Page 66 of Hell Storm

He was already shaking his head before I finished. “No, not necessarily. Roamers’ access to technology is very limited. Their ways can be rather primitive,” he explained. “If they’ve heardanythingit was likely by word of mouth, but our best bet is for you to keep whatever answers you’re forced to give as vague as possible. He can’t dig deeper into things that aren’t issues he’s privy to.”

I gave a nod, feeling my heartrate spike a bit as the sun lowered even more. I heard what Levi said, but questioned whether his ideas about Roamers being primitive was based more on his prejudices than facts. In which case, I’d get to this Aaric guy and he’d knoweverythingabout me.

“If push comes to shove, if he … tries to feed on you,” Levi forced out, “tell him you’ve got the venom of a royal coursing through your veins. He’ll know what that would mean for him, so I believe he’d spare you.”

The visual that pushed into my thoughts made me breathe deeper. The idea of my only defense being reliant on such a thin hope was unnerving.It was contingent on the idea that Aaric knew the consequence of feeding on a human with a monarch’s venom inside them.

But I wouldn’t falter. This dinner was nothing more than an opportunity to gain valuable intel. I’d hold on to that thought for when my nerves started getting the best of me again.

My thighs tingled when Levi’s hands settled there. “Corina … don’t try to be a hero.”

I chuckled at his words. It wasn’t the first time someone had said them to me.

“I’ll do my best.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

Corina

The girls showed up exactly when Jax said they would—and an ornery bunch they were. Their pale skin, and bold red eyes were where their similarity with Ianite women seemed to end. They were far simpler in appearance, but still strikingly beautiful in their own right. Their clothing was far more subtly stated, and none boasted the name of any particular brand or designer. They were just … normal.

They entered our cell, only long enough to tell Levi that someone was on their way with warm water and clothing for him, and then ordered that I follow them to the bathing room.

We took two flights of stairs up, and wove our way through an array of roamer-lined hallways. There were far more of them than I imagined. A few twists and turns later, we arrived at the room where they intended to prep me for a meeting with their leader and I found myself wondering:why all the fuss?

It was as if they revered this man as some sort of god, which further caused me to wonder what sort of operation this was.

The bathing room was quite the surprise. For starters, I was pleased to see it wasn’t the filthy cesspool I imagined it would be. A large room housed ten bathtubs, each enclosed with its own white shower curtain that stretched to the vaulted ceiling. The tiled floors weren’t perfect or new by any means, but they were clean. Along the back wall, a counter stretched from one end to the other, and a well-lit mirror hung above. Set up in that space, was an extensive makeup collection that would have beenheavenfor Liv. Standing in the doorway, taking it all in, I smiled a little at the thought of her.

I gathered that this faction had occupied this facility for quite some time, and had a system going that worked for them. The area where Levi and I had been held was quiet and closed off, giving the impression that we were one of maybe a few on the grounds, but that wasn’t so. There were hundreds here, maybe nearing a thousand.

I reveled in the warmth of fresh water touching my skin, emerging completely beneath the bath that had been drawn for me. After days of spot-cleaning in a bucket of tepid water, I was almost grateful for this. If nothing else good came of the evening, I would at least go to bed clean.

There was no privacy. One woman was assigned to wash my hair, another to shave my legs, and yet another to scrub the bottoms of my feet. It was too thorough and invasive to be considered pampering. The process was more like … a gang of neurotic mothers set loose to bathe one ill-fated, unsuspecting infant.

Lucky me.

Once they were satisfied that I’d been properly scoured, the plug was removed from the drain. Yet another member of this team stood beside the tub with a towel held open for me to step into. I didn’t argue with them because I was outnumbered and too smart to pick a fight. Especially over an experience that was simply annoying. I guess I’d learned to pick my battles, and this wasn’t one I chose to fight.

There were no words exchanged as I was dried from head to toe, and then shoved into a silk robe—its shade of blue matching the night sky to perfection. I was shoved down into a seat in the same manner and there was a frenzy of blow driers, mascara, and lipstick. After a while, I slipped into a daze, wondering if there was any point to this.

Did it really take all this to meet their beloved Aaric?

But there was one thing that comforted me. I didn’t imagine they’d go through the trouble of making me presentable if the plan was to kill me tonight.

Seemed reasonable enough.

Another stranger approached from the left and I watched her from the mirror’s reflection. She carried a dress in her arms and I thought of Elle, how much fun she had dressing me up during my stay at Julian’s palace. A strange pang flitted in my stomach and I knew right away what it was.

I missed her.

Missed …him.

This time away had given me a chance to evaluate it all from a distance—his kindness, the major sacrifices he made on my behalf. I’d been so stupid to think it wasn’t genuine, or that there was some self-serving motivation behind it all. Being here with Levi, experiencing the rawness of the budding passion between us, I knew better now.

These feelings—regardless of how they came to be—were only real.

He’d helped me see that.

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