Page 52 of The Bound Blood
Tamsin smirks. “Exactly.Iconic.”
Nolan makes a strangled sound that might be a laugh and might be a cry for help.
Raiden doesn’t react, but I think I see the corner of his mouth twitch.
Tamsin sighs and flicks her braid over her shoulder. “Fine. I’ll go full stylist mode. But when I come back, she better be radiant enough to make those dusty old council membersweep.”
She breezes past me, then doubles back, plucking a piece of chocolate from Kael’s desk and popping it in her mouth like she owns the place. “Keep her safe,” she calls as she vanishes through the door.
The silence she leaves behind feels heavy.
I shift again, arms still crossed over my chest, painfully aware of how gross I feel. My hair’s a mess, my skin’s sticky with residual magic and sweat. There’s probably ash under my fingernails.
Kael watches me a beat longer, then speaks. “There’s a shower.”
I blink. “What?”
He tips his chin toward the hallway behind him. “Through the left-hand door. It’s private. Clean towels in the cabinet.”
“Oh,” I say, stupidly. “I don’t want to?—”
“You want to,” he interrupts gently. “You won’t offend me.”
His voice is softer than usual. Almost like he knows what thoughts are going on in my head. I chew the inside of my cheek. Then nod once.
“Thank you,” I murmur, not meeting his eyes as I brush past him.
And I swear, just before I step through the door, I hear him say, barely loud enough to register?—
“You don’t stink, by the way.”
I nearly trip over my own feet. Holy cow, can he actually read my thoughts? Is that a by-product of the magical mark I gave him?
Behind me, Nolan finally mutters, “Why does he get away with saying stuff like that?”
And Raiden just sighs, like this is exactly the kind of chaos he expected from today.
The door clicks shut behind me, muffling the sounds of the guys in the other room. I pause, letting the quiet settle around me. The space is just like the rest of Kael’s quarters—minimal, precise. But the bathroom is warmer than I expected. Dark slate walls, a deep walk-in shower carved right from the stone, and thick black towels folded with clinical perfection. Of course. I’m learning he really likes his order and control. It’s sort of endearing.
The moment the hot water hits my skin, I sag against the wall and exhale a shaky breath.
I’m not sure how long I stand there, letting the magic-slicked residue of the last few days rinse from my body, but eventually, my gaze drifts toward the corner shelf.
Kael’s shampoo.
The bottle is unmarked, sleek and matte black, because of course it is. I squeeze a small amount into my palm and lather it into my hair, not expecting much. But the moment the scent hits me, I nearly groan.
It’shim.
Cool cedar and tantalizing spice, the barest touch of something ancient and wild beneath it all. Something that hums through my bond like a siren call. My knees weaken as I breathe it in. It’s like the space between our magic has narrowed, closed in, filled with this scent I want to drown in.
I tilt my head back under the spray, letting it wash over me again and again, like if I stand here long enough, I’ll understand why he makes me feel like this. Why I want more.
Not just his scent.Him.
I press my hand to the center of my chest, grounding myself against the ache that flares there. It’s not pain. Not exactly. Just the growing hum of something I don’t have words for yet.
I reach for his body wash next—same scent, richer now. It clings to my skin like a secret, one I’m not ready to admit out loud. I wash slowly, carefully, even though my limbs still tremble from everything I’ve done, everything I’vebecome.
