Page 9 of The Shattered Kingdom (The Cursed Kingdom #2)

ABBY

I SINK INTO the couch cushions, beyond bored, before pulling up the bottom of my dress and examining my scabbed knees.

“What happened?” Lill asks.

“Mason. He pushed me down while we were in the forest.” I press my lips together, my anger renewed by the memory. “He was rough with me.”

Lill’s quiet for a long moment. “I’m so sorry.”

I shrug. “Not your fault. How’s your back feeling?”

“Better.”

We fall silent. I should take this opportunity to ask her questions, but I don’t. I doubt she’d give me genuine answers. The faerie realm is beautiful and I’m so glad she’s feeling better, but it’s clear I’m not welcome here.

I saw how Lill’s face fell when I returned from the bathroom earlier. She was trying to cuddle up with Mason, and she backed away like a wounded puppy when I stepped into the room. She doesn’t want me here.

I refuse to be somewhere I don’t belong. I want to go home and forget this ever happened.

I trail my finger over the healing scab before fiddling with the hem of my dress. We’ve been alone for the better part of an hour, and Lill and I haven’t exchanged more than a few words. I’m waiting for her to make the first move, which she doesn’t seem inclined to do.

“Is there anything fun to do here?” I ask. I’m at my wit’s end. “Maybe we could go to the big park.”

Lill’s responding grimace tells me she doesn’t like that idea. “I don’t think we’ll be welcome there.” I highly doubt we’ll be welcome anywhere . Lill puffs air into her cheeks and glances at the ceiling, thinking. “We could go to the bathhouse, I suppose. There used to be one on the property.”

A bathhouse? I’m imagining a giant tub full of naked faeries, but that can’t be right. Lill would never suggest we do something like that. She’s far from a nudist, and almost every faerie here hates us. I’m not interested in having their prying eyes on my naked body.

“A bathhouse?” I ask. “Explain.”

Lill quirks a brow. “You know what a bathhouse is. It used to be popular among the faerie adults. I’m not sure if it still is, but it could be fun. I’ve always wanted to go.”

“Fun for who?” I ask. “Surely not me.”

I look into Lill’s piercing, violet eyes. What do the faeries think about my brown ones? They must find them quite dull. Mason has green eyes, but they’re unnaturally bright.

“Mason and Kie are acting…” Lill pauses, sucking on her teeth before continuing. “Mates are possessive, and I’d like to see how they react to me entering a public bathhouse.”

I frown. She can’t be serious. “We’ve been here for less than twenty-four hours, and they’ve spent the past twenty years convinced you murdered Kie’s father.

Give them some time.” I can’t believe I’m defending Mason and Kie, and I hate being put in a position where I feel the need to do so.

It’s outrageous, but it needs to be said.

“I’m sure they’ll soften once they’ve looked into your story and confirm you’re telling the truth. ”

My stomach churns as the words leave my mouth, but I force myself to continue. I want nothing more than to bash Mason and Kie, but that’s not what Lill needs. I’ve already told her my opinion of the two men, and she can do with that information what she pleases. I’m not going to push.

I’m putting our friendship before my personal feelings toward the princes, which I think is very mature of me. I’m a great friend.

“I know,” Lill starts. “I just… I thought a mate bond would be, I don’t know, more ”—her voice cracks—“and I’m beginning to freak out.”

Fuck me.

Lill chews on her bottom lip, rocking back on her heels.

“What if something is wrong with it? What if Zaha altered our bond after I killed His Majesty? What if it’s broken?

” She’s desperate, and my already fading resolve crumbles.

“Mason refuses to look at me, let alone touch me,” Lill continues, her voice low.

“They’re my mates, and I just want them to see me.

I want to see that the bond affects them, even if they don’t act on it. ”

“Okay.” My heart pounds, and I yank my dress over my scabbed knees. “Fine. The bathhouse it is.”

Lill practically beams, and I wave away her excitement with an exaggerated huff. I’ll join her, but I won’t be happy about it.

I follow her outside, mildly surprised we aren’t immediately swarmed by guards with violet eyes and bayonets. The three lingering nearby turn toward us, though, and one heads in our direction.

“Can you take us to the bathhouse?” Lill asks as he approaches.

If he’s surprised by her question, it doesn’t show. His attention flickers between Lill and me before he nods and turns toward the two guards still in the courtyard. One takes off, probably to inform Mason and Kie of our plans. I wonder how long it will take the pair to hunt us down.

I’m going to guess under five minutes.

