Page 5 of The Stygian Crown
“That sounds divine. Where are the baths located?”
Merry smiled and made her way across the room, where she pressed a wooden panel on the wall that swung open. A hidden door. “There’s a tub in the antechamber.”
Kara raised her eyebrows. An attached bathroom? Her very own tub? What had she done to deserve this? She crossed the bedroom and resisted the urge to whistle when she followed Merry into the bathing chamber. A tub made of clear glass sat in the center of the room, flanked by a sink fixture and a tall oval mirror ringed with silver filigree.
Several braided silk ropes hung beside the head of the tub, and three runes were etched into the bottom of the clear glass.
“Are you familiar with water runes?”
“No,” Kara said, trying to keep the awe out of her voice.
“Red silk for hot water, blue for cold. Black for an evaporation spell.”
“I think I’m in love.”
Merry giggled. It relieved Kara to see a crack in her shell.
Kara spotted a matching set of runes and silk ropes by the sink. She tugged the red rope experimentally, and warm water filled the bowl, as if it seeped in from the glass itself. She suppressed a squeal of delight. “Can you please help me with my dress?”
“Of course, Lady Grey.” Merry swiftly undid the laces of the dress and corset, and Kara let them drop in a puddle at her feet. She stepped out of the circle of clothes and pulled her slip overhead, then started on the stockings.
Merry gasped. Kara’s eyes flew to her left wrist, but her silver cuff was still in place, hiding Namirah’s curse mark. Had her scars surprised her?
Merry averted her eyes as she bent to pick up the dress, her cheeks a bright pink.
“Apologies, Merry. Modesty isn’t an affliction I suffer from.” She must be new to ladysmaiding if she was unaccustomed to people undressing in front of her.
“No worries, my lady. You just surprised me. Will you require anything else of me this evening?”
“You’re free to go. Thank you for your help.”
Merry curtsied and scurried away, and Kara heard her hanging the dress up in the armoire before the bedroom door snicked shut.
Kara experimented with the ropes and filled the tub until she had water that was almost too hot to stand, then sunk into it with a sigh. She leaned her head back against the rim, wishing Logan was here to massage her neck and head until her headache vanished and she melted in his arms.
She imagined he was here, sneaking into the bathroom and diving his hands beneath the water to touch her. Imagined he was in the bedroom beyond, standing naked in front of the fire, waiting for her to finish her bath to take her into his arms. Imagined he was anywhere but gone.
* * *
Kara accompaniedSerena to the palace training yards in the morning. Apparently the Vespertines, the palace guard, and what little of the royal army remained stationed here trained together often. She hadn’t been able to practice regularly since the clan had left for Travincal, and she sorely missed it. Exercise was one of the ways she kept the volatility of the curse under control. Serena loaned her clothes to wear after Kara accepted her invitation. To Kara’s surprise, she’d said it wasn’t uncommon for the women of the court to join the sessions, either for exercise or to learn self-defense. Kara was relieved to be in a pair of pants again, even if they were embroidered with a filigree.
A tall man with straight blond hair and piercing blue eyes approached Kara as she stretched her legs on the training yard green. He bowed low to her. She tilted her head up to get a better look at him. He was handsome, with a chiseled jaw, aquiline nose, and bronze skin. His tan breeches hugged muscular thighs, and the vee of his green shirt revealed a dusting of blond hair.A target appears.
“Welcome to Lerathil, Lady Grey. We’ve been eagerly awaiting your arrival. I’m Viscount Kendrick. But you can call me Aidan.” Serena must have planted the seeds of her arrival far in her advance, as no one seemed surprised by her sudden appearance.
“Kendrick?” Kara paused, scouring her brain. Why did that sound so familiar? Then it clicked into place.Jasper!That was his last name.
“Do you have a brother, Aidan?”
“Several. Have you had the misfortune of meeting one of them?”
Kara smiled. She’d have to judge Aidan on his own merits. “I’ve heard talk, is all.”
“Count yourself lucky, then.”
Aidan dropped into a stretch beside her, and the court ladies that’d been chatting on a bench nearby quickly rose and came closer, beginning their own stretches as they watched him.
Kara chuckled under her breath. “It appears you have an audience.”
