Page 93 of Wings of Ashes
Étienne Thierry caught the back of Bael’s shirt andlaunchedhim backwards, so Thierry could go up the stairs after them first.
“Damn it, Stoney,” Bael cursed after colliding with the couch.
Ryker led Nix, Thierry, and Bael to the large bathroom. There were two sinks with plenty of counter space, considering the only objects occupying the surface included toothpaste, toothbrushes, and a large bottle of coconut oil. The shower was also uncommonly spacious and could fit three people if needed.
Would there be a need? Ryker swallowed at the thought of showering with Nix and watching the water drip down her naked body.
Nix asked naively, “What’s the huge thing of coconut oil for?”
Bael raised a brow at Ryker and chuckled as Ryker blushed and rolled his eyes.
Bael started, “You see, when a man lives alone and approaches immortal maturity, his body goes through changes—”
Nix’s face grew red under the light marks of ash and soot covering her from head to toe. “Oh.”
“The oil works as a lubricant as we jerk off about twice a day due to the raging hormones of an unmated—”
“I get it,” she stressed and glared at him.
“It really makes the strokes feel better. The slick wetness might cause a squelching sound; so, if you hear it tonight, know it’s not a ghost, it is just a giant cock being jacked off to completion—”
Nix threw her palm over Bael’s mouth, silencing him. She squealed and pulled her hand back when he sensually nipped and licked it.
Blushing, Ryker opened the linen closet and pulled out a fresh, clean towel for Nix. Red, like her new hair.
Gently handing it to her, Ryker warmed at how she cuddled the towel to her face and smelled it. She smiled and looked at all of the men.
“Okay,” she said. “This is the part where you leave.”
Nix waitedfor the men to exit the bathroom, so she could strip and shower.
Meanwhile, the three looked at each other with narrowed eyes of “you go first” and “after you” like some kind of deadlock standoff.
“Bye-bye,” she added, shooing them with a wave of her hand so she could be left alone. Did they really think she would get naked in front of them?
Bael intellectually pointed out, “But you could slip, fall, and drown. Shouldn’t one of us stay in here to help keep you safe?”
“With his eyes closed, of course,” Thierry added darkly, glowering at Bael.
“I assumed that didn’t even need to be said.” Bael shrugged innocently. “Kind of pervy that you felt you needed to say it.” Bael shot Nix a look that said, “Should we kick this guy out of here already or what?”
“I have showered by myself before. Successfully,” she said.
“But tonight was traumatic for you.”
“I am showeringby myselftonight. Now, please leave.”
Bael mumbled disappointedly under his breath, but all three men shuffled out of the bathroom.
Nix took a deep breath and stared at her reflection in the mirror.
Finally. The reversal potion was clearly working. Even under the marks of dark ash coating her skin, she could tell that her eyes and hair had changed to her natural appearance.
“Red is my favorite color now,” Persius used to tell her in their cages as he stared lovingly at her hair.
Her nightgown was tighter and shorter as her body lost the lithe and thin cygnus shifter illusion and filled out into curves.
And her face…looked completely different. Why had the elixir to make her appear like a cygnus shifter changed her face so much?Ugly Duckling… Had that been on purpose? To isolate her? Why?
