Chapter 24: Fleeting Luxuries
*Daphne*
In all honesty, a bath was a luxury given the circumstances. I glanced at the pile of my grimy clothes that needed to be washed... again. I was tired of wearing the sa thing every day. It made miss all of the outfits I used to wear around the palace.
While the tub filled with water all around , I reminisced. The days of luxury seed so far behind . My escape attempt the night before had been unsuccessful, and it upset . I wanted to save myself, but I also wanted to get better help for Rion and Eva.
I just wasn’t sure he would have listened to my advice. Still, considering how dangerous the woods were, I knew I probably would not have made it ho alive.
I glanced around for so soap and found a packaged little bar on the tub’s only shelf built into its side near the window. I unwrapped it as the tub filled with water and slled the soft, vaguely floral scent.
Compared to the bar and broom closet slls from the night before, it was a breezy walk through a rose garden paradise. It washed away so of the bitterness I had been feeling. I stepped into the tub and lted into the warm water.
I let the heat of the water relax as I sank further into the tub and sat. I didn’t move for a few minutes and let myself indulge in the warmth and comfort.
A few weeks ago, a bath was a nightly routine.
After the kidnapping, it was a rare luxury that I took every mont to savor. I closed my eyes and thought of the palace. I wanted to return so badly. The world I lived in had beco so ssed up so quickly.
I just wanted that simplicity back. I wanted to see my brother Rhys alive and well. I wanted to see my parents and older sisters.
My thoughts wandered to Rion and his gang. It all had beco complicated so quickly. At first, they were nothing but marauders to , but in the gentle soothingness of the tub, I reminisced about the conversation I’d had with Jasper.
He had seed like a good enough guy, just with a bout of rotten luck from a young age. He and Rion had struggled just to get by in life. I felt bad for them.
But at the sa ti, I couldn’t ignore that they kidnapped . Jasper was complicit in the kidnapping; he hadn’t lifted a finger to stop it or offered to release when the opportunity arose. I couldn’t just let that slide.
I didn’t like seeing them as just people struggling in life. It made it that much harder for to remain angry at them for kidnapping in the first place. Thoughts sward my head and stressed .
I opened my eyes and sighed when I was not in the palace but in the inn’s bathroom. I took the soap and washed up, getting a good lather and trying not to think about Rion possibly watching . After a few minutes of concentrating on the soap’s sll, I’d almost forgotten he was there.
My mind dwelled on the fact and at first, it disturbed , but I noticed that the more I paid attention to the feeling, the more I felt my heart racing. I was surprised by how exciting it felt, knowing he was just one room over.
Not being able to see him added to that feeling. I wondered what was happening to to make feel that way. It was so strange, yet so inviting.
He was so close to my naked body, close enough to touch it.
I tried to clear my head of those thoughts, but the feelings only got stronger the more I tried focusing on the sll of the soap. The clean sll reminded of roses, fresh and sensual.
My temperature rose despite the cool water surrounding , and when I couldn’t stand it anymore, I stood up. The water running down my skin made things even worse, and I had to force myself to breathe slower to calm down. But when I started to wonder if he could see , my heart pounded even louder.
I had to get out of there and get so clothes on. I looked around for a towel and felt a spur of panic when I couldn’t find one.
I cleared my throat, embarrassed, but said in a soft voice, “Can you hand a towel?”
I heard his footsteps as he moved around in the room behind . I glanced in the mirror and saw his figure flit between the open doorway as he crossed it.
Then his footsteps approached. My insides tingled as I felt his presence near. I almost jumped when I felt the soft brush of fabric against my back. It felt invasive, but it felt so thrilling.
I used my hand to go over the top of my shoulder to grab the towel.
“Thank you,” I said, my tone soft again.
I wrapped myself in the towel and turned around to find his silhouette behind the shower curtain. I had not heard the tal rattle of the curtain links, so I assud he had not seen my naked body.
Part of would not have minded if he saw.
I pulled the curtain back and glimpsed his silvery gray eyes. They made tingle inside. There was a fire of desire dancing in them.
“Why didn’t you just hand over to Hestia’s followers?” I said.
I was feeling emboldened. By what, I was unsure.
“You know why,” he said, his voice a sultry growl.
I tried to resist biting my lip, and instead said, “Can you explain?”
