Page 28 of Vicious Princess
I shake it. “Phoenix Wildarrow.”
He squats and pulls out one of the wooden chests from under the bed. “You’re that foreigner human everyone whispers about,” he says with a playful smirk.
I cock my head to the side. “Why am Itheforeigner human everyone whispers about?”
“Because you’re the only one,” he says, stuffing the things from his bag into the chest. “Rarely ever happens around here.”
I look around our group. All fae. “The only one…in the whole academy?”
He slams the top shut and pushes it back under the bed before rising to his feet. “Yeah.”
My eyebrows hike all the way to my hairline.
“I hear you’re human royalty back in Wetra. Is that true?”
I scoff and roll my eyes. “Absolutely not. Believe me, I’m no royal.”
Roman plops down on his bunk and stretches his long legs. “Damn unfortunate. I was excited about the idea of sharing a bunk with a princess.”
“Sorry to disappoint, buddy.”
Across the room, I lock eyes with the redhead from before. When her eyes narrow, shooting daggers at me, it dawns on me that I might have trouble I didn’t anticipate.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Iwake up two hours before breakfast, before the dawn, to sneak into the showers before anyone else is awake.
With a bar of soap and a towel in hand, I creep down the long, dark corridor until I finally find the dreaded common bathroom. I pass the toilet stalls and enter the damp shower area. No separation between genders here.
I sigh and strip out of my linen sleeping pants and shirt. Leaving them on the bench against the wall, I hurry to one of the showerheads. There’s a metal lever attached to the wall. I’ve never seen a contraption like that before.
Hesitantly, I push it down. Something behind the wall whirls to life. The lever rises back up, and I push it again.Ah, this is some sort of pump.
With confidence, I push it down a couple of times. The first stream of cold water makes me gasp. I expect for the stream to turn warm any second. But it never does.
“Of course,” I mutter to myself with clattering teeth.
Why would I even expect hot water in a place like this?
Quickly, I lather myself with soap, and just as quickly, I wash it all off with the freezing water. By the time I’m done, every fiber in my body shivers.
Grabbing my soap, I whirl on my heel. A scream escapes my throat. Roman is leaning against one of the shower walls.
“You scared me to death!”
His gaze swoops over my naked skin, making it prickle. I rush to cover myself with a towel, trying to hide the scar tissue left by the ruthless tongues of flame.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to,” he says. “I didn’t expect to find anyone here so early.”
“Yeah, same,” I say, breathless still. I clutch the towel around me so tightly, my knuckles are white. “I woke up early to have a peaceful shower without bumping shoulders with others. What about you?”
Roman cracks a smile. “I like to take showers in solitude to avoid the small-dick jokes.”
I blink at him. Is he…serious?
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I manage.
Roman’s smile widens, and he shrugs. “It’s alright. It has its perks. I never have to be the top.”
