughts from my mind as I slip beneath the scalding hot water. It rains down on me in relaxing patters across my shoulder blades. My eyes drift closed from the feel of it slipping across my skin. Water droplets cling to my lashes as I watch charcoal colored water spin down the drain at my feet.
I take my time here.
An hour passes and I don’t give a damn. When I finish, I take my time combing through my pale locks. I apply my aunt’s lotions generously to every inch of my skin. A scent of vanilla now clings to my body and I want nothing more than to take a long and lazy nap.
The soft carpet greets my steps as I make my way back into her room. I shiver from the cold air against my damp skin. Opening her closet, I see the dress in an instant.
Long, crimson fabric demands my attention.
Of course she was right. I do like it. There was a time I wore nothing but the best. Smooth silk gowns were all that ever touched my skin. I haven’t worn a gown in years.
I pull the thin material from the hanger. The skirt is a single piece and the top is a much smaller piece. Yes, I like it very much.
The smooth dress skims up my thighs. I zip it up with ease and slip my arms into the top. It crosses over my shoulder blades and ties in a bow as if I’m a present to be opened. A two-inch sliver of my abdomen is exposed. The scar just below my ribs nearly peeks out.
Picking up my father’s sword, I consider how the dirty blade will look against the soft dress.
Not very practical, I suppose.
I consider the other few weapons I possess. I’d hate to prance around without some sort of protection.
A gentle knock brushes lightly against the oak doorframe and I jump from the small sound.
Daxdyn looks up from the doorway. His messy hair threatens to spill into his gray eyes.
His lips part without sound as his gaze burns across every inch of my body.
“Wow. You look…” Again his lips part without the assistance of words.
“Decent?” I ask with a smile.
The handsome smirk he always has fills his face. Dimples crease his cheeks making my knees go weak at the sight of them.
