“Not even close,” Cael scoffed, his breath tickling the back of her neck. “Her new owner has already paid double that. Fuck off.”
The Beastrunner sniffed, then reached into his pocket and passed Cael a small black card. “Call me if you change your mind. Or if you come across any other delicious specimens like this one. Blondes are so rare, my clients are willing to pay a premium.”
Cael didn’t bother answering as he dragged Xenia out of the alley and down the sidewalk.
They were propositioned four more times on the way to their hotel.
The cesspool of the continent, indeed.
CHAPTERFORTY-TWO
Xenia wrapped herself in a fluffy, white towel as she stepped out of the enormous marble shower.
After days of barely washing at all, and with water only, it was bliss to scrub away both the grime and her lingering nerves from the harrowing encounters on the streets. And the toiletries provided in this fancy hotel smelled wonderful—a sweet, citrusy mix with hints of lemon and verbena.
Seems Rhamnos did indeed have a few bastions of luxury.
She didn’t have any sleep clothes, but had found a plush robe and pair of slippers tucked away in a closet. She slipped into both before brushing her teeth at the sink.
Nighttime ablutions finished, she opened the door to their suite, a luxurious room decorated in pale tones of daffodil and lavender. The steam from her blessedly hot shower snaked out behind her.
The flickering glow of neon signs seeped through the wall of windows, blanketing the space with manufactured brightness despite the late hour.
Cael lounged on his bed, his damp waves curling across his forehead.
Xenia indulged herself while he wasn’t looking, let her gaze linger on the thigh-clenching sight of him sprawled atop the covers in nothing but his tight black underwear.
He stared up at the ceiling with his hands tucked behind his head, his lone wing draped beside him and his brow scrunched as he chewed the inside of his cheek. Completely unaware of Xenia’s gawking.
She crossed to her own bed, a spacious double with a pile of pillows and thick, puffy linens. She did an awkward little dance, attempting to pull on her underwear without throwing open her robe and exposing her intimate bits to Cael. Once completed, she tucked herself under the covers, shucked off the robe, and tossed it to the floor.
She laid her head upon a decadently squishy pillow, feeling safe and relaxed for the first time in weeks. This far above the city streets, the press of the continent’s magic wasn’t as jarring, and had faded to the occasional faint tickle. She turned to face Cael, his arresting profile limned in the sleepless city’s harsh light.
“Didn’t think you were ever going to come out,” he said.
“I almost didn’t,” she responded.
He sighed, flopping onto his side and tucking a hand under his cheek. His thundercloud eyes pinned her in place. “We’ll meet with Stolia tomorrow morning, down on the dock. One of his ships leaves for the colonies at dawn.”
A caustic rush of adrenaline scorched through her veins at the thought of leaving him.
“Do you trust him?” Xenia asked. The only safe question. She bit back the thousand others perched on the tip of her tongue.
“I wouldneverrisk your safety, Xenia,” he said, blinking slowly. “At least, not more than I already have.”
“How many times do I have to tell you that it wasn’t your fault? Anyway, I’m the one coming out of this scenario unharmed. The High Gods have already exacted their price from you.”
He didn’t scoff or thin his lips or turn away—a small bit of progress. So she pressed onward.
“Youflew,Cael. When you were fighting that monster. It may not have been the most graceful flight, but you managed it. Surely that’s got to count for something?”
He shrugged, rubbing at his cheek. “I guess. But I’m not sure I could do it again if I tried. I was completely focused on getting you out of harm’s way. Every other thought left my mind.”
His words sparked warm tingles throughout her body. Thank Amatu they’d gotten a room with separate beds.
Or curse Amatu?
Xenia’s feelings towards Cael were so conflicted, she didn’t know how to react. But she embraced the confusion. Fighting it would only make it worse.
