Page 22 of An Empress of Air & Chaos

Rhea rubbed another balm into her temples and then onto her wrists. She had heard of a calming balm that could be bought at the Huntswood markets. She wouldn’t have dreamed of trying such a thing, as they were often used recreationally by some people in her village to get high, but today, she would try anything to pacify her anxiety.

Anything to dull the pain.

After a while, Cally mouthed “thank you” to Rhea. She pulled against the bathtub to heave herself up and walked to the door. “I’m just down the corridor to your left, Em, if you need me. I love you.”

Emara didn’t turn to see if she had left, but she assumed she did.

Rhea handed her an iridescent vial of liquid and whispered gently, “For the pain. It helps to soften your muscles. You’re pretty bruised.”

Emara took the vial and held it in her good hand, she studied it for a moment noticing the shimmer, swimming around inside glass like a mermaid’s lagoon.

That would be the next thing they would tell her was real. It wouldn’t hurt to feel relaxed, though, would it? She tilted her head back and let the liquid slide down her throat. Instantly, she felt a comforting heat brush over her skin; it swirled around her bones and melted them as if it was hot lava. Not the kind of lava that incinerated, but the kind that held your insides in a toasty hammock. Rhea lay a white, fluffy towel over her shoulders; it was soft and warm and helped her rise to the ledge of the tub.

She wrapped the towel around her body like a dress that just covered her modesty, and she reapplied a new dressing to her arm. Rhea ushered someone to come through the door, hushing them as they entered, but Emara didn’t even care that she was naked under the towel. Without this enchanting bath, six different calming oils and balms, and a mermaid shot, she would never have allowed anyone to see her this naked. No one ever had.

Strong arms withdrew her from the water fully and she gasped a little. She felt giddy as the warm water ran off her skin and the cool air kissed where it had been.

Kissed.

Her head was light, the lightest it had been in months and her chest even lighter.

Wow, the healer was absolutely wonderful at her work. Emara wondered how much coin Rhea would earn for a post like this. How did she get wrapped up in this world? She was so delicate, soft, and kind.

Emara opened her eyes as she felt skin to skin contact. The room was still bright as she looked at the muscled, tanned chest carrying her, a little trail of hair curled at his sternum. She toyed with the idea of tracing one finger down the line of hair.

“How are you feeling?” Gideon’s deep voice entered her ears, tingling around her earlobe.

She didn’t answer him. She couldn’t. Instead, she looked at him—really looked at him—as they walked through the threshold of the bathing chamber to an open corridor. Her face inches from his, she could see how immaculate his complexion appeared. His eyes stayed ahead, focused on the task of getting her from the bathing chamber to the infirmary room. She dragged her top teeth over her bottom lip as she studied his face. His skin was flushed and a bead of sweat rolled from his hairline down his face. She giggled like an adolescent girl.

“Are you struggling to carry me, Mr. I Like to Show Off My Muscles?” She chucked her head back and laughed hard.

Gideon let a confused expression cross his face, but he kept his gaze ahead as he walked effortlessly, holding her. “If you are referring to this”—he gestured to the bead of sweat that rolled onto his cheek—“I missed my training this morning and my brother needed an ass kicking. So I killed two birds with one stone before I came up. He ripped the tunic I was wearing.” His hair lay flat to his face, held down by perspiration. “Didn’t have time to get a replacement.”

Gideon had been fighting?

Warmth swept over her as she thought of him sparring in the training room. Shirtless and fierce. Strong shoulders bulked with muscles, defined abs working their way down into a v shape, hugged by his loose, black bottoms.

She yanked herself back to the present, shaking her thoughts away.

No one looked that good when they worked out, she reminded herself. Only in her colourful imagination.

She noted that his sculpted torso was currently pressing against one side of her body as he carried her, his strong arms embracing her close against him.

On second thought, she gulped, maybe he would.

“Why is it that every time I see you, you have no clothes on?” His stare finally met hers and a smile pulled his full lips up to reveal his gleaming white teeth. His eyes were even more beautiful than she remembered. Green like the richest grass, and his smile…well, you didn’t see smiles like that in Mossgrave. His eyes sparkled with anticipation of her answer. Was he flirting with her? Had she flirted with him? What was in that elixir?

“Clearly, you have impeccable timing,” she battled back, offering him a gradual smile.

He huffed a laugh.

Her body was still heavy, but she managed to move a hand across his chest to hold onto his neck as he carried her.

Just to support him, she told herself.

She could have sworn she felt his body stiffen in response to her movement.

Closing her eyes, Emara took in how euphoric she felt. She felt like she lay amongst the floating clouds above the kingdom, warm and safe. This is how she’d expected to feel when she woke up this morning—on the other side.

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