Page 38 of Touch of Death
“Come, now, I won’t bite,” the woman says, flashing a sharp-toothed grin at me.
Walking cautiously toward the bath, I am suddenly hit by an overwhelmingly calming scent and find myself relaxing slightly. I glance down at the water to find it’s now glimmering a soft purple, and I can’t help but stare at it.
The woman rises, and I tense as she moves toward me. It takes me a moment to realize she means to undress me before I quickly take a step back.
“I can undress myself, thank you.”
She blinks, obviously taken aback by this, as I remove my boots and turn to start unlacing myself. I can still feel her eyes on me as the dress loosens around me, and I nervously glance back at her.
“Would you mind looking away?” I ask, hating the way my voice barely makes it past my lips.
Her head tilts slightly to one side, obviously finding my request strange, but then she does as I’ve asked and turns her back to me. I fight back a sigh of relief as I allow my dress to fall and pool around my feet, a small cloud of dust curling up as it hits the floor.
I’m surprised to see it and am instantly reminded of my days back home, where I was no stranger to being covered in dirt and, often, much worse. I find it odd how the Underworld seems to have so many similarities to the mortal realm.
Especially when it comes to things like this.
Before I let this thought consume me, I quickly turn and, making sure the woman’s back is still to me, lower myself into the bath. Immediately, the sigh of relief I’ve been biting back escapes me as the hot water welcomes me.
Whatever the woman poured into the tub seems to ease the weariness of travel, wrapping me in a soft blanket of serenity as I close my eyes and sink lower in the water, savoring the moment.
A moment that is over in an instant as a cold hand touches my shoulder. I let out a startled scream as I turn and scramble back from the edge of the tub. My eyes wide as I find the woman knelt, one hand caught between us as the other holds a sponge.
She only meant to wash me, I realize in embarrassment as my heart starts to settle in my chest. However, before I can say anything, the door to the room slams open, startling me all over again as I quickly wrap my arms around myself.
Death stands in the doorway, half-dressed, his shoulders pulled back, and his fists clenched as his eyes dart around the room. He’s still wearing his makeshift mask, but it does little to conceal his rage as his shadows crash around him, framing the icy paleness of his bare chest in their fury. Black lines etch their way up his arms and torso, matching the inky shadows at his command.
“What happened?” he demands, his eyes finding me.
“Nothing, I was just startled, that’s all,” I answer quietly, my gaze dipping lower only to catch on the markings of an animal bite on his arm.
My voice has him drawing back slightly, his eyes softening as his shadows slowly pool at his feet. As he finally regains his composure, he clears his throat as it suddenly hits him that he’s staring at me naked in the tub. Blinking, he quickly drops his gaze, realizing the delicate situation we’ve found ourselves in.
“I-I apologize,” he says quickly, turning his back to me, “please, forgive me for my intrusion.”
Before I have a chance to answer, let alone ask him about the bite, he strides from the room and closes the door softly behind him. If I didn’t know better, I’d almost think he was more embarrassed that he’d walked in on me naked than I was at being seen.
My cheeks burn with heat as I sink lower in the water. I can’t help the way my mind wanders to the sight of him bursting in, his powerful chest heaving, ready to protect me at a moment’s notice.
It did something to me, ignited an unquenchable fire deep within me that has left me wanting.
Wantinghim.
As beautiful as the other gods are, even they don’t measure up to the perfection that is Death. Seeing him standing there, I could hardly believe that concealed beneath layers of heavy black clothing, is an even more beautiful man than I ever could have imagined.
Suddenly, I wonder how much he saw of me. I had done my best to cover myself, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t see anything …
What if he didn’t like what he saw?
I know this should be the least of my concerns, but I can’t help worrying. I know my time back home, with Merelda’s endless chores and lack of proper meals, did me no services. I know I lack the kind of curves I saw among the women in Eros’ throne room, or even the two here with us now … Not even a month at Death’s could remedy what years of malnourishment had done to my figure.
It was one thing for him to see me in a dress, quite another to see what I lacked in beauty beneath. Especially in comparison to him.
I glance at the woman meant to be helping me bathe as she leans against the edge of the tub, swirling one finger in the water out of boredom. Even she is a thousand times more beautiful than I could ever hope to be.
She, or her companion, is more likely to capture Death’s attention.
Not me.
