I splashed my face, letting it drip down my cheeks.
I pressed my lips together, swallowing a moan. Even better than the forest springs. And without Kairos watching me, I could actually enjoy it.
I sank deeper, until the heat lapped at my collarbone, and closed my eyes. A faint ripple brushed against my leg. My eyes snapped open, and I stiffened.
The fae attendants had joined me in the pool.
They waded closer, their white robes floating. One held a bundle of moss, the other a sea sponge.
I tensed.
“Relax,” Elwen murmured from somewhere behind me. “They’re here to help.”
I flinched as the first attendant touched me, scrubbing at the dirt caked on my skin. Another fae lifted a handful ofmy hair as a thick lather of sweet fragrance worked through my scalp. Gods, that was nice. Her fingers massaged gently, working out the knots.
The fae dipped a small vial into the water and poured it over my head, rinsing the suds off. The scent of wild rose filled the air, mingling with the steam.
“It’s time,” Elwen called softly.
I stood, dripping. An attendant offered me a plush towel, and I wrapped it around myself. So soft. My jaw locked. Someone slipped my feet into pattens, the wooden soles slapping the stones as we walked back.
They escorted me back to the room where I'd woken. More attendants waited there, guiding me toward a low stool near the hearth.
I expected corsets and layers of stiff fabric. Tight laces that would steal the breath from my lungs. I’d worn them before when Vaeris had dressed me up like a pretty prize, but they didn’t bring out corsets.
They held up something sleek—a dress shimmering like a midnight pool. Tiny gemstones woven into the bodice glinted like stars, while delicate threads traced patterns down the hem. A belt fashioned from braided vines cinched the waist.
“It’s marvelous.”
“Of course it is.” Elwen smirked. “You’ll stand before a king. Do not give him any reason to look elsewhere.”
The attendants pulled the dress over my head.
When they backed off, I stared at my reflection. My brown hair had been tamed into a fishtail braid. Little white flowers poked through the weave.
My fingers grazed the filigree. This dress belonged to someone who had never begged for stale bread. A girl who wasn’t me. Draped in this finery, I looked like a queen. ButI knew better. When powerful people dressed you up, it meant they were preparing to show you off. The finer the clothes, the higher the price.
Elwen motioned to the door. “He’s waiting.”
My throat tightened.
What kind of fae was he? Cruel, like the nobles of Skalgard who watched us die without blinking? Or did he treat humans like pawns to be sacrificed as needed?
What if he was worse?
We stepped into the corridor, and I had to steady myself against the wall. Dark gray rock walls. Runes glowed softly along the ceiling, casting everything in amber light. The air here was thick and warm—nothing like Skalgard’s biting cold. It pressed against my skin.
Tapestries dangled between brackets, depicting battles I didn’t recognize. My footsteps echoed despite the fabric. Or maybe that was just my pulse thundering in my ears.
Two guards stood on either side of a set of giant wooden doors. They pushed them open. The room inside was shadowed, lit by flames in a massive hearth, its light dancing across stone the color of old blood. Rough-hewn walls, as if carved by claws rather than tools, and between the fissures hung weapons: axes, swords, spears.
At the center was a table, a single slab of wood. The grain swirled like storm clouds, and the surface was scarred with cuts and burns, as if it had seen a thousand war councils. Heavy chairs with high backs ringed it. At the head of it sat a lone figure. His silver hair gleamed as he gestured to a servant.
He turned, and my breath caught.
No.
A wave of nausea rolled through me.
