I clench my fists at my sides. “Because I can hide in House of Silver territory. If I’m with you, I will have no place to hide.”
“You have no need to hide.”
I slash my hand through the air and shake my head. “Yes, I do. I have magic I cannot control, and if I’m around people, I will hurt someone again.”
“Annora.” Jasce stands and pulls me into his arms. “You aren’t going to harm anyone.” When we go to Sharhavva, Rowena is going to help teach you about your magic.”
I press my face against his chest. “Lyra’s magic.”
“All right, Lyra’s magic,” Jasce concedes. Rowena will guide you on how to control it.”
When I sag against him, he guides me back to the bed, where I sit.
“Do you remember when we were in Dharhavva, and I took you to the baths?” he asks.
I nod.
“Well, we have them here too. Shall I take you there?”
“Yes,” I say, knowing I could use a calming bath right now.
Jasce stands and leads me from the bedchamber, then into the villa’s winding corridors. We pass through an arched doorway and step into a massive room. Three immense pools stretch out across the room.
The scent of jasmine and rose oil fills the air. I inhale deeply, letting the fragment aroma wash over me.
Jasce guides me to the edge of the nearest pool. I sit on the smooth tiles, slip off my slippers, and dip my toes into the water. Jasce sits next to me, but he doesn’t speak.
He glances over at me as I stand and unlace my surcoat, his eyes following the movement of my fingers. When I finally work all the ribbons free, I allow the soft material to slip down my body and pool at my feet in a puddle of fabric.
A muscle throbs in his cheek as I remove my pants and undergarments next. I stand before him, completely bare, my skin prickling with goosebumps from the cool air and the intensity of his gaze. Yet, he doesn’t speak, nor does he make any move to touch me. He seems perfectly content to stare, his breathing growing heavier with each passing moment.
I step out of the clothing and slip into the inviting pool. A sigh escapes my lips as the warm water envelops my aching muscles.
Jasce doesn’t budge from his place by the pool’s edge, but his eyes follow my every movement. As I dip my head back, submerging my hair in the water, I feel his gaze.
I shift and turn to face him. “Are you going to just stare, or are you going to join me?”
“This isn’t about me.” He reaches for a tray laden with bottles of oils and positions it within easy reach.
“Is that so?” The water dances around my body as I glide closer to where he’s sitting. “Then, why are you staring?”
“Because you are mine to stare at.” The words fall from his lips, as if they are an undeniable truth.
“But not to touch?” I challenge, my brow arching slightly.
“Is my touch what you desire, Annora?” he asks, his voice raspy.
“You misunderstand me.”
“On the contrary, nothing escapes my notice.” He smirks. “Now, be a good girl and turn around, so I may attend to your hair.”
Attend to my hair?
Surely, he can’t be serious.
But as he shifts even nearer to the water’s edge and reaches for one of the glass bottles filled with oil, it becomes abundantly clear that his intentions are genuine.
Very well, then, if that is his wish.
