“Don’t go alone,” I protest, wrapping my bandaged hand around his arm. Jace takes a step toward the door.
“No,” Zadyn says. “One of us should stay. Just in case.”
“I’ll come with you,” Dover volunteers.
“Stay out of sight,” Mar warns him with a quick peck on the lips. “Don’t go picking a useless fight.”
I pace around the room after they leave, too restless to sit. Peeling back the curtains, I scan the pitiful streets. When a flash of gold appears in my eyeline, I gasp, yanking the drapes closed.
“What’s wrong?” Jace is beside me instantly, his brows threading together.
Shaking my head, I move away from the window and sink into a seat. “Golden guards.”
He cracks the curtains the tiniest bit to peer out.
Getting a whiff of myself, I mutter, “God, I need a bath.”
“I can show you to the baths. The girls should all be heading to dinner now, so it should be empty.” Ilayna looks around awkwardly.
“Mar?” I ask.
“I’m going to take a look at Kai’s leg.” She settles onto the bed beside him and helps lift his leg. He sucks in a sharp breath through his teeth as she stuffs a pillow beneath it.
I follow Ilayna from the room, surprised to find Jace suddenly beside me. “Oh, you think I’m letting you out of my sight? With golden guards scouring the streets?”
“I’m going to take abath.”
“Don’t worry, witch, I won’t peek.”
Great.
“There are towels and robes here. I’ll try and bring you all back some dinner,” Ilayna says, lingering in the threshold.
“Thank you,” I say to her.
“Thank you, Ilayna,” Jace echoes as the door closes behind us,sealing us in with an air of finality. We stand there beneath the sensual low light, the steam curling above the circular pools creating a delicate layer of haze.
Jace and I lock eyes awkwardly as he steps forward. I hold my breath, my stomach doing little somersaults. With excruciating care, he begins to undo my bandages, unspooling them as I study the severe lines of his face, the permanent tension between his brows, the curve of his beautiful mouth, and the thick downcast lashes that shadow those high cheekbones.
The cruel things he said before still linger in the back of my mind, but I know he didn’t mean them. And besides, it’s hard to hold any kind of grudge when all I want is to crash into him.
When my hands are bare, he glances up at me.
“Thank you,” I whisper, my voice like gravel.
Without a word, Jace puts his muscled back to me.
Warm steam kisses my naked skin as I slip out of the borrowed clothes and into the inviting waters. I dip my head beneath the glassy surface and come up feeling renewed.
“You can turn around now.”
Slowly, Jace turns and sits down at the edge of the bath.
“What are you thinking?” he asks, drawing his knees up to his chest.
“Honestly?”
“Honestly.”
