I leaned in close to her as I whispered in her ear, “What life, princess?”
And I shut the door, locking Jade in.
“I wasn’t going to let them hurt her,” Serefin said from behind me.
“I know you weren’t.”
He smiled. “Although you sure know how to put on a show.”
“You think they had anything to do with this?” I asked him.
He shook his head. “I don’t know, but they seem to know more than everyone else about the attack. And Kara’s trouble. We both know that.”
I agreed. “I’m only keeping her in here until I know she’ll be safe,” I explained. I don’t know why I felt the need to explain myself to Serefin. He was never the type to question my decisions. He would follow me anywhere, he would do anything I asked him to do.
But still. Something in his expression made me continue, “As soon as I find out who’s trying to kill her, she’ll be free to roam the castle.”
“I know, brother,” Ser replied. “I get it.”
I nodded and started to walk away.
“You can’t keep her safe from everything,” he yelled after me. “A human will always be a target in Rewyth. As much as we wish that weren’t true.”
I didn’t turn around. I didn’t acknowledge his words.
But Saints. He was right. I knew he was right. Jade had a lot to learn if she was going to survive in Rewyth.
CHAPTER 13
Jade
Two hundred days went by.
Okay, it was only four days. But it felt like two hundred.
The water couldn’t get my skin clean enough. I stayed under the steam until I was sure I was going to melt away and float into the river myself. But it didn’t matter how many times I shampooed my hair or how hard I scrubbed my skin, I couldn’t forget the feeling of Malachi touching my thigh.
Holding my waist
Leaning in close.
I shook my head. It was ridiculous. It was pathetic.
My brain even restored to dreaming about him. As if I needed to think about him any more than I already had.
My thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the bathroom door.
“Go away, Malachi,” I yelled.
But it wasn’t Malachi who entered anyway, chirping herself on the ledge of the sink.
It was Adeline.
“Adeline!” I shrieked. “What are you doing in here? I’m kind of naked right now!”
“Oh, please,” she said, flipping her long hair over her shoulder. “Humans are so prude. Mal thought you might be losing your mind in here or something. You know if you stay under the water too long it causes wrinkles.”
“I’m fine!” I yelled.
“Yeah, he also said you would say that. And he told me it probably wasn’t true.”
I cursed under my breath.
“Heard that,” Adeline chirped.
These damn fae.
I stepped out of the water and wrapped myself in one of the pristinely white towels Malachi had. The fact that they weren’t all already stained with blood was impressive.
“I’m really fine, Adeline. I don’t need a babysitter.”
She squinted her eyes. “You should be dead right now. And that cut still looks bad.”
I looked in the steamy mirror and tried not to cringe. Right in the middle of my throat, a bright red cut was nearly halfway healed.
A reminder of how close my assassin had gotten to succeeding.
No wonder Malachi was so pissed.
“I’m alive, which is better than I could have asked for.”
“Yeah, but we have to keep you alive. And your will to live is a slightly important factor there.”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m not going to do anything stupid, Adeline. I already told Malachi I would listen to him from now on.”
Adeline glanced toward the bathroom door before hopping off the counter and stepping closer to me. “Mal can be…possessive. He doesn’t like that someone laid a hand on you, Jade. And this is the first time he’s been able to make some headway on whoever has been killing his wives. He’s going to protect you no matter what. You understand that, don’t you?”
I let my head rest on the wall behind me. “I’m willing to do whatever it takes to stay alive. If that means living, acting and breathing like a damn faerie, then so be it. But I can’t stay locked up like this. I can’t just sit in here like I’m nothing. I can protect myself.”
I realized after I said the words that they may have been stupid, but when I looked to Adeline, she had a giant grin on her face.
“You have no idea how happy I am to hear that,” she chirped, nearly jumping with excitement. “Now put these clothes on. I’m taking you somewhere.”