Page 35 of Dark Rebel's Reckoning

Once there was nothing more to scrub, he turned the water off and rubbed a towel over his wet body. Dropping it in the laundry hamper, he returned naked to the bedroom and pulled fresh clothes from the dresser—simple jeans and a black T-shirt, comfortable but presentable enough for a visit to the penthouse.

23

KYRA

After Kian had escorted them to the penthouse and said a few more words of welcome, he excused himself and left them in the capable hands of his mate.

Kyra had a feeling he was going to check on the Doomer down in the dungeon, and she hoped he wouldn't start the interrogation without her. She'd meant it when she'd said she wanted to witness it.

She needed answers from that monster—she needed to understand what had been done to her and why. The memories of her first and second imprisonments were hazy, clouded by whatever drugs had been pumped into her system, but the emotions lingered—fear, helplessness, rage. She couldn't face those demons and put them to rest without having the full picture.

"Let me show you around," Syssi said, then turned to Jasmine. "Maybe you want to do the honors? After all, you and Ell-rom were guests in here not too long ago."

Jasmine shook her head. "It's your place. You should do that."

What had she meant by that? That Syssi owned the gorgeous penthouse, or that it was where she lived when she was staying in the city?

"Is this your home?" Kyra asked.

"It used to be," Syssi said. "Kian lived here for many years, and then I joined him, and we lived here together for some time. When we moved the entire clan to the new village, Kian leased out this penthouse and the one across the vestibule that belonged to his sister, but then we realized that we needed these apartments for all kinds of guests, and after the last tenants left, we didn't lease them out again."

"Lucky us," Fenella said, turning in a circle. "I've never stayed in a place as fancy as this."

She was right.

The penthouse was spectacular. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered breathtaking views of the Los Angeles skyline. Everything spoke of luxury and comfort, from the plush sofas and armchairs to the state-of-the-art kitchen where a butler in uniform was working some culinary magic.

The smells were incredible, and Kyra's stomach rumbled, reminding her that her last meal had been a while ago.

"This is the main living area," Syssi said as they moved through the space. "The two penthouses take up the entire top floor, and each one has its own terrace. There are three bedrooms in each, plus an office that has a convertible couch and can also be used as a bedroom if needed."

Kyra reached for her pendant, grounding herself with its familiar weight as she processed the opulence around her. Howhad she gone from living in a tent and using a communal bathroom in a half-ruined structure to a prison cell, and now to this?

The contrast was dizzying.

Syssi slid open a glass door, leading them out onto a terrace that wrapped around the corner of the building. "Each terrace has a lap pool and lush landscaping. Feel free to enjoy it anytime you want."

The pool was rectangular and long, its surface perfectly still in the windless afternoon. Potted trees provided shelter and seclusion, creating the illusion of a private oasis high above the city.

"It's like something from a movie," Arezoo breathed, voicing what Kyra had been thinking.

Once they were done exploring the terrace, they continued to the bedrooms.

"Each bedroom has its own bathroom." Syssi opened a door to a room with twin beds. "The girls could share a room." She turned to Arezoo. "You and Donya in this one, and Laleh and Azadeh in the one over the hallway?"

Arezoo chewed on her lower lip for a moment. "I think Laleh should stay with me. Donya and Azadeh can take the other room."

"No problem." Syssi smiled. "All of the clothing in the closet is medium in size, and that should fit all of you. I'll write down your shoe sizes later and order some."

"Thank you," Arezoo said. "How will we ever pay you back for your kindness?"

"No payment will ever be required. We will help you in any way we can. That's what we do."

The doubt in Arezoo's eyes pierced Kyra's heart. The girl didn't have any reason to trust a stranger's promise, even after all that had been done for her and her younger siblings and cousin.

"I will not let anything happen to you," Kyra promised. "You have my word."

Arezoo nodded, but she still looked just as doubtful as before. "Thank you. But you are not in a better position than we are. We have nowhere to go, we are in a foreign country, and we don't have any money."

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