Page 49 of Galadon
“I’ll leave and give you privacy, but I won’t be far, so you can shout if you need me.” She nodded. “Also, I will be back in twenty minutes, and you’ll let me wash your hair.”
Her eyes rounded. “You want to wash my hair?”
“After my mother came here, she added a second basin.” I pointed at where it sat next to a shelf with bath supplies such assoap, washcloths, and towels. “She puts it at the end of the tub so the dirty water from her hair goes in there instead. There is also a bucket she is no doubt preparing with heated water for you to use for rinsing.”
“Oh, that’s nice, especially considering what’s likely in my hair.”
“Yes.” Moving to the shelf, I grabbed soap and a washcloth. I set both on a side table beside the bath for easy reach. “This should be all you need until I return.”
“Thank you, Galadon,” she said, gratitude in her hazel eyes.
I dipped my chin. “You’re welcome.”
After placing the clean tunic on the bench beside her, I left. It was difficult not to take control, but I’d stay within easy hearing distance in case she had trouble. Several minutes passed before I caught whispered curses barely reaching me from where I stood by the fire. The water splashed, followed by a loud sigh, telling me she’d safely entered.
Ujala came from my lair, carrying the dirty linens from my bed. She’d likely put fresh sheets and blankets on there since I had several sets. “Thank you, Ama.”
“It’s no trouble,” she said, then her gaze slid past me to the tunnel entrance. “Is she okay?”
“As much as she can be under the circumstances,” I said, sighing.
Ujala frowned. “Don’t rush her, son. She’s far more used to your cruelness than kindness, and I think it’s confusing her.”
“So, I shouldn’t be nice to her?” I asked, perplexed.
“No, I don’t mean that.” My mother shook her head. “I just think patience would go a long way.”
This was punctuated by Rayna’s faint sobs reaching us. My chest tightened as I listened to her crying quietly. Her hearing wouldn’t be as good as ours, so she probably thought she was careful enough for us not to catch it. The way she sounded, she was suffering a great deal of mental anguish.
“I want to go to her, but I know I shouldn’t,” I said, clenching my fists.
Ujala gave me a weak smile. “It’s good she is getting it out and not holding tight to those emotions. Her mind needs to heal as much as her body. Wait until she’s quiet again. Your presence will be more welcome, and she’ll appreciate that you gave her space.”
I had no doubt she was right.
“Thank you,” I said and leaned forward over the bundle in her arms to kiss her on the forehead. “I know I haven’t been easy on you, but having you here means a lot.”
She blinked and cleared her throat, golden eyes misting. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be, son. I hope you know that.”
Surprisingly, I did. “I believe you.”
My mother walked away with the dirty linens, heading for a separate area she used for washing. I was grateful once more that she happily took that chore from me. In the meantime, I checked the pot over the fire and found it boiling, so I took it off to cool a little. Some of it would go to reheat Rayna’s bath, and I’d mix the rest with a little cool water to wash her hair.
I paced as her sobs quieted to the point I only caught the occasional sniffle. It had been nearly half an hour, but I wouldn’tdare embarrass her by rushing down there too soon before she collected herself. She deserved that much. I only wished I hadn’t behaved so cruelly that she couldn’t trust me with her pain.
Never before had I wanted—no, needed—to comfort anyone the way I desired to with Rayna. The fact that she was so strong only made it harder to see her broken by what happened to her. While I had suffered trauma from the Kandoran as well, centuries of living had hardened me more. It was while I slept that it all came back to haunt me.
When several more minutes passed and I heard only water splashes, I took the large pot by the handle and carried it down to the bathing chamber. “I apologize. It took me longer than expected to return.”
“It’s fine,” she said, back facing me in the bath. Her foot protruded from the water where she scrubbed it. “It was nice to soak for a bit. Your mother was right that it helped me feel better.”
In more ways than one, but I wouldn’t say that out loud.
I stopped near the bathtub and looked her in the eyes, grateful for the murky water covering parts of her that would turn my mind elsewhere. “Do you want it hotter?”
“Um, that would be nice.”
Holding out the pot, I poured half of it into the tub. She let out a sound of contentment.
