“Fuck!” He turns to the door and grips the wooden frame with both hands.
“Has something happened?” I hesitate, then take a step toward him.
Has the battle ended?
Tension ripples down his back as he stiffens and tightens his grip. “Yes. Mywifeis someone else.”
Over and over again, his words repeat, playing in my mind like a never-ending song, yet I cannot decipher them. At least, not enough to analyze his tone.
Does he hate me now?
Well, obviously he’s mad at me. Why else would he lock me away?
But does he hate me?
“You could leave me here,” I offer, then instantly regret it. I don’t want to stay in a room all alone.
“No, I cannot,” he snaps. “Everyone would wonder where you are. They are already asking about you.”
They are?
“I’m not evil or calculating. I don’t want to harm you or anyone.”I just want to go home.
He turns at my words, and I step back, wiping my charcoal-stained hands against my filthy surcoat. “You need a bath and clean clothes.”
Without another word, he opens the door and holds it for me. I step through, following him into the corridor immersed in a harsh light. I squint, my eyes adjusting as he leads me to the bathhouse and tells a maid standing near the entrance to bring me food and tea.
Then, he turns to me and speaks like I’m one of his servants. “Bathe, and then return to your bedchamber.”
After he leaves, I peel off my clothes and step into the bath with steaming water. I sink deeper, letting the heat soothe my skin. It’s a pleasant reprieve after being locked up.
I grab a bottle of oil and scrub my body and try to not think about Jasce. But it’s impossible to not think about him, to not remember the frustration burning in his eyes.
When I’m finished, I climb from the bath and pull on clean clothes. The maid, a young woman with blonde hair and amber eyes, enters with a tray of bread, cheese, and fruit. I eat every bite and drink all the mint tea before walking to Lyra’s bedchamber, where I find Zerah and Lillie.
Zerah stands when I enter, hurries to me, and throws her arms around me. “You were gone for two days, Lyra. I was so worried.”
ChapterTwenty-Five
The sun rises every day,and the moon crests the night sky. It doesn’t care that war wages outside these walls or that men and women are dying.
For three days, I count the sunrises, seeing them through a cloud of smoke and ash, knowing that when everything clears, it will be the same. It’s always the same. Nature. The cycle of life.
After Lillie falls asleep, and Zerah leaves to talk to her mother, I move to sit near the window, watching the smoke in the distance.
I shift to stare at Lillie, who calmly sleeps on my bed. Ever since she moved to my room, she’s been calmer, as if she feels safe here with me.
But safety is only a mirage in times of war. I know that too well. I close my eyes and let out a deep sigh, yearning for the battle to cease, for the soldiers to return to their families, and for peace to reclaim its throne.
When the door rattles with a knock, I hurry across the bedchamber to open it.
Lady Dinah stands there wearing a black cotehardie. “Change into clothing more suited to your station.” Her nose wrinkles, as if the sight of me is an affront to the castle’s very foundation.
“Has something happened?” I jerk my attention to the window but see no proof that anything has changed.
She offers a knowing smile. “You’ll see.”
Her nose wrinkles even further as her gaze moves to the bed. “Leave the child.”
