Page 93 of The Cursed Kingdom

Never.

I walk to the deepest water near the rock ledges, careful not to get too close to the naked men in the center. The water only comes up to my waist, and I crouch low before beginning to clean myself. Kie and Mason are unclothed, so I know they aren’t going to approach me. The risk of their bare skin touching mine is too high, and I repeat that to myself as I roughly scrub my skin.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

KIERAN

ABBY CROUCHES LOW in the water as she cleans herself, her movements hurried as she runs the cloth over her skin. Mason’s voice trails off as he notices, and we both grow silent as Abby lifts her shirt and undergarments up her chest.

The water distorts the view, but there’s no mistaking the slope of her breasts or the darkened color of her nipples.

Her skin pebbles as it’s exposed to the cold, and she pointedly avoids looking in Mason’s and my direction as she washes herself. Communal bathhouses are popular in Bellmere, especially among the wealthy, but it’s not something Mason or I partake in. We can’t risk being naked in front of women. We can’t risk being touched.

I’m still familiar with the naked female body, though.

Abby’s body is different from the faeries. She’s several inches shorter than most, and even though I’m sure she’s an average height for a human, I can’t help but think she looks quite stout. Instead of the protruding hip bones and hardened abdomens I’m accustomed to seeing on women, Abby has a thin layer of fat that I know firsthand is soft to the touch.

Especially in the areas where it accumulates.

When I carried her into Traul River, she continually pressed against me in her attempts to escape. She was soft, her flesh easily malleable. I hardly noticed in that moment, but as Abby bends forward and her stomach folds underneath the water, it’s all I can remember.

For somebody who’s been so concerned about modesty, Abby’s sure giving us a show.

“Are we truly not going to ask her any more about her interest in delysum?” Mason asks, his voice low.

I figured it was only a matter of time before he returned to this, and I let out a low sigh as I shake my head. “No. She’s not going to tell us anything freely, and we don’t have time to interrogate her.”

Mason opens his mouth to argue, but I cut him off.

“She’s already terrified of us, Mace, and she clearly doesn’t know anything about this realm. We’re already giving her to Zaha, and letting her have her little secrets is the least we can do.”

Abby’s blonde hair turns dark as it grows wet, becoming a color identical to Mason’s. It clings to her face, and she appears annoyed as she wipes a few strands off her cheeks.

I can’t help but smile.

She’s so ungraceful.

Faeries typically take great pride in their light, almost-white hair, but I like Abby’s. I might be biased, though, considering my own hair is dark. The color has caused hundreds of rumors regarding my parentage throughout the years, but it’s been proven that I’m my father’s son.

He had the tests done before I could walk, and it turns out my great-great grandfather had dark hair. The recessive gene hasn’t been wholly bred out, much to my parents’ immense disappointment.

Abby shifts, and her brown eyes flash in our direction.

I look away, careful not to get caught staring, but Mason doesn’t give her the same courtesy. He’s never been one to hide from what he finds interesting, though, and I can tell his gaze annoys Abby as she lets out a quiet huff and turns back around.

I return my gaze to her the moment she’s no longer looking.

“What’re the odds she shows us her cunt?” Mason asks.

“Low.”

I don’t know what Abby thinks she’s gaining by exposing her breasts to us, but I can guarantee it’s not going to work. She’s evidently caught on that we’re attracted to her, but she won’t find luck in attempting to seduce us into changing our minds.

I’ve had to make several hard choices in my life, and while I don’t feel good about what I’m doing to Abby, it’s ultimately the right decision. The shifters are gaining power, gaining strength and weapons, and we need Zaha’s help. If Abby sweetens the deal, it’s worth a try.

I’m willing to ruin the life of one human woman if it saves the lives of thousands of faeries. Shifters, too. The impending war between us would lead to casualties on both sides.

We’re nothing but playthings to the gods, entertainment to keep their days from growing too tedious. Zaha destroyed the shifter kingdom on a whim, and we’re still paying the price generations later.

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