I press a hand to my cheek and look away, but I don’t deny the accusation. It would be silly when the truth is written all across my face.
Zetros steps up then. “We should finish checking the palace.”
“Don’t bother,” Nero declares. “I already ran off one rather nasty group of gnomes when I got here in preparation for you. There are no other monsters in the palace, and I’ve closed off any other openings where one might come in.” He gestured through an open doorway. “I’ve even cleaned out one of the old bathing pools for Cora’s use.”
The fact that Nero is the only one of them to use my real name isn’t lost on me. He took the time to learn it, and though he still uses a pet name for me, he shows respect with his address. I tilt my head toward him, showing him I recognize the effort.
Grimus’ face scrunches up harder, clearly annoyed. “I’m going to double-check it all anyway. We take no risks.”
“Suit yourself,” Nero says, and then his eyes return to me. “If you desire to have new clothing,parum anguis, I’ve taken the liberty of making you new ones.”
I stare at him in surprise. “You what?”
Nero moves around, his large body slithering through the furniture before he picks up a bundle of cloth and brings it over to me. “These heathens have left you in that dirty hunt cloth, and I can’t bear to see you so. Therefore, while I waited for the four of you to arrive, I made you new ones.”
Furrowing my brows, I look down at the clothing in my hands and stare at the fabric that shimmers in the light, just like—
“My scales,” he says when I stroke my fingers over it. “When nagas shed, their skin is one of the toughest fabrics one can have. The greatest kings and queens have fought over the shedded skin of a naga.”
I clear my throat. I don’t know whether to be flattered or perturbed, but the quality of the clothing and the clear attention to detail has me looking up with a smile. Okay, I’m lying, it’s kind but also strange to think I will be wearing Nero’s skin. “Thank you.”
“Anything for you, Cora,” he murmurs and then backs off, giving me space to breathe.
“Great,” Bracken says, scowling at the snake. “Now he’s making us all look bad. I say we vote him out.”
“Scared of a little competition, fey?” Nero teases, and though they glare at each other, there’s a clear relationship there, as if they really are friends. It makes me curious, but I decide a bath is far superior to asking about it. I’ll ask later.
“Grimus, can you show me where the spring is please?” I ask nicely. “I figure you’d like to check it before I use it.”
Bracken and Nero continue to bicker, but Zetros watches Grimus and me closely.
“I’ve got other things to check that are more important first,” Grimus rumbles, dismissing me.
“Can’t you check the spring first?” I beg. I’m filthy, and I’m sure I’m starting to smell. “That way when I’m done, everyone else will be able to use it.”
“No,” he snarls, turning to go. I almost flinch at his harsh tone, deflating a bit.
Sighing, I say, “Fine. Nero, will you—”
“Fine,” Grimus snaps, glaring at the naga. Nero simply grins at him. “We make it quick.”
Relief fills me, and I nod my head enthusiastically. “Thank you.”
A grunt is my only response as he turns to lead me deeper into the palace. He’s cautious as we move, his eyes taking in every detail possible, but it seems as if Nero was telling the truth. All entry points appear to be blocked off already, and we encounter no obstacles.
When Zetros mentioned a courtyard, I expected that to mean it was outside, but instead, it’s more like a great domed room. The roof looks like it’s made of glass, like a greenhouse, but they are so dirty, light barely filters through now. It doesn’t make a difference though. There are already candles lit around one of the large basins inside.
I gasp at the beauty of it, at the way the candles reflect on the steam curling up from the water. The ground here used to be covered in tiles, but Mother Nature has broken in here too, making it so grass and ferns and even a few trees pepper the once ornate floor. The candles that Nero set up flicker, and the steaming water is dark.
I move to the edge and peer inside, worrying my bottom lip. “We’re sure it’s safe?”
He glares at me as if my very presence annoys him. “It looks safe enough.”
“The water is dark,” I observe, looking down at it and then up to him.
“And?” He crosses his arms.
I raise my eyebrow. “What if there’s something hiding in it and it tries to eat me?”
