Page 87 of Beneath the Watching

Pulling myself up off the floor, I tried to wash away the feel of the king’s hands on me. The warm water pounded my face for what felt like hours, but I could still feel his lips rubbing against my own.

The bathroom door opened, startling me, as Stefan walked in. He closed the door and set a pile of clothes down by the sink. Shutting the water off, I stepped out and took the offered towelbefore resting my head against his chest and letting his presence soothe me.

After a minute, he nudged my chin up. “I’m so sorry,” he apologized. “Can you ever forgive me? I should’ve been here for you.”

Shaking my head, I replied, “It's not your fault.”

“I should’ve known he’d try something like this.” He growled, “I didn’t think he’d touch anything that was mine.” He took the edge of my towel and slid it away before he knelt and began drying me off.

Water dripped from my hair, landing on his shirt and I reached to the side for another. “Did I...Is he dead?” I stuttered, squeezing my soaked strands in the cloth.

Stefan stood up straight. “He’s dead; as he should be. I only wish it’d been my blade.”

Shivering, I pulled away, letting my arms drop to my sides. Retrieving a shirt from the pile I yanked it over my head and looked at my reflection.

You did what was necessary.

Stefan was watching me in the mirror, and I met his gaze. “I don’t feel guilty,” I said. “I just feel weird.”

“I understand,” He replied, softly.

Finished getting dressed, I walked out into the other room. Ilya was there with Stefan, and I realized it was his voice I’d heard earlier. He’d returned with Stefan and came upon the scene of my attempted assault.

“He killed himself, don’t worry,” Ilya offered, and my gaze snapped to his as I sat down.

We were in the receiving room and the body was on the center of the floor, wrapped inside a blanket.

Staring at the long shape I listened as Stefan added, “He knew better than to touch you.”

They were waiting for me to say something. “That makes sense but why would he stab himself in the neck?”

“Would you like to do the honors?” Ilya asked, a mischievous glint in his eye.

I glanced at Stefan, who looked at me in cautious amusement. He knelt beside the body and tugged the edge of the covering down, exposing Lucian’s neck. “You want to make that go away, please?”

For a moment, I thought maybe they were asking me to help them cover up a crime but then I realized how silly that was. A crime was committed against me—not him. I knew Stefan and Ilya could easily do what they were requesting of me. Stefan was giving me the opportunity practice my magic, that’s what this was about.

Standing up, I went past the coffee table and squatted down beside the man’s neck.

“Try it in your head, first, I want to see something,” Ilya suggested.

Flicking a glance at him, I do so. Nothing happened. I shook my head, and he gestured for me to continue.

“Cover up the wound,” I said. What looked like a sheen of heat wavered over the gash in Lucian’s flesh and instantly, it was healed.

“One hundred percent oracle. With some transmutation,” Stefan announced.

“Yep,” Ilya agreed. “I’ll bring his body downstairs. Then I’ll make the announcement of his death.”

33

STEFAN

We tookcare of everything for Mabel, she didn’t have to worry about a thing. She was justified in defending herself, but in the Fourth Realm, one never knew how something may be perceived. Especially when it came to the actions of one gifted with magic.

Ilya and I crafted a story about a man so burdened with remorse over the loss of his stolen daughter that he’d been unable to continue, and we held a funeral for him. Unlike Kiara, the man’s body disintegrated rather than disappeared. Mabel asked if he’d be joined with her friend in death, reunited, but I had no answer for her. There was no telling where he went, just that we wouldn’t see him again.

Mabel had many questions about the death process, which I was doing my best to answer.

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