And despite myself, I laugh. A genuine laugh. The sound surprises me as much as it seems to surprise him. A real laugh. Not the bitter bark I’ve perfected over the years, but something lighter, freer. “Well, it certainly paid off. And I wouldn’t dare.”
He chuckles, and says, “Bathe, Elyssara, and I’ll be back soon. I have something for you.”
“I thought thiswas the ‘something’,” I say, gesturing vaguely to the room.
“There’s one more thing. Bathe.” And with that, he exits the room, and I look at the bath again. It gleams, its surface rippling gently with rose petals. My breath catches. I’ve washed in shared basins all my life. This kind of luxury belongs to someone else—someone softer, cleaner,better.
The water scalds at first, but I don’t care. I sink into it, the heat searing away blood, grime, tension—everything. My body aches, but it's nothing compared to the ache in my chest.
I’ve spent years scraping by, stealing what I could, giving what I had to in order to survive. Comfort isn’t something I’ve earned; it is something I’ve forgotten how to even want.
But Kael... he makes mewant.
My thoughts spiral back to the symbol the boy had made. Something about it tugs at the edge of my mind, but I can’t place it. The way Kael shut it down so quickly only adds to my unease. He is hiding something.Of course he is.
I close my eyes, letting the heat of the bath pull me under, but no amount of water can drown the questions swirling in my head—or the way his voice lingers in my ears.
I don’t get on my knees for anyone, Elyssara. Sit back and let me take care of you.
Oh Stars.I am so fucked.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
ELYSSARA
I soakuntil my skin starts to wrinkle.
A gentle knock at the door sounds, and I sit up again, grabbing the Starforged Blade from the stool next to the bath.
“It’s me,” Kael’s voice is slightly muffled through the door.
“I’m still in the bath. Hold on, I’ll put my clothes on,” I shout back, scrambling to get out of the deliciously deep bath.
“Don’t,” he quickly replies.What?“Wrap yourself in a towel... it’ll make sense in a moment.”
My muscles tighten in anticipation, and I can’t keep the butterflies from fluttering in my belly.
I wrap the towel around myself, tucking a corner into the space between my breasts and securing it. “Come in.”
As soon as he walks into the room, the air shifts. As if my body knows he’s near and responds instantly. He’s had a bath of his own, and is dressed in fresh linen pants and a sky-blue tunic that matches the hue of his eyes. He carries a bundle of clothing—I can see linen pieces the color of rust and stone, and black leathers piled atop each other, and some... rather scant underthings sitting on top.
“These are for you,” he says, his voice calm but firm.
He places them on the bed, unfolding each piece, and showingme the leathers that appear expertly crafted and tailored. The smell of new leather fills the room, mixing with the sandalwood and vanilla from the bath, as he fingers through the pieces.
I stare at them, my chest tightening with awe and anger and something else I can’t name. “I don’t need your pity,” I try to say it with bite, but it comes out as a whisper.
“It’s not pity,” he replies, his tone even. “It’s basic decency, and necessary for our travels ahead.”
“I don’t need you to save me, Kael,” I shoot back.
Kael’s lips twitched into a faint smile. “I know you are quite capable of keeping yourself alive. But being alive and truly living are not the same thing, Duskae. You don’t have to do it all alone. Let me help you.”
His calmness—and the accuracy of his words—infuriates me, and the heat in my chest spills over. “How did you even know my size?” I snap, my voice trembling with the cascade of emotions spilling over.
His smile deepens, slow and deliberate. “Elyssara, I’ve been studying every dip and curve of your body for days,” he says, slowly raking his eyes over my body.
Heat flares in my cheeks, and I hate the way my body reacts to his words, his presence, his gaze. I hate the way he can unravel me with a single look. I hate the way I feel so much when he’s around.
