Page 64 of Dark & Dreadful Brutes

“I’m not tired enough to fall asleep right now, and I’m not staying in here alone all night. You said you would treat me better; this is your chance.” I felt a little bad for tapping into his guilt, but he had left without a real explanation, and he was the reason my life was in danger in the first place.

“It’s not safe for you to leave, and I don’t want them in our room. Gleam went to Coarse?”

“Yes.”

He grumbled but didn’t sound surprised in the slightest. “I’ll send Elwynne to you.”

“I’d rather see my friends,” I told him, my defenses rising a bit. “I need to know they’re okay.”

“We can find them first thing in the morning, but I’m being briefed about the war right now.”

Veil.

I’d forgotten about the war, somehow.

“Elwynne needs to be there, then.” I started closing myself off. “I’ll be fine alone.”

He swore. “I’m sorry, Lae.”

I pulled away from him, then slipped off the bed. After I locked the door, I padded to the bathroom. My dress hit the floor as I walked, my toes digging into the soft carpet, and my undergarments followed.

There was no tub in the bathroom, just a large shower. Our room in Kier’s castle had a shower too, so I knew of them, but I’d never used one before.

I watched the strange, large glass shape protruding from the ceiling as I turned the lever to start the water’s flow. A moment later, water was raining on me. Though it didn’t feel cold thanks to Ravv’s magic, it didn’t feel warm either.

Closing my eyes, I focused on the sensation. It was strangely soothing.

My body relaxed a bit as the water washed over me, wiping away two and a half days’ worth of travel. I had survived—I was fine.

The Demon was probably still flying above our heads, but I would be okay.

He wasn’t after me, anyway.

Ravv was in danger, but… well, I still wasn’t entirely sure where I stood with him. He seemed to want me, but he didn’t really know me, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted him to know me.

He was grumpy and often angry, but fiercely protective.

He was rough and harsh, but gentle when it mattered.

He was demanding and insistent, but he…

There didn’t seem to be a redeeming quality paired with those ones. Maybe confidence? The veil knew he had enough certainty in himself to fuel half a dozen other men.

Despite all of his negative qualities, the good ones seemed to outweigh the bad.

That could be because he saved me, though. As much as I hated to admit it, he had rescued me, and that would undoubtedly color my view of him.

Perhaps when I was back with Jern and Gora, they could help me look at the situation objectively.

I scrubbed my skin and hair before drying off and walking back to the bed, where I collapsed in an absolutely unattractive heap of wet hair and hot skin and fell asleep.

My problems could wait until the next day.

Chapter 14

Laeli

Sunlight woke me in the morning.

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