The guard brings us to a single-story brick building tucked away at the back of the property. It isn’t much to look at, especially compared to the exteriors of the other buildings I’ve seen.

“Thank you,” Lill says to the guard. “We won’t be long.” I hope not.

She grabs my arm and pulls me through the wooden front door. I expect a lobby, maybe a spot to check in, but the door opens immediately to a changing area. A long bench spans the room, and cubbies are built into the walls.

I’m relieved that only a few articles of clothing are folded and hung neatly inside. There must not be too many people here right now. Good. A woman in a simple black, linen dress stands beside an open doorway at the opposite end of the room. I assume it leads to the bathing pools.

The woman looks us over, her cheeks sucked into her mouth.

“Welcome,” she eventually says. She sounds far from happy.

“You can give me your clothing after undressing, and I’ll ensure it’s put away properly.

The pool is through this doorway here.” She looks pointedly at me as she gestures to the open doorway beside her.

“This is a private space. Please act accordingly. No touching.”

No shit. I’m not a child, and I understand what consensual touch is. Humans may not value touch as the faeries and shifters do, but we aren’t heathens.

“So no underwater dick grabs?” I tut. “Shame.”

Lill shoots me a sharp look.

I blink back at her, hoping she can see in my eyes that I’m not happy with this. I was hoping for gendered changing rooms at a minimum, and I awkwardly stand around before beginning to undress.

Lill is already two steps ahead of me. She hands her dress to the attendant and removes the bandage on her back. I’m pleased to see the one deep lash healing nicely, and at a faster rate than humanly possible. The magic here truly is good for her.

“Do you think they’ve been to a bathhouse before?” I ask Lill. She knows who the ‘they’ I’m speaking about are.

She shakes her head. “I doubt it. The risk of skin-to-skin contact is too high.”

“And you think they’ll come because you’re here?”

“I hope.”

I hand the attendant my clothing and cover my chest as we walk through the narrow hallway leading to the pool.

The temperature rises with every step, and steam fills the air.

By the time we enter the darkened room at the end of the hallway, I’m surprised I’m not choking on it.

Several candles are lining the walls, illuminating the room with just enough light to see.

The room is made of stone, and vines grow up the walls. I’m not sure how they survive without sunlight, but I assume it’s a faerie thing. The room isn’t as big as I thought it would be, and the pool is surprisingly small. I’d estimate only ten or so faeries could comfortably fit inside.

Two faeries are at the far end of the pool, both men.

Lill’s the picture of confidence as she makes her way to the opposite end of the pool, and I scurry behind like an awkward mole rat.

The men seem to be in the midst of a heated discussion, and I’m beyond relieved they don’t look over as Lill and I sink into the water.

There’s an underwater bench, and it’s low enough that only my head and the tops of my shoulders stick out above the waterline.

Lill lets out a quiet groan. “My father used to go on and on about the bathhouses. They were his favorite place to unwind, and I’ve always wondered what they’re like. This feels amazing.”

I hate to admit that she’s right. The water is warm, and my sore muscles immediately relax. The two men on the opposite end of the pool give us complete privacy, not once looking over. It’s comforting, and I’m confident it would never happen in the human realm.

The relaxation doesn’t last long. Two large figures storm into the room only minutes after we get situated.

Mason turns toward the faeries on the opposite end of the pool.

“Out.”

The room is cleared within seconds. The men scramble out of the pool, water still dripping from their bodies as they disappear into the hallway leading to the changing room. That was rude. They weren’t bothering anybody.

I pull my knees to my chest, hiding my body from view. Kie and Mason can see through the water, and I’m not offering a free show.

Kie lingers by the entrance. “What do you two think you’re doing?”

Lill shrugs. “Relaxing.”

Mason looks like he’s about to burst a blood vessel. “Get out.”

I don’t appreciate being told what to do. Neither does Lill if the sudden stiffening of her spine is anything to read into. The four of us are at a standstill, nobody moving. I’m not leaving this pool until Kie and Mason are gone.

Kie is the first to break. He rolls his shoulders back, his jaw set firm.

“Very well,” he says. “Let’s make this quick.”

He spins on his heel and storms away. I relax only slightly. Mason remains where he is, showing no signs of leaving. Lill must be quite pleased by his possessive, dramatic display.

I’m happy for her.

Those feelings vanish as Kie reemerges, now naked. You’ve got to be kidding me . I sink further into the water, averting my gaze as he slips into the pool beside Lill.