Page 19 of King of Fire and Scales

On the horizon was a sublime mountain that disappeared into the oblivion of mystical fog. Thalia’s heart began to race, so she chose to take it all, one step at a time.

She removed her tunic and tights, leaving them pooled on the marble floor. Thalia was stunned by how warm the water was that spurted from the rose-gold faucets. She was used to tepid well water. The witch applied soap instilled with lime and olive oil. She lathered it over the bandages cautiously, not wanting to disrupt the dressing or healing process.

When she was finished, she stepped toward a tall and long cupboard opposite the tub. After wrapping a fluffy towel around her body, she gingerly opened the closet and stood there with a silent gasp.

It was filled to the brim with an assortment of elegant garments, threaded together with the finest linens Thalia had ever laid her eyes on. She sorted through them as if they were rare and delicate jewels.

She chose something that she felt was fitting for her as a peasant woman who was no longer shackled to her destitute past. It was a long-sleeved, embroidered piece with a V-neck collar and mesh sleeves. A mid-drift sash embraced her waist, a bodice holding up her bosom

Thalia dabbed on light mauve to her lips to render them rosy and lively, as well as blush to her pallid cheeks. She felt her spirit rising as she left the room, greeted by a shocked King Drake.

“My goodness,” he said, rising from the bed. “You look heavenly, dear Sorceress.”

Thalia felt heat rush through her cheeks, and her stomach stirred with that enthralling radiance. But she wasn’t going to get caught up in it.

“Drake…My King,” she said, bowing her head. “There are a few questions weighing on my mind. I would like to speak about them before we proceed.”

“Speak, then,” Drake said without hesitation.

He looked so vulnerable and handsome standing there. Thalia turned away to keep from falling under his spell.

“Is it true that you sought me out to keep me from falling into the hands of your enemy?”

“That is correct,” he said.

“Then why is it that you assigned Sorcha to be my handmaiden? Is it your intention solely for me to develop my abilities to heal my father, or are you concealing your true motivations?”

She’d turned back to face him, tapping into her keen intuition. But the king did not relinquish, shaking his head slowly.

“I do not require a Creation Sorceress to win the war against my enemy. I summoned Sorcha to teach you how to harness your power into healing properties. It was a choice I made personally for the sake of your father.”

Thalia nodded in return, compelled by one final consideration.

“One more thing.”

“Speak it.”

Thalia did not want to be presumptuous. But she was a woman, and a woman knew naturally when a man was seeking her affection. Not many were apt at keeping it quiet.

But nevertheless, she was reluctant to inquire. And her voice did not shake.

“I can feel something else simmering between us. Something that does not concern your war. Something like heat. Something like an attraction.”

A smile that the village witch had never seen so large shone on the king’s fatigued face.

TEN

DRAKE

Thalia had cocked her eyebrow with uncertainty, and he took a step toward her.

He was elated when she did not move away.

“I am beyond pleased that you noticed. You are right, Thalia. There is an attraction between us, and it exists beyond the reaches of your human comprehension.”

She scowled at him, and he shook his head, still grinning like a fool and waving his hands in the air.

“I do not mean to insult you. What I mean is that my interest in you is not merely of the physical variety. It is in some ways cosmic.”

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