Chapter 28
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
ALINA
After the water for my bath was ready, I stepped into the oddly shaped porcelain bathtub, wincing when the bruises and scratches burned everywhere the heat touched my skin.
I almost moaned, trying to adjust to the temperature.
My eyes closed and I leaned back, enjoying a rare moment of being completely alone.
Never before have I thought that being alone was a luxury.
I sighed, thinking about the last couple of days we had.
But then my thoughts returned me to the prison cell and I remembered all the horror in the Devil’s Cave.
Moist cold air, growls that came from behind the door, and then the quiet that was somehow even worse.
The overwhelming, soul crushing headaches and the constant fear of waking up another day, watching the cracks in the ceiling and the growing wet patches of mold.
I could smell the stench of decaying flesh.
My eyes opened wide. I was not ready to revisit those memories, not yet.
“Hurry up! Grace brought us food. I’m trying to save some for you, but the boys are really hungry.” Frid shouted from the other side of the door.
I scrunched my nose when my stomach growled at the thought of eating something.
With a sigh, I picked up a bar of lavender soap and scrubbed my skin, carefully tending to the scratches I received during our long trip.
I rinsed my hair and was just about to reach for the towel, when the door swung open and Frid walked into the room holding a piece of bread.
“What?” I paused, wrapping my arms around my legs.
“I’m serious, you have to hurry up.” She placed a thick piece of cornbread in my hand before leaving me alone.
I sat back, watching the door. Not knowing what else to do with it, I took a bite, enjoying the taste of the sweet corn and the richness of the butter melting on my tongue. The crust was glazed with honey and so delightfully chewy. I took another bite, savoring every morsel.
When I finally stepped out of the bath and dried myself with a clean and fluffy, oversized towel, my eyes landed on the flowers on the side of the counter.
I did not want to admit it to anyone, but I loved this cottage, I enjoyed looking at the furniture, odd sculptures, and unconventional paintings.
The only thing that I would change was the abundance of fake flowers.
The quaint cottage deserved fresh plants, and I would place them on every window and every corner in all the rooms. I could imagine festive compositions of different sorts, sharing large ceramic planters, filling the place with warmth and comfort.
Even the large picture of Grace holding an apple did not bother me.
I loved the small details and the smells of the herbs.
I had not realized how much I missed all of that.
Being in a land like Darragh reminded me of everything I used to love before. I spent hours sewing and putting together hair pieces, arranging bouquets. It felt strange to remember all that. But that was me, the real me, and somehow, after everything that happened, she was still there.
I looked at myself in the mirror, my cheeks were flushed but my eyes were puffed up and weary. Without waiting any longer, I put on a simple, light cotton dress that smelled a little stale, and brushed my long hair before leaving the bathroom.
Frid, Victor and Tynan were sitting around the kitchen table. Frid was laughing at something Victor had said. Tynan only glanced at me, and for a moment, he froze as his eyes traveled from my dress to my face, and the strands of my loose, wet hair.
“How’s the food?” I asked, suddenly feeling self conscious.
“Come. Join us.” Frid jumped up, grabbing a bowl and serving a good helping of the thick meat broth.
“Thank you,” I mumbled when the wooden bowl was placed right in front of me.
“I had to fight Victor for the last piece of cornbread.” Frid returned to her chair.
“You did not fight me. I gave it to you,” he responded.
“As if it was yours to give.” The girl rolled her eyes.
“So, Frid. Now that you’re back home, when are we going to see you in a dress?” Victor asked, the corners of his mouth lifted.
“Never.” Frid’s mood took a turn for the worse. “I am not going to wear a stupid dress,” she muttered.
“Women are not allowed flying suits, remember?” Victor raised his eyebrows.
Frid fidgeted with her spoon, looking like she was going to smack someone.
“If that’s still a rule, I’m going to stay indoors,” she said with forced indifference.
“Is that true? Women are not allowed flying suits?” I asked.
“They had similar rules when we were kids, but no one enforced them. Now with Hanoch in charge, it got much worse. I already got a warning from Grace not to wear men’s clothes.” Frid sighed.
Victor watched her for some time without saying anything.
“I’m sure there’s something in the closets that you could be comfortable in,” he finally said in a gentle voice.
I looked at him in surprise. It was so rare to hear him being serious, as if he really cared. I looked back at Frid and noticed Tynan looking at both of them with a thoughtful expression in his eyes.
“I just don’t want to be forced to do something I hate.” Frid sighed.
Victor rubbed the back of his neck, appearing uncomfortable.
Not for the first time, I could tell that Frid mattered to him more than he was ready to admit.
He was driving her insane with snarky remarks and unwelcome observations, but she really meant a lot to him.
I could see it every time he looked at her, especially when she did not notice.
“How long are you planning to stay here?” I asked Tynan.
He turned to look at me, and I almost lost my train of thought. His eyes met mine, and the feeling was unsettling and alarming.
“I need to figure out what we need to do next. We can’t go back to The Fall,” he said.
“But someone brought me here,” I said.
“Yes. And I really want to know how they did it,” Tynan responded.
“There are people here we could ask, or Hanoch may know something about it. I wish I could walk around, but I’m going to stay in the cottage.” Frid leaned back in her chair with a look of frustration all over her face.
“All of us need rest. We can talk about it tomorrow.” Tynan stood up and brought his plate to the sink.
I peered at his strong arms as he washed the dishes, feeling almost embarrassed for staring.
He looked much larger in the small kitchen, his muscular back and narrow waist made me think about things that made me blush.
Fortunately, Frid started arguing with Victor, oblivious to everything around her.
Later that night, I moved my head, glancing at the calm, relaxed face of the blond girl that was sleeping next to me.
Almost immediately, my treacherous thoughts brought up the man who was sleeping in the room next to mine.
We were separated by a thin wall. I could envision him stretched out on the bed with his arm covering his eyes.
I thought about that night in the tavern when I leaned over him, telling him all sorts of inappropriate things.
I could still remember his beautiful, dark eyes, the surprise in every feature of his face.
Tynan was always in control, but what I saw then was a rare moment of his control slipping.
I saw the liquid flames of his enigmatic eyes.
His fast breaths, and parted lips. I remembered how he did his best not to touch me but he really wanted to.
I buried my face in my pillow. I was fantasizing about a man who was not my fiance.
What did that make me?
I promised Petro that I would love him forever, I planned to stay alone till the end of my days.
But almost immediately, as if trying to prove a point, my visions switched to that embrace back at the pool, when Tynan held my hips, his rough hands on my bare skin.
His hard chest pressed against mine. I sat up, fluffing my pillow, almost angry with myself.
This had to stop. I forced myself to lie back, and finally, my exhaustion came to my aid and I managed to doze off.