Page 128 of Anywhere

Rhys and Rook were still in the bathroom when we reached the room, and I pointed out the foul liquid on the floor.

“Oh, deary me. Someone had demselves a bit of a time wit a demon, dey did,” Sam said, then whistled as he cleaned up the mess.

I hated just standing there watching him, so I walked over to the pile of soiled clothes. They looked like they would never be clean again, stained from the thick coating of blood. Carefully, I pulled the weapons and holders away from the clothes, and Sam gasped.

Worried that we were once more under attack, I looked around the room. Instead, the man stared at my hands and marched toward me with a frown.

“Me lady, for da last time, ya no do dis work no more,” Sam scolded. “Dis be me job. Are ya tryin’ ta take me job? Do ya no’ want me ta have a way ta feed me family?”

“Naw, I’ma just wantin’ help,” I said, horrified that he would think such a thing. The dark frown lifted as he laughed.

“I be only joshin’ wit ya. I dinnie ‘ave a family,” and laughed harder at the look on my face. “It be what all us servants say when someone new like ya comes ‘ere. But in all seriousness, ya need ta be givin’ me da pile and stop tryin’ ta help. Come den, hand it over. We be g’tting' a tad bit pissy when da royals git in our way.”

He took the pile, then picked up the other discarded clothes, tucking them under one arm, before grabbing the bucket and mop. Whistling, he placed it all out in the hall and then came back in and stripped the bed.

I stepped in to help, and he lifted a brow, challenging me to come closer. In a blink, all the sheets were clean, and new blankets were in place before he disappeared out the door.

I was going to have a really hard time getting used to this. That much was for sure. The bathroom door opened, and Rhys emerged, helping a weak-looking Rook. He looked a little better and had showered, but his skin was still very pale. Wanting to help, I went to his other side. He must have felt worse than he looked because he leaned heavily on Rhys and me as we got him into bed.

“I’za gonna go shower. I need ta git dis blood washed off,” I said as Rhys went to the other side of the bed and got under the covers. I watched Rhys’s hand travel through Rook’s hair as Rook leaned into him and closed his eyes.

“Aye, I din’t wanna stay in me clothes one second longer wit the sticky blood either,” he said softly. “Even fir me dat be just too much. Are ya really okay?”

I nodded, unsure why the horror I witnessed didn’t bother me to the depths that it should. A part of me thought it was wrong to feel so little, but they came here to hurt us. They weren’t innocents forced to do this or wee children, they were men with a mission, and that mission was to kill one of us or all. I couldn’t bring myself to care.

“I be good,” I said. I reached the door when Rhys’s voice stopped me.

“Tanks for gettin’ da mess cleaned up.”

“Sam, he be doin’ all da hard stuff, but yer welcome.”

The room felt small as Rhys’s eyes found mine. “Ya can stay if ya want, ya know. Yer free ta use da shower and sleep with us. I’ma jus’ no’ wantin’ ta push ya when ya made it clear yer no’ ready to be ‘ere wit us.”

“Aye, I be gonna go and see once me gets cleaned up how I be feelin’ on the topic.”

I kicked myself in the ass all the way down the hall and into my room. Rhys offered his shower for me to use. But no, I let the nervousness get the better of me and left the room.

What in the name of the Great Mother was wrong with me? I wandered into my bathroom and got undressed. I be a fool.

Elewyen

I was staring at the ceiling when my necklace did its nightly glow. Gripping it in my hand, I responded in kind. My smile spread as I thought about Keeva here in this castle. She’d love the room with all the books. There were so many that you could read a book a day for years and still not make it through them all. She would also love the large green field and barn that held horses for riding. I’d never seen so many horses up close, but they all loved to get their daily treats of carrots and their necks scratched.

The little necklace dulled, and it pulled at my heart that she wasn’t here yet. Pushing myself onto my elbows, I glanced around at the room that was way too large for one person, and my eyes landed on Barry curled up in a little ball on my pillow.

It was time I told Rook and Rhys I was staying for good. After what I saw tonight, I knew I couldn’t leave them to fight off this threat alone. With that decision came confidence. Sam was right about one thing. I needed to act like this was my home too, and not that I was a stranger passing through.

If I was going to do this, I needed to be in the same room with them. Staying separate wasn’t helping me feel connected.

Hopping off the bed before I thought about it too long and changed my mind, I slipped into one of the long black T-shirts Rook gave me to sleep in. He liked how I looked wearing them, and the material was soft against my skin.

Peeking out into the hall, I made sure no one wandered the dark space. There were strange noises in the castle. It was the same at Injebreck. Little echoes of noise and low whispers, like the walls were telling all the day's secrets. It felt as if there were eyes in every corner.

Certain I was alone, I stepped out into the hall. Barry shot out of the room just before the door caught his wee tail.

“Whaddya doin’?” I opened the door for him to go back into the room, but he sat down. “Really? Dat’s da way it’s goin’ ta be?” Bending down, I held out my hand, and he jumped into my palm. “Ya be needin’ ta behave,” I warned as I put him on my shoulder. “I be tryin’ ta make a connection wit dem and ya cannie be throwin’ stuff all da time.” He nuzzeled my cheek. “Dinnie be actin’ all innocent like, I be seenin’ ya.”

Barry twisted his little head to the side as he looked at me. He was gonna do whatever he wanted anyway.