“Get in while the water’s hot,” she urged, and I took several cautious steps forward. The chain never jerked taut, and with a sigh of relief, I slipped into the bath.
The water was heaven on my sore muscles, working them loose and drawing out the ache. Slowly, the chill in my bones ebbed away. It was incredible. I slipped down into the tub until my shoulders were submerged.
“Do you take care of many captives?” I asked, trying again to pry for answers.
She shook her head and handed me a rag with a bar of ruby red soap. I immediately went to work scrubbing my limbs, washing every inch of me like it would somehow wash away the mix of emotions making my chest tight. The suffocating despair from being trapped and helpless, despite attempting to keep my hopes up. Things were looking bleak.
“How many others do you tend to?” So far, I hadn’t seen any other humans–any living ones anyway–but surely I wasn’t the only person alive in this entire realm. There had to be more captives hidden somewhere in the labyrinth…
“Just one before you,” Holga answered impatiently. “Hurry so we can dress you.”
“Was it Catherine?”
The witch went still. Her hollow eye sockets bore into me, her glare making the hairs on my nape rise. “Don’t speak that name here. Now up. Up!”
With a huff, I dipped my head under the water and set to work scrubbing the blood and dirt from my hair, wishing I had conditioner to run through the brittle ends. When I was as clean as possible–a part of me still felt dirty after the oubliette–I stood and turned toward Holga who was waiting with a towel in hand.
Wrapped in the towel, I made my way back to the bed, the chain shrinking back into the wall like it was on some kind of magical pulley. Holga marched over to the wardrobe against the far wall and pulled open the doors, flipping through the garments hanging there. She pulled out a thin white nightgown with a tie around the waist and brought it back before urging me to my feet.
It was a wrap-around dress, easy to pull on and off, and didn’t interfere with the chain around my neck.
“Have that in black? White’s not exactly my color.”
If the witch could blink, I had a feeling she’d be doing it now. “Black is for those in mourning. Or for the dead. You are neither.”
“Well. My boyfriend was murdered right in front of my eyes by your precious Lord.” I flashed her a too-sweet smile. “So it’s the perfect occasion for black, yeah?”
Holga shook her head in sympathy. “I am sorry. The Lord likes his human consorts in white.”
“Consort?”Heat flushed my cheeks, quickly spreading through my limbs like wildfire. “You don’t mean…He can’t…He’s too big. I’m too small. He’ll break me.”
My brain broke at the thought of fucking the Lord of Bones. He had the fleshless head of some unknown animal, but from what I could tell, he had the body of a man. At least it appeared that way. Who knew what he was hiding under that cloak.
My mouth went dry trying to unpack the mental image.
“Who knows what the Lord has planned for you, Lady Rayven. He never bedded Catherine. Thank the Darkness for that. Poor thing would never have handled him.”
“What?” My eyes widened. It was becoming clear that the monster had been pretty taken with the woman. “He never tried to sleep with her?”
Holga held the gown open for me and I turned, pushing my arms through the sleeves. “Oh, he went to her bed several times. She refused, she always refused.”
I turned this new piece of information over in my mind. He was so huge, the beast could have easily overpowered her. Why hadn’t he?
If he came to my bed, would he take no for an answer?
“Better?” Holga asked as she tied the bow around my waist.
The material was thin and almost see through, but I did feel better with the semblance of modesty.
“It’s not black, but it’s better than being naked. So thank you.” I took a seat again and towel dried my hair before Holga took a brush and set to working out the tangles.
“Silken locks as dark as a raven’s back…” the witch mused.
“I was named after the color, actually.”
“Yes. My previous mistress had the same hue.” Her voice was soft, with a twinge of something new mixed in.Pain?
It seemed that whoever Catherine had been, her presence had affected more than just the ruler of the castle.
