We stopped in front of a rounded door with a mushroom-shaped carving above it.
“You can take this one,” Shubre stated, handing a key to Thistle.
“Lovely,” Thistle replied, collecting her items from Kelraz and slipping into the room, a muttering Vesper slinking in behind her.
Branrir, Mav, and I followed Shubre to the very end of the hall
She paused again. “You,” she said, handing the next key to Branrir.
He accepted the key with a quiet “thank you,” and pointed at his satchels. Kelraz huffed and dropped them by the door.
Pointing to the door of the room immediately next to Branrir’s Shubre stopped, turned with a grin too wide for her face. “Here you go, lovebirds.”
Neither Mav nor I corrected her. Kelraz dropped our bags with a grunt and trudged back the way he came. Shubre gave one last knowing glance—mop still in hand—then clomped after him. Mav turned the key in the lock and opened the door, holding it for me to pass through.
The door shut with a soft click, sealing us inside.
The room felt more like a secret garden than anything meant for sleeping. Removing my boots, my tired feet were met with the soft patchwork of moss-woven rugs. Round glass doors took up nearly the entire far wall, where the balcony offered a view of the forest beyond. A single, large bed sat in the center of the room with plush, emerald bedding.
Tucked in the corner opposite the balcony, a privacy screen partially obscured the open door to a washroom with a bath carved from the hollow of a large log. Steam curled up from its surface, courtesy of the warming runes etched around the rim. The heat called to my aching limbs.
Mav glanced at me. “You’re cold.”
“I am fine,” I said automatically, though my teeth betrayed me with a chatter.
“You’re shivering.”
“I am not?—”
“Quinn.” His voice was gentle, steady. “Why don’t you have a hot bath and get into something dry?”
I hesitated, trying to will some pride into my posture. “Well…I do not mind if you go first.”
“I’m not the one turning blue.” He raised a brow. “I’ll borrow Branrir’s and be back soon. The tethershouldreach the next room. If it doesn’t, I’ll come right back and take a turn after you.”
I opened my mouth to argue, but failed. Mav pulled fresh clothing from his pack and slipped out of the room. After a few moments, the tether strained between us, but it was not painful. Selecting a dry outfit of my own, I made for the washroom, setting my fresh clothing behind the privacy screen.
The moment I stepped near the bath, a blanket of heat enveloped me. I peeled out of my soaked clothes, my fingers stiff. I drew a breath and slid into the water. The warmth sank deeper, chasing the cold from every inch of me.
An array of curious bottles and vials sat near the tub. Their contents caught the light in hues of amber and rose, oils swirling within the glass.
I reached for one of the smaller bottles and uncorked it. The scents of apple blossoms and sage rose with a sigh. I poured a small measure into my palm and worked it through my hair. The silk-dark strands clung and loosened in turn, slipping between my fingers as the soap frothed to a delicate lather. The warmth seeped into my scalp, down the curve of my neck, until the ache in my shoulders began to ease.
Another vial yielded an oil the color of gold. I smoothed it over my skin, the texture rich and unfamiliar. Steam curled around me, softening the edges of the room, until it felt as though I were dissolving into the heat itself. For the first time in many days, the scent of earth and blood was gone.
The soft sound of the room door opening and closing reached my ears. Noting my pruning fingertips, I emerged, wrapping a large drying cloth tightly about me.
Mav was already dressed in dry clothes, his hair damp andclean, sleeves rolled to the elbow. He stood near the window, watching the rain.
Padding a few paces out of the washroom, I stepped behind the privacy screen. I donned the underlayers with ease, but the dress was impossible to manage on my own.
After a moment of quiet struggle, I gave in to the flush rising up my neck. I stepped around the screen. “Could you…assist me?” I asked, avoiding his gaze.
“With?”
“The laces. I cannot reach.”
Mav hesitated for a moment, then dipped his chin and crossed the room.
