‘Just follow me. I promise it’ll be worth it.’ She lets go of my arm and starts walking toward one of the doors along the far wall, four doors down from Professor Nicks’s office. I limp after her, my face the picture of confusion as she pushes the door open with her shoulder, then stands there holding it open for me.
The smell of salt hits my nose, reminding me of the ocean waves crashing below last night.
Does this lead outside?I don’t remember seeing a door on the outside of the building.
I falter. ‘I don’t …’
‘Oh, come on, Nocthare,’ Lillian rolls her eyes. ‘Stop looking at me like I’m about to kill you. I barely have the energy to hold this open. Get your ass in here before I let it go.’
Something in her tone suggests she’s being genuine, or maybe I’m stupider than I think because I give her the benefit of the doubt and do what she says, hoping to every star in the damn sky that I’m not making a grave mistake in doing so.
The door closes behind me with a heavy thud. Without the light spilling in from the training room, we’re now encased in semi-darkness. There are several lit lanterns fixed to the walls, all spaced out a handful of feet beside each other illuminating a pathway down a corridor.
Lillian walks ahead of me. It isn’t until I notice the floor starting to dip downward that I feel panic really start to claw its way up my throat. My calves burn at the decline, and I contemplate if I should turn back.
‘Are we going underground?’ I ask. My hand reaches out to hold onto the wall because I feel like my legs are going to give out on me, but I snatch it back when the wall itself feels warm to the touch.
‘You don’t have claustrophobia or anything like that, right? I probably should have asked first.’
‘Uh, no? Why?’ I ask, slowing my steps.
‘You’ll see. But I’ll warn you, the air gets really thick down here and, seeing as you’re not used to it, it might be a bit stifling at first.’
I understand exactly what she means moments later when we take a left turn and the ground dips once again, plummeting us deeper. The air grows thick and humid, and my breathing turns shallow. It’s not terrible, but like Lillian mentioned, it is slightly uncomfortable. It’s hot, too. Hotter than the wall I touched earlier, and even the ground has started to feel slippery with sweat.
‘Lillian …’
‘Quit being such a chicken.’ Her laugh echoes in the cavernous space. I frown.
‘You are quite literally taking me underground.’
‘You could have said no.’
Don’t remind me.
Finally, we reach the end of the corridor and are met with yet another heavy-looking door. Lillian pushes it open, and a gust of steam permeates my skin, sinking deep into my pores. I blink through the onslaught, and when I step through the threshold, inhaling a thick lungful of air, my mouth stays open, stuck in a small ‘o’.
Baths. Everywhere. But not like the typical tub I have back at home – these ones are large enough to fit four or even six people and they’re built into the ground. There are a lot of them, too; each tub positioned side by side with baskets of white towels and a couple of bench seats scattered about the room.
‘Welcome to one of the luxuries of being in Malachite.’ Lillian nudges my elbow with hers. ‘No one else is allowed down here. In fact, the other units aren’t even aware this exists, so keep your lips sealed. Got it?’
‘What?’ I gape at her. ‘How is that possible? Surely someone would have let this slip by now.’
She shrugs. ‘Every unit has its own secrets, Nocthare.Thisis one of ours. Now come, we’ll find an empty one and get those muscles of yours on the mend.’
I pad behind her, taking in every inch of the space. From the low ceilings and the intricate carvings etched into them, to the lit lanterns casting soft hues around the room that mix with the steam billowing up from each pool like the breath from sleeping giants. It’s bright enough to see in front of me but dim enough that I can’t make out the figures submerged in the hot salty water. It affords each bather a modicum of privacy, especially as I spot several items of clothing piled next to some of the baths, making me wonder what the hell Lillian thinks I’m supposed to wear getting in one of these.
‘Over here.’ She points to an empty pool. ‘It’s all connected to the ocean, you see,’ she explains. ‘The minerals in the sea salt help to relax sore muscles, not to mention there are rose quartz and green aventurine crystals infused into each bath. You’re going to walk out of here feeling like you’ve had the best, most relaxing time of your fucking life.’
‘I …’ I glance around. Tension starts to creep up inside me, unable to let go of the thought that relaxing in a public bath sounds like a terrible idea for someone like me. GivenwhoI am. ‘Is it safe for me?’ My voice comes out tentatively, but I need to know. I must ask. ‘How relaxed will I get exactly?’ Will I still be able to defend myself if needed?
I expect Lillian to laugh. Instead, she surprises me by giving me a sympathetic look. ‘You have no reason to trust me. I understand that. Not after what happened with Harley – and for my part in that, I’m sorry. If I’m honest, I didn’t think it’d go that far when I left and went up to my room. That’s on me.’
So … she didn’t stand there and watch it happen, then? Maybe I was wrong.
‘I’m actually the one who carried you to the infirmary that morning.’
I baulk. ‘You are?’ Sure, she’s taller than me and has more muscle; her arms and legs are toned and sculpted, but still … I’m not tiny like Tilly. I have curves. Thighs and hips that have some meat on them.
