“A bath?” she asked.
I extended my hand. Her fingers slid into mine without hesitation.
“Yes,” I said, warmth threading through the word. “A bath.”
The shadows curled lazily around her ankles, content and recognizing her, and her eyes flicked down at them before rising to meet mine again.
I didn’t let go of her hand.
She didn’t pull away.
And together, laughing, breath still unsteady from Joren’s chaos, wrapped in a morning far too soft for the storms we’d made, we headed toward the bathing chamber…
To wash away the night, steady ourselves for the aftermath, and then go deal with a screaming goat on the roof.
Steam curled through the air in soft ribbons, rising from the carved stone tub as water filled it in a steady, gentle rush. The room glowed with low amber light, cast from the sconces lining the walls, warm enough to soften every edge, every breath.
Caelira stood just inside the doorway, her fingers still laced with mine. Her cheeks were flushed from laughing, her hair was a wild, tangled halo that made her look almost unreal. And the bond hummed faintly beneath my skin, a quiet echo of the night before.
“You’re sure you don’t mind?” she asked softly.
If she knew what her voice did to me…
If she knew how easily I would have followed her anywhere…
“I asked you,” I said. “Of course I don’t mind.”
Her lips curved, small, but genuine.
Gods, that smile…
I released her hand only long enough to test the water, adjusting the temperature with a flick of my fingers. The steam thickened, the air warming around us like the room itself leaned closer to listen.
When I turned back to her, she was watching me.
Not shy.
Not hesitant.
Just… open.
“Come here,” I said quietly. She moved toward me, steps slow but steady, like she wasn’t sure if she was approaching the bath or approaching me.
Maybe it was both.
I reached for her again, my fingers brushing her waist, a touch so light it made her breath catch.
She stepped closer until I could feel the heat of her body against mine.
Her voice lowered.
“Are you going to keep looking at me like that?”
“Like what?” I murmured.
She swallowed, eyes flicking to my mouth then back up again.
“Like you… can’t quite breathe.”
