Sighing, I ease into the bath. Hot water curls around me, warming my toes and aching limbs. A shiver of pleasure slips over me and I lean back in the bath. I reach for bath oils and salts and pour them judiciously into the water and fragrant steam rises. I lay in the bath for what feels like an eternity, occasionally checking over my shoulder at the slightest sounds. Visions of the Nephilim looming in the doorway, ready to leech my soul with a kiss, have my hair on end. I tell myself he couldn't possibly make his way into the castle, let alone to my room. But the thought persists and eventually I wash hurriedly.
Rinsing my hair with oils, I rise and dry myself off. The air is warm with steam and I drip water over the porcelain floors. The dress that was prepared for me is simple, with long sleeves and a high collar. I slip into the pale lilac gown and manage to button it myself. I pull my hair into a sloppy braid, not even bothering to brush it. Ready, I open the door, losing the steam into my room.
“You’re looking better today. Shall I call for your ladies-in-waiting?” I jump at the sound of Willem’s voice. Heart racing, I lurch back towards the bathroom door. He lifts a hand, fingers splayed. “Wait, I didn’t mean to startle you.”
I press a hand to my chest, just over my heart, and count my heartbeats. My eyes are wide, and I search him for any sign of a weapon even though his body and power are weapons in and of themselves. “What are you doing here?” I ask, stammering.
“I came to check on you, you weren’t in Kane’s rooms,” Willem says, still holding his hand up.
“Well, I’m fine,” I murmur. Being alone with Willem is frightening, after our last encounter, I don’t trust him. And he doesn’t trust me either.
“What can you tell me about the Nephilim?” Willem asks as he steps closer.
I take a step back. “He was thin, tall, and his hair was short.” I grimace, fear lancing through me as I picture the Nephilim grinning at me while I was trapped in his cellar.
“Where was his house?” Willem presses, oblivious to my discomfort.
I inhale shakily and hide my trembling hands behind my back. “I don’t know the city that well.”
He sighs irritably. “Then what did it look like?”
I run my tongue over my lips nervously and Willem’s eyes track the movement. “It looked like every other house. It was made of stone, with a roof that curved inward. The windows were arched. It seemed normal.” Tears prick at my eyes as I relive the moment of escape when I heard him thudding out of the house after me.
“Mortals.” Willem shakes his head. “Must you be so sensitive?”
My jaw goes slack at his cruel words. My surprise lasts for an instant before anger replaces it. I square my shoulders and stand up to my full height. “You may go now, Willem. If I have anything of importance, I’ll tell Kane.”
“You seem to think you’re in a position to give me orders,” Willem says quietly. His voice is even, but I sense the dangerous rage behind it.
I swallow thickly but don’t back down. “I think you’re in my room. And I don’t want you here anymore.”
“This room and everything in it, including you, belongs to Kane,” Willem snaps. His pale blue eyes blaze and he closes the distance between us in a blur. I take a sharp, frightened breath as his elegant fingers close around my throat. “What will you do, Briar, cry?”
His words pierce my heart painfully and I feel anger, fear, and hurt roil in my heart until there’s a lump in my throat. “Willem,” I say through gritted teeth, grasping at his hand on my neck.
“What?” He whispers, leaning closer with a wicked gleam in his eyes.
“Please, let go,” I wheeze. I feel tears well in my eyes and I blink furiously, trying to stop them from spilling.
“You’re too weak, Briar.” Willem releases me with a scowl. “It’s a miracle you even escaped the Nephilim. He must have been immensely stupid.”
A single tear slips down my cheek before I can stop it. I wipe it away angrily and press my back against the wall. I clamp my mouth shut, afraid to speak. Willem’s wings flare and I wonder how I once thought they were beautiful. Just last night, I was admiring his wings. And he was kind to me. But now, he’s cruel, as he was before. Of course, last night, Kane was nearby. Maybe that’s the catalyst for his behavior; Kane.
“Well, you’ve been no help at all,” Willem sighs. He turns for the door. “Your naïve and innocent demeanor will grow old soon, Briar. Kane will tire of it, as I have.”
“What?” My voice is little more than a sigh.
Willem doesn’t hear my last words as he stalks out of the room and slams the door behind him. I collapse onto the bed, heart in my throat. Naïve? My father kept me away from the world, but my sisters enjoyed gossiping about anything and everything occurring inside and outside the castle. I was sheltered all my life, we all were. Rarely seen by the public, my father was always very protective of us. Until he sent me here alone, asking me to do the impossible. I wring my hands together in my lap. For all of my physical training, my feelings and independent thoughts were largely
