Page 32 of Desire

Movement at the window caught my eye, and I saw Eadric there. He smiled warmly at me and clapped. His enthusiasm vanquished any irritation I might have felt at being spied upon. Instead, I smiled slightly, crooked my finger, and pointed to the soap out of my reach. He nodded and disappeared.

When the door opened, I didn’t turn to look. I didn’t need to. I heard the grumbling of the others.

“How does he get away with everything?” Daemon muttered.

“If I looked through the window, my nose would suffer,” Darian said.

“Better your nose than your bollocks,” Edmund said.

“If you keep complaining, she’ll think you’re jealous,” Garron said.

Eadric grabbed the soap and handed it to me. I shook my head and ducked under the water. When I emerged, I looked at him.

“Would you mind washing it?”

“Sparrow, I’ve dreamed of helping you bathe,” he said happily as he sat on the floor beside the tub. He gently lathered the strands, playing with them more than washing them.

The temperature in the room dipped considerably, and I heated the water several times.

“Does it tire you to do that?’ Eadric asked, noticing the increased steam rising from the water.

“No. According to what I’ve read, each caster’s endurance is different. Some tire more quickly while others don’t. I am not yet sure of my capacity, though, as the book speaks in confusing circles about a person’s inherent energy level.”

“Then we shouldn’t unnecessarily tire you. Edmund, come tend the fire so Sparrow doesn’t catch a chill.”

The latch didn’t rattle before I heard Edmund’s footfalls on the floor.

“It would be less chilly in here if you had closed the door,” I said.

“It would,” Eadric said. “But then how could my brothers watch all the liberties you allow me?”

I tipped my head back to look up at Eadric. “Are you boasting to them again?”

“Absolutely.” He grinned, darted in to kiss my forehead, then licked his lips. “A little soapy.”

I snorted at his absurdity and didn’t question when he dipped his hand into the bath water to clean the soap from my forehead. When he rinsed his hand, his fingers brushed over my nipple. I swatted his hand away, splashing him in the process. He chuckled and returned to washing my hair as I glanced at Edmund, who was focused on adding logs to the fire.

“Your brother’s pet name should be Trouble, not mine,” I said.

Edmund glanced at me and nodded. His gaze dipped to the water and then to his brother.

“He’s knotting your hair,” he said before turning back to the fire.

I reached up and indeed felt the tangle he was creating.

“It’s clean enough, Eadric. Time to rinse.”

“How do I do that?”

Edmund stood. “Let me.”

“Then I’ll wash something else,” Eadric said. I watched him closely as he moved from the end of the tub to the side. As Edmund poured warm water over my hair, Eadric plucked my pruning hand from the water and used a cloth to start washing it.

“I can do that myself.”

“You can,” he agreed. “But then, what would I do?”

“Leave?”

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