Page 62 of Seized to Sacrifice
‘Please,’ Kora said, ‘help yourself to anything.’
She took a jug that was heating by the small fire in the grate and poured it into a basin. ‘What happened to you? Was it the earthquake?’
Elle nodded, liking her easy manner. ‘We were crossing a river and there was a flood. Thorne and I were washed away. We only found Nyx and Rye this morning.’
‘How awful!’ Kora exclaimed, seeming genuinely concerned. ‘That’s the third quake in as many weeks.’ She frowned. ‘It may be time to leave the keep for a while,’ she said absently.
She seemed to remember that Elle was there and smiled brightly. ‘Sorry. There are gowns in the wardrobe there and underthings in the chest by the casement. Oh, and if you want to comb your hair ...’ She pointed at a drawer in the side of the table where the flowers were. ‘I’m sure we’ll still be in the library when you’re ready and we’ll have a hot meal ready for you.’
Elle nodded. ‘Thank you,’ she said, edging closer to the fire as Kora left the room. She was still shivering, but, as she stripped off her still-damp clothes and sponged her body with the warm water, she began to feel better.
She found a comb in the drawer and untangled her hair, re-plaiting it before donning a chemise from the chest and a pair of thick, woolen stockings. She opened the wardrobe and chose the thickest gown she could see of dark green velvet, donning it and finding that Kora was right. It fit her nicely.
There was no looking glass, but it didn't really matter, she thought as put her clothes near the fire to dry and made her way back to the library.
She entered quietly and all conversation ceased. She looked up to find Thorne, Nyx, and Rye staring at her. She looked down at herself self-consciously but couldn’t see anything amiss. She gave them a questioning look, but they all simply looked away and the talk around the table resumed.
‘Of course you can stay for as long as you need,’ said Mace said and Lucien nodded. He was a bit more reticent than Mace even with the little girl on his knee who was quickly falling asleep in his arms.
Elle canted her head as she watched him lean down and give their daughter her a kiss on the forehead. An odd feeling welled up inside of her, a deep sadness that she didn’t understand the cause of. Did she have a child? She’d remember if she had a daughter or a son somewhere, wouldn’t she?
Feeling a bit sick to her stomach, she made a quiet apology went back out into the corridor, leaning against the wall and wracking her brain.
Rye came out a moment later and she was surprised that it wasn't Nyx.
‘What is it?’ he asked softly.
She shook her head. ‘It’s nothing.’
Rye gave her a knowing look. ‘It's something,’ he insisted.
‘It’s just a feeling,’ she said, wondering why he cared. ‘I can't explain it because I don’t remember it.’
Rye stepped closer, putting a hand on her shoulder. Was he trying to comfort her? A part of her wanted to shake his hand from her, while another reveled in his attention.
She was confused. The last time they’d spoken was when they'd been in Nyx’s room together just before he’d taken her on Nyx’s bed. She couldn’t meet his eyes as she thought about what he’d said to her after, didn’t want him to know she was thinking about it.
‘Come,’ he said. ‘You need food and rest, and there's a bathing pool downstairs. I'll take you there later,’ he promised, and she nodded though she hoped that it would be Nyx and not Rye. She didn't know what to think of Rye’s change in manner towards her, and she didn’t trust it.
He took her back into the room and she avoided looking at Lucien and the child, instead listening to the others talk. Unbidden, her eyes began to close, and she leant against Nyx’s shoulder, the past few days creeping up on her.
Someone opened the door and the smell of food wafted in.
‘We tend to dine in here,’ Mace said, ‘now that we've got the little one, but if you'd rather we went down to the hall …’
Rye shook his head. ‘Let the babe sleep. We’re comfortable enough here.’ Glancing at Elle, he chuckled. ‘Some more than others.’
Elle stifled a yawn and pulled away from Nyx, waking herself up as she smelled the fayre that had been brought. Steaming bread, potatoes and gravy, pheasant and pork. It all looked delicious, and her mouth began to water as she realized how hungry she was. Nyx passed her a plate laden with a bit of everything before she had to ask, and she grinned at him in appreciation.
They ate well, the men reminiscing of when they had been in the Army together and Elle was enraptured by their tales of battles and campaigns across the sea.
When the meal was finished and the sun was getting low in the sky, the door opened again, and Elle looked back to see a man standing behind her. Tattoos flowed across his skin and rings glittered in his ears and nose.
Her eyes widened. His size rivaled Nyx in his other form and he had a terrifying scar over one side of his face that looked like an awful burn.
‘Missed supper,’ he muttered half to himself, striding forward and sitting down hard.
From the other side of the table, Thorne growled. ‘Blacksmith.’
