“I’m sorry for those you lost. However, I’m glad to see that you are not one of them.”
“As am I.”
The woman’s stone-cold demeanor warmed, and a bright smile appeared. Rowan stepped toward her with his arms spread out, and the two of them met in an embrace. He towered over the woman and bent down even further to whisper something in her ear. She let out a hoarse laugh, patting him on his arm and then stepping away. The woman then turned to the rest of us on horseback.
“Welcome to Summit’s Ridge. Baths are awaiting you all.” I almost sobbed in relief. “I know that must sound like euphoria compared to what you’ve grown accustomed to in the past few weeks. Please wash up before dinner. All of you reek.” She looked at Rowan and gave him a disapproving scrunch of her nose.
He laughed in response.
It wasn’t just a snide chuckle like what he offered me. It was a rich laugh, and the sound made my pulse skip a beat.
Rowan walked back to our horse and mounted behind me in the saddle. We started forward, and the rest of the Veilers followed.
Veilers, followed by the culled, dismounted outside a large cabin. Rowan, without so much as a glance in my direction, wordlessly followed the tattooed woman and a few other Veilers across the outpost. I watched them until they entered another cabin. Then, I fixed my attention back on the Veiler gesturing us inside.
The large room threatened to swallow me whole. Especially as the culled filtered in. I watched as they all looked just as lost as I was. The culled stood in silence, patiently awaiting orders from the Veiler.
There were fourteen cots lined in two rows, stacked with another bed on top, and equipped with a ladder for climbing. The room was fit for twenty-eight people to sleep. Some beds looked to be in use, with linens pulled back and a few personal items scattered on top. My heart plummeted at the sight of a worn stuffed animal on top of one bed.
The Veiler who showed us the cabin was speaking, but the words he spoke were muffled in my ear. The only thing I heard was something about there being one chamber pot to share among ourselves.
No plumbing. Wonderful.
He distributed pairs of clean linens to each of us. While I itched to get out of my filthy borrowed clothes, my body wouldn’t move. All I could do was sit and stare blankly at the floor, clutching onto the clothes like a lifeline.
The harsh reality of the situation was finally setting in, and fear had its talons in my back. I felt as though I was going through the motions of being alive when, in reality, something in me had died long ago.
The past few weeks of travel had been so exhausting that I barely had any time to grieve being away from home. And now that I was in this place—so very far from the comforting smell of oak—I felt empty and afraid.
Sleeping on the cold Ground, Rebels, Balor, Renata, and even bantering with Rowan, had all felt like a fever dream. None of it had been real.
But now, the truth of that weighted reality was crushing down on me, forcing me to accept all that had happened and might happen.
I was alone.
Chapter 17
“Not all prayers need to be spoken.
There is reverence in silence.”
- The Old Book
By the time I pulled myself together and made my way to the communal bathing chamber, there was no one else there. The others had already washed and dressed. We were less guarded at the outpost. Fewer eyes were constantly watching. Probably because we were over a hundred miles from any other civilization, and the grounds were crawling with Veilers.
Any attempt to flee would be foolish.
The bathing chamber was large with two medium basins. I peeled off my dirty garments and dropped them onto the floor. I took slow steps into the slightly murky reservoir, descending into its lukewarm water. At least there was still some heat remaining, despite the others absorbing the majority. The hot springs linked to these baths were a blessing.
I let out a disgusting moan I hoped no one outside heard, and then I sank deeper into the water. Layers of oil and dirt pooled around me as I washed my skin with what little soap was left behind. I dipped my head briefly, savoring the feel of warmth against my more sensitive skin. When my head emerged from underneath and I moved to wipe the water from my eyes, I was startled by a loud pounding on the chamber door.
“You have five minutes to get dressed!” someone shouted from the other side of the door.
“Well, that’s just great,” I murmured to myself. It seemed I would not be granted time to decompress like I had hoped for.
I spent what little time I had scrubbing myself down. Once I rinsed, I rose from the pool and toweled myself off as quickly as I could. I tugged the white long-sleeved shirt I had been given over my damp skin, and then I laced myself into the black pants.
I was grateful for the laces because my pants were slightly too large and slumped at my hips. I rolled up the ends that gathered at my feet. Then I put on my shoes and donned my overcoat just as the chamber door opened and an unfamiliar Veiler appeared.