His eyes were hungry as they looked over . All I had on was a towel and that was all that separated our bodies. I had no idea why I felt so magnetized to him in that mont. He was still, as if waiting, then he leaned into and kissed .
The kiss was like peppermint exploding on my lips. The rush of euphoric electricity rang from my chest down to my core. He pulled away, but I wanted more.
“I could show you better than tell you,” he said.
I took a step back, light headed by the kiss. He stepped away from , nodded to the room.
“Go and get dressed.”
I walked into the bedroom and glanced at the bed, where I saw so clothes sprawled out. I was surprised when it wasn’t my T-shirt and cargo pants, but a dress. The dress was not sothing I would typically wear at the palace.
It was a simple dress, with no frills or lace but more like a sundress with a pretty floral pattern of different shades of pinks and blues. The sleeves were short and comfortable looking. Beside it was a pale blue wrap that matched the blues in the dress.
Spread next to the dress were a few accessories, a copper cuff bracelet and a matching necklace and earrings with pink flowers.
My old self would have not chosen it as first pick, but in the light of the circumstances I recognized it as a sweet, thoughtful gesture.
“Courtesy of Katheryn,” Rion said.
I turned around and smiled at him.
“Thank you,” I said.
He seed to catch the aning that the appreciation was ant for him, and not as much for Katheryn, though I did appreciate the thought. Likely, he’d asked for her help to make sure he could get sothing appropriate. n needed help with those types of things sotis.
I took the clothes and went to the bathroom, where I put them on. The dress was comfortable and airy.
Wearing the dress instead of the cargo pants and the T-shirt felt a lot better. I felt like a person again. I erged from the bathroom and when our eyes t, he stared at with a mixture of astonishnt and that animal hunger again.
A tingling washed over my body like a wave of goosebumps.
“You look pretty,” he said.
“Thank you.”
He walked over to and touched my arm.
“Let’s go get breakfast.”
We walked out, and the sll of bacon, eggs, and pancakes wafted up toward us from the top of the stairs and only got stronger the further we descended. The crew lined the bar. The rest of the inn had a few other patrons, but they were sitting at the dining tables.
We walked down to the bar table where the crew talked to each other. I noticed they already had their plates filled with steaming food. It all slled so good. My stomach growled.
I glanced at Katheryn in the little window that showed the kitchen. Steam wafted up and obscured part of her face. She grunted over a sizzling pan before she made her way out of the kitchen and to the dining room.
She served a few of the other guests but ignored as she passed by and returned through the swinging door.
I glanced at Rion, but he had his eyes on the nu. Katheryn returned and plopped a coffee onto the bar in front of us.
“Here’s your coffee, Rion. What did you want to eat?” she said, still ignoring .
“I’ll have the hash browns and breakfast sandwich.” He turned to . “And you?”
I opened my mouth, but Katheryn interrupted.
“She can have whatever the boys are having.”
Rion was about to say sothing when I said, “That’s okay.”
She glanced at and if looks could kill, I would have been murdered ruthlessly by her gaze alone. She whipped around back into the kitchen.
“Did she not want to give the dress away?” I asked Rion, suddenly overco with a wave of self-consciousness. It made feel guilty to wear her clothing, and the luxurious feeling of being in a new dress slowly left .
He shook his head as he took a sip of coffee from the steaming mug.
“I don’t know. I’ll ask her. She’s pretty straightforward. I feel like she’ll give an honest answer.”
She returned in a few minutes. She slamd the plate of my food in front of . I quietly mumbled a “thank you” that she promptly ignored.
“Hey, what’s up? Why the bitterness?” Rion asked.
Katheryn threw a glance my way, a needly one that stayed on the dress, then looked at Rion.
“You know why,” she said, then she turned around to serve the other custors.
I turned to Rion and said, “I’m getting a feeling that you shouldn’t trust her.”
‘Why?”
“I just have a bad feeling about her.”
“She’s just bitter,” Rion waved her away and dug into his al.
“We need to leave soon, anyway,” he grumbled as he began eating.
My heart sank. I didn’t want to reenter the woods and walk around in the dress, but I didn’t want to take it off either. I wanted to keep it as a reminder that better days were ahead.
We finished our breakfast and everyone took a few minutes to grab their items left at the front of the inn and we walked to the front door. Katheryn ca in from the hallway near the bar and approached with a coat.
“Let’s go, princess,” she ordered, tossing the coat at .
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