Poppy nods. “We did. Her family is wonderful. And she’s an amazing cook.”
Aurora sent two loaves of sourdough along with Poppy to give to Professor Silvermoon, and I can still smell them from where they’re wrapped in a cloth in Poppy’s satchel. I’m going to have to try really hard not to eat them before we get back to the academy.
Mrs. Bluewren smiles. “Those girls are going to keep Aurora’s hands full as they grow up. Especially that Astra. She’s already got the fixings of a troublemaker.” She shakes her head and laughs. “Now that you’re back, would you like us to bring up water for a bath?”
Poppy glances at me, and I have to immediately look away. Definitely can’t think about her in a bathtub right now. I focus on a painting of a fluffy squirrel hanging on the wall in the sitting room instead.
Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it.
“Um, yes, please. That would be great.”
“I’ll let Sasha know. And if there’s anything else, don’thesitate to ring.” She gestures behind her, to a wall of little silver bells with room numbers above them.
“Thank you.” Poppy starts up the stairs, and I smile at Mrs. Bluewren as I follow behind her. When we get back to the room, we open the door to find that it’s starting to get dark, and the air has a chill.
“I’ll start a fire,” I tell Poppy, still not looking too closely at her. If I did, I’d probably picture her brown skin covered in soapy bubbles, her hair damp and sticking to her cheeks as she soaks in the tub.
Don’t go there, Vandermere.
I kneel before the dark stone fireplace. Wood has already been stacked in the hearth, and I call on my magic and bring a little flame into my palm, then blow on it, sending the sparks dancing across the dry wood and kindling. It catches quickly, and I sit back with a satisfied smile.
“You’re good at that,” Poppy says from behind me.
I turn to find her sitting on the edge of the bed, shoes off, her gaze trained on me.
She continues, “I’ve never been very good at fire magic. It’s hard to learn.”
I push to my feet and shrug. “I had to get good at it for runeball. It helps when you have practice and games a few times a week. I had no choice but to learn.”
“That makes sense,” Poppy says.
A long beat of silence stretches between us, and it might be the first awkward moment we’ve experienced since leaving the academy. Is Poppy thinking the same things I am? Maybe she’s nervous about the bath and the single room andthe sleeping arrangements. I’ve really gotta try to keep her comfortable.
There’s a light knock on the door, and I call out, “Come in!”
The woman from before, Sasha, who served us breakfast this morning, comes in carrying two big pails of steamy water. “I’m here to draw you a bath,” she says.
“Do you need help?” I ask. The pails look heavy as she lugs them toward the washroom.
But she just smiles at me over her shoulder. “No, but thank you. It’ll just take me a few minutes.”
True to her word, Sasha makes several trips, filling the tub with steaming water before adding what smells like lavender oil and some sort of salt. The room fills with the calming scent, and I have to focusveryhard on not imagining Poppy sinking into that water. But it’s getting more difficult with each passing minute.
“All set,” Sasha says cheerfully, drying her hands on her apron. “Just ring if you need anything else.” She slips out, closing the door behind her.
Poppy stands from the bed, not meeting my eyes as she says, “I’ll, um, I’ll be quick. So you can have a turn after.”
“Take your time,” I say, keeping my voice level. “There’s no rush.”
She nods, grabbing something from her bag—a nightgown, I think, though I try not to look too closely—and then disappears into the washroom. The door clicks shut, and a few minutes later, I hear a soft splash of water.
I sit down heavily on the couch, dropping my head back against the cushion and staring at the ceiling.
This is fine. This is totally fine. I’m a grown man. I can handle being in the same room while the woman I’m falling for takes a bath twenty feet away.
Except I can hear the water moving and the occasional soft sigh as she relaxes into the heat.
A distraction. That’s what I need.
