Page 40 of Restored

“What, blondie, you don’t like the furnishings?”

“No, they are very inviting. Why wouldn’t I want to see a creature that almost violently killed me right when I walk in?”

A faint smile spreads across Ledger’s face, and his right dimple pops just a tad. My eyes dart away, willing myself to be unaffected.

“Stiny!” I hear Archie exclaim as a stout older man walks out from behind a curtain to the front desk. He has a rounded belly, a white mustache, and rosy cheeks. His long, whitehair is pulled back into a straight ponytail at the nape of his neck.

“Archie, it is so good to see you. I expected you earlier and was about to send Forde to look for you all.”

“Well, that was the plan, but we got ambushed by a rogue set of Kerolu. Let’s just say they were not overly friendly.”

“Those are some nasty creatures; I had a run-in with this guy a few years back. Ended up losing my hand to him but in the end, I got his head.” He lifts his left arm revealing a small, rounded nub. I avert my gaze, not wanting to stare for too long.

“Get cleaned up, and I will get some plates of nutriment for you when you’re ready. You know I am going to want to know all the details from your little run-in today. Keeps my life exciting.” He holds up some rings of jingling keys.

“Oh, trust me, we know, Stiny. We will be back down here soon with all the gory details.” Mia steps up to him, grabbing her key and giving him a pat on the shoulder. Everyone else takes their keys greedily, wanting to bathe off the days of travel and gore or maybe just get a moment alone.

“Do you need another room for the lady, Ledger?” He eyes me, and I open my mouth to respond in the affirmative.

“No,” Ledger says before I can. I glare at him, and he ignores me, taking the key from Stiny, who wears a wry grin on his face.

“Don’t you think if I was going to escape, I would have let you bleed out, taken a horse, and been long gone by now?”

“We are almost back to my kingdom, and I am not taking any chances.”

“Does my privacy mean nothing to you?!” I snap in a low whisper at him, my anger spiking.

“Your privacy is none of my concern. When we get to Westray, I’ll make sure you have your own quarters; for now, you’re with me.” His nonchalant tone boils my blood.

He puts the key into the lock as we approach the door and swings it open. It is a simple room with a dresser, and one singular mattress on a sturdy wooden bed frame. The air is stale but smells of rich mahogany.

“Great. One bed. I suppose you’re going to vine bound me to the headboard and watch me sleep?”

“If anything, I would ‘vine’ you to the bathtub and give myself the comfortable bed.” I see a flash of a dimple as he walks into the room and straight to the washroom. He sets me gently onto the creaky vanity.

The smell of eucalyptus and lavender permeates the steamy bathroom.

“Someone already brought up some hot water. Get cleaned up and keep that tourniquet on. I don’t want you bleeding out in the bath. I’ll get some clean clothes for you and medical supplies.”

“Anything else, master?”

He looks down at my thigh thoughtfully and then pulls out his dagger. Before I can object, he slices my leggings from ankle to wound. Then drags the tip carefully from my upper thigh to my hip. The flimsy fabric frays and falls limply away from my skin. I snatch the fabric covering myself.

He doesn’t look again or wait for my response, just brushes past me. “Do not open the door for anyone.” He shuts the door, and I hear the faint click of the lock sliding into place.

“You should have let him bleed out, Layla. This is your fault,” I grumble to myself, pushing off the vanity. A whimper escapes me as white-hot pain laces up my leg. I shrug my other leg out of the leggings carefully, eager to scrub the gore and dirt from my body.

The bath looks like heaven. I dip my toe in the water, testing, before lowering my body in with a sigh. I’m careful to leave my injured leg out, but I deeply wish I could submerge it. The wrap dangles, and when I move my leg, it dips into the water, wetting the fabric.

I grit my teeth against the pain emanating from my ribs. My middle is already blue and purple as the bruises set in.

I’ve never felt such bliss and agony at the same time. Ignoring the discomfort, my eyes drift shut as I enjoy the warming of my skin and the rejoicing of my aching muscles. I submerge my head for several seconds, willing nothingness into my brain, blocking out all the unpleasantries of the last few days.

I grab a cloth sitting on the lid of the tub, dumping lush lilac-smelling liquid onto it. I scrub my skin until it’s pink and raw and the water has cooled.

I hear what I assume is Ledger coming back into the room. My toe pops the stopper out, and I watch the dirty-tinged water swirl down the drain.

Sighing, I lift myself out of the bath, squeezing out my hair. Then, I realize my leggings are shredded and my tunic is covered in gore.

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