Page 52 of Devour
There are men and women and children in various areas. As we get closer, I realize the people in the water are not clothed. At all.
The massive pools could hold a thousand people altogether. I’ve never seen anything like it.
“You bathe… together?”
“Of course,” she says cheerfully. “Bathing is very social. Don’t worry, though, we have a strict code. No one will touch anyone else’s property.”
I wrinkle my nose at the thought of being someone’sproperty.
I look down at my feet, feeling warmth seeping from beneath them.
“And there is nointimacyhere during the day. At night, the children are away, and that is more likely to occur, so if you are modest, you could just stay away at that time.” She leans in to whisper. “But between you and me, it’s kind of fun to watch.”
My mind spins but then settles on one uncomfortable thought. “Will I even have a choice?” I mutter, more to myself than her.
My Dread hasn’t shown interest in that yet, but… why else would he claim me?
She pauses, glancing over her shoulder at me. For a moment, I think she’s going to speak on it, but then she clamps her mouth closed and continues toward the waters.
We reach the bottom of the stairway and find a flat smooth stone that reaches all the way to the water’s edge. It is frothy at the edge where the current pushes and pulls onto the soft slope.
The roar and rush of the resulting waves is almost violent. Three young boys laugh and splash, diving in and out of the wavy waters near the center of the massive cavern.
Three women sit with the water up to their breast in a calmer pool, chatting and laughing casually.
I blink three times then force myself to look away—they’re naked, after all.
“If you would like space to yourself, there are areas you can use to remain separated. Come see.” She waves for me to follow her over the narrow stone that acts as a walkway circling the pools.
She removes her leather slippers and deposits them on a wooden shelf hung on the rocky overhang beside several other piles of sandals and clothing.
She holds her linen skirt with one hand and walks around the pool.
The mist grows thicker. A large man with a shaved head and corded muscles glances at us as we pass by. His shadowed expression sends a jolt of fear down my back.
I hasten to keep up with my guide.
A woman not unlike Helena pours water over the man’s scarred back and then rubs a bar of soap into his skin.
My heart rate picks up, but we pass them without incident, and finally, Helena stops. “Here is good. Would you like to bathe with me or alone?”
I look back at where the man and woman had been. I can no longer see them through the mist. “Together.” Because while I find it odd to bathe with a woman I do not know, it’s not odd enough to be alone in this place.
I could refuse the bath, but I am in desperate need of cleaning, and I suspect it’s something they’ll insist on. If bathing is social here, it may be my best opportunity to uncover much-needed information.
She grins as if my answer pleases her.
“Here.” She pulls a towel from her bag and hands it to me. “You can use this to undress if you’d like. Most women from the outlands prefer it. You can place it on the stones once you’ve waded far enough.” She points to the stone that separates this pool from the next. “Don’t worry if it gets a little wet. We have many.”
The cloth is shockingly fluffy and soft. What is this even made of? I’ve never felt such material.
I carefully pull my stockings from my legs. The cloth is extremely thin but covers as much of my skin as possible, all underneath my long skirt and draped top.
I pull my arms from my sleeves and then wrap the towel around my body before I drop the dress to the floor.
Helena is already up to her waist in the water, completely nude. I follow her carefully, holding the towel around my body as if it is my last connection to life.
The water is not only warm, it’s hot.
