Chapter 9
Well after my bath has grown cold, I remain submerged in the tub the staff brought up for me.
It feels almost obscenely luxurious, soaking in a bathtub in a crumbling castle while people freeze and starve outside.
But, given the brownish-pink color of the water I’m sitting in, I know I needed it. Badly.
Now that my body has rested, everything hurts.
And I’m sleepy. But I blame the half-empty jug of wine on the floor next to me for some of that.
Tonight, I might just be tired enough to skip supper.
Luckily, the castle staff also brought up a selection of breads and cheeses when they delivered the tub and buckets of hot water.
I’m sure I have Nalina to thank for that too. It may be a strange joke, given the wine she saw me steal, but I’m not complaining. I’ll take wine and cheese over an empty belly any day.
There’s a knock at the door.
I groan. Not again.
“Go away,” I say halfheartedly before slipping beneath the surface of the water. Even with water in my ears, I can hear the knocks grow more urgent. I sit up, splashing water over the edges of the tub.
“What do you want?” I yell.
Nothing. Then, more knocking. Louder this time.
Swearing under my breath, I stand. Every muscle in my body protests the movement. The air in the room is frigid, despite the new fire in the fireplace. I shiver and wrap a thick dressing gown around me.
The knocking continues ceaselessly.
“I’m coming!” I yell as I press the water out of my long auburn hair with a linen cloth.
Tiptoeing across the freezing stone floor, I make my way to the door. Water drips from my hair, and I try not to slip. That’s the last thing I need today, an injury from being drunk and sloppy. Nalina would love that.
I open the door. Predictably, the hallway is empty.
I slam the door closed again and stifle an irritated scream. Limping, I walk back across the stone floor, but I don’t get far before there’s another knock. I growl and run back to the door, throwing it open.
“You know,” I call into the empty hallway. “I’ve had enough drama for one day. Just do me a favor and come out already, or just leave me the hell alone.”
A scurrying sound catches my attention. I peer down the gloomy hallway lit by flickering lantern light. There’s no one there, just shadows and drafts from the howling storm outside. I sigh and start to close the door again, but pause. At my feet, there’s a small jar.
I bend to pick it up, my sore muscles aching. The lid takes some effort to unscrew. Inside is a dense, waxy balm. I sniff it cautiously. It smells of beeswax, sharp peppermint, and something floral underneath. Lavender, maybe.
As if on cue, a muscle spasms along the side of my neck. I dip my fingers into the cool balm and rub it into the knot. A sigh escapes me as warmth spreads through the sore muscle. This was a gift. It’s a far cry from the ominous messages left for me. Gods, Gwyllion gets more confusing by the day.
“Thank you,” I say into the empty hall. I’m not fooled by the silence. Someone—or something—is watching me.
At the end of the lantern-lit hall, a door hinge squeaks.
I lean out of my doorway to squint past the shadows.
A shadowed figure peers out from behind a partially opened door at the end of the hall.
It’s only a few feet tall, like a child, and yet I know instantly that it’s not.
Its hand on the door frame is thin and pale, almost blue.
Its eyes glisten black in the lamplight.
I lift the jar and nod toward the creature. No, not creature, I correct myself. Fae.
It shuffles back out of sight, but not before I catch the unmistakable shape of a smile.
It seems I have unexpected allies here in Gwyllion Castle.