Page 15 of Of Withering Dreams
“I thought you were Derya!” My cheeks blazed, matching the temperature of the water.
“Ah, don’t fret, Ser. I can’t see anything interesting through the bubbles and steam.” He pouted as I glowered at him. “Besides, I wanted to check on your neck wound.”
I huffed, relenting. “All right. Thank you.” I flicked my soapy hand at him, splashing droplets onto his white tunic. “Don’t make me regret this.”
“I would never.” He grinned; one dimple visible on his now clean-shaven face. I wanted to poke him right in it. He swiped his wet, shaggy hair from his forehead as he squatted beside the tub.
I pulled my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around my shins. The frothy bubbles covered my skin as my eyelids closed.
My initial embarrassment washed away as Kaden massaged my head with gentle fingers, untangling the auburn knots. A soft purr vibrated through my throat.
I wondered if it was peculiar that I wasn’t more concerned about etiquette … but this was Kaden. We’d grown up together, seen each other at our best, and held each other in our lowest moments. The last several days had been terrifying, but in this moment, I felt safe and cared for.
He carefully scooped water over my hair, brushing his hand down my curls and back. Goosebumps rippled over my skin, chasing his touch. A warmth spread from my chest and rippled through my limbs. My purr morphed into a soft groan.
Kaden’s hand stilled under my shoulder blades. “Your hair, it’s untangled. Let me, uh …” He paused and cleared his throat, shifting on his knees.
I opened my eyes, gazing at him with a dreamy smile. “Huh?”
His eyes looked darker, as if they were glazed in steam. His thumb drew tiny circles on my back, sending a shiver down my spine into the water below. He licked his bottom lip and continued, “Your neck … lean forward so I can take a look.”
I did as he asked. Slowly, his warm palm slid up my slick skin, pushing wet strands of hair over my shoulder. I trembled despite the warm steam still draped around my skin.
He cleansed my neck with the soapy water. I could tell he was being as gentle as he could be, his fingers feathering over my skin. Still, a sharp sting of pain ran across the bite wound as he worked.
I whimpered as he touched a particularly sore area. He let out a hiss of air and growled, “Damn the shades to the void!”
He took a deep, deliberate breath and asked, “Are you all right? I can patch this wound up, but something is embedded in your scar.”
“What?!” I yelped and reached along my nape. My finger slid along something razor-thin protruding from the scarred tissue. “What the Ancients is it? Get it out!”
“I’m not sure, hold still,” he commanded, nudging my hand away. His face moved closer, his warm breath gliding over my skin, leaving goosebumps behind.
Locking my muscles in place, I held my breath, attempting to ignore the discomfort as he worked. My breath whooshed from me as my scar released its grasp on the object—a sharp burn burrowed in its place. Kaden’s eyebrows scrunched as he handed it to me. “It looks like a pebble.”
I took the tiny object from him and cleaned it in the water, running my thumb over its flat surface. “It looks like the pods when they’re inactive. Look, there are markings etched into it.”
His eyebrows flew up toward his hairline. “Uh, looks like an ember talisman. I saw something similar once.”
“What are you talking about, Kaden? You seem to know much more about ember than you’ve let on. Not to mention why you looked so guilty in the Stygian Murk.”
“What areyoutalking about?”
“When I asked about us all glowing. Don’t play the dunce with me. Start talking.”
He sighed, “All right, but let me heal your wound first.”
Kaden closed his eyes, concentration coating his features. A green light encircled his hand, his skin glowing like smoldering pieces of coal. He moved my hair from my nape again and covered it with his palm. A tingling warmth skittered over my skin, knitting the edges of my wound together.
After he finished, I touched my neck, gliding over it. My now sealed starburst scar remained, the dense skin pressing into my fingertip.
“What the bloody void!?” I cried.
“Ah, come on. Get dressed, and we’ll chat. Unless you want me to get in there with you?” He laughed as I thrust my finger toward the door. He turned with that annoying grin still pasted on his face, swaggering out of my room.
My body lurched out of the tub, water and bubbles splashing to the floor, too distracted to care about the mess I made. I clutched the obsidian stone in my hand as I threw on the soft undergarments and dress Derya had left for me. My palm slid over the clean white fabric. It was the softest material I’d ever felt.
Closing my eyes, I took a deep, calming breath. There was too much information tumbling around my skull. The Stygian Murk. Surrelia. My best friend keeping secrets.This damned talisman.
