Dragon Unbound
Page 18
May murmured a good-night, as well, and both women left, trotting down the stairs to where I could hear raised voices.
I closed the door, leaning against it for a minute before running over to the window and throwing it open.
“Damn.” There was no way down but jumping, and I couldn’t think of many things I wanted to do less than jump out of a second-story building, especially when the first story evidently had tall ceilings.
“Looks like I’m stuck. Great job, Charity, really sterling work.” I checked the bathroom to make sure there wasn’t a handy exit (there wasn’t), then returned to the bed, where I sat and promptly ate two candy bars. “Now what am I going to do?”
I thought of trying to call Andrew, but my cell phone had been taken when I was shoved into the cellar, and wasn’t returned to me. Besides, if they were caught in the act of stealing and now in police custody, there was nothing I could do for them. Like me, they were on their own.
I wandered aimlessly around the room for a little bit, then decided I might as well have the bath that I’d led everyone to believe I desperately needed in my attempt to escape my prison.
There was a large claw-foot tub that dominated most of the bathroom, the kind two or three people could fit in. I ran the water, and opened the windows to allow the summer breeze in, since the room was a bit stuffy. By the time I sank into the steaming hot water (scented with some of Aisling’s jasmine bath salts), my mind was quickly chugging through all the possible outcomes of the situation.
“One,” I said, sinking into the water with a sigh of happiness. Even though the day was warm, there was nothing like a hot bath to relax your muscles. The soles of my feet stung a little, but the pain quickly eased. “The dragons call the Watch, and they put me away somewhere. Clearly, I’m not going to let that happen. Two, I escape and assuming the band gets let out of jail, and we get out of Hungary and lay low for a bit. Three, I escape and the band doesn’t get out of jail, in which case I’m on the run again. Alone. With more people than ever after me.”
I didn’t really like the sound of any of that, but particularly of the last one. I’d been on my own for so long, it had been nice to be part of a group, even if that group had been using me.
The truth was that it had been a long time since I’d had any contact with people. I missed that. I missed the interactions, and feeling like I had a connection to someone. That I mattered to someone. I hadn’t had anyone since my last foster mom Maud had died twelve years before.
“Poor Maud. I’m sorry I put you through such hell. You did such a nice thing rescuing me when no one else wanted me. But you’re gone, and I’m alone, and what am I going to do?” Using my toes, I pulled the plug on the tub and got to my feet, shivering a little when a breeze suddenly swirled around my wet skin. I stepped out of the tub and went over to the counter, where a towel was folded. “I suppose that what I’m going to have to do is sing my way out of here and then go to—ack!”
The First Dragon stood in the doorway, looking bemused and slightly startled. I snatched up the towel and held it protectively in front of me. “Mille pardons,” he said, and gestured toward the open window in the bedroom. “I thought that perhaps you had tried to climb down. I take it your bath has made you feel better?”
“Yes,” I said, more awkward than I’ve ever felt, and not just because I was stark naked in front of a powerful demigod. “It ... I’m ... I wasn’t actually ... oh, goddess. This is just a mess.”
He glanced over my shoulder. “Do you need assistance? Would you like me to call one of the female mates?”
“No, I don’t need—” I waved a dismissive hand. “I don’t need anyone. The mess isn’t me, or rather, it is, but not in the way that you think. The truth is, I’m not having my period.”
He just looked at me with those uncanny, brilliant eyes, eyes that in this light had a touch of icy blue in their silver depths.
“My woman’s time,” I said, using his phrase. “I’m not having it. I won’t for several months. My birth control takes care of that. And yes, I’m sure you don’t particularly care about what’s going on in my downstairs, but everyone is being so nice and sympathetic, and bringing me chocolate and pads, and I feel like the biggest heel in the world.”
His eyes narrowed slightly as he puzzled this out, his gaze going over my shoulder again. “You used the excuse of your woman’s time to get out of the cellar?” he finally asked. “I told you I would have you released.”
“Yes, but then you left, and there I was stuck in that place. I hate being closed in, and besides, it wasn’t very nice down there.”
To my surprise, a little smile curled up the corners of his lips. “That is very clever bringing the mates to your side.”
“And now I feel worse for using them.” For some reason, tears pricked behind my eyes. I had a feeling they were based in self-pity, but that didn’t make me feel any better. “I just ... I was desperate, and it seemed like the only thing to do, and dammit, I am not crying.”
He wiped away one tear with his thumb, his fingers cupping my chin. “Then your face is leaking.”
I couldn’t help it—I laughed at the deadpan delivery of his delivery. “What I meant is that I normally do not cry over little things, and I’m more than a little ashamed that I’m standing here right now, nearly naked, and bawling over something so silly.”
“Remorse, I’ve heard, can have that effect.” He put his hand on my shoulder, his fingers warm. “Why did you not seek help to escape the control the musicians held over you?”
“Help from who? The Watch just wanted to put me away so that I couldn’t affect anyone. There were several very wealthy individuals who promised to protect me, but I knew better. Honestly, the band was the lesser of two evils, and in return for me helping them take money from people they swore could afford the loss, they promised to keep me hidden from the nasty people who intended to use my powers in ways that made me sick.”
He nodded. “You made the best out of an impossible situation.”
His fingers moved gently on my shoulder, and I was aware again of just how warm they were. Very warm. So warm, it felt like my skin was on fire under them, but it was a pleasant burn, one that seemed to sink down into my blood.
I closed the door, leaning against it for a minute before running over to the window and throwing it open.
“Damn.” There was no way down but jumping, and I couldn’t think of many things I wanted to do less than jump out of a second-story building, especially when the first story evidently had tall ceilings.
“Looks like I’m stuck. Great job, Charity, really sterling work.” I checked the bathroom to make sure there wasn’t a handy exit (there wasn’t), then returned to the bed, where I sat and promptly ate two candy bars. “Now what am I going to do?”
I thought of trying to call Andrew, but my cell phone had been taken when I was shoved into the cellar, and wasn’t returned to me. Besides, if they were caught in the act of stealing and now in police custody, there was nothing I could do for them. Like me, they were on their own.
I wandered aimlessly around the room for a little bit, then decided I might as well have the bath that I’d led everyone to believe I desperately needed in my attempt to escape my prison.
There was a large claw-foot tub that dominated most of the bathroom, the kind two or three people could fit in. I ran the water, and opened the windows to allow the summer breeze in, since the room was a bit stuffy. By the time I sank into the steaming hot water (scented with some of Aisling’s jasmine bath salts), my mind was quickly chugging through all the possible outcomes of the situation.
“One,” I said, sinking into the water with a sigh of happiness. Even though the day was warm, there was nothing like a hot bath to relax your muscles. The soles of my feet stung a little, but the pain quickly eased. “The dragons call the Watch, and they put me away somewhere. Clearly, I’m not going to let that happen. Two, I escape and assuming the band gets let out of jail, and we get out of Hungary and lay low for a bit. Three, I escape and the band doesn’t get out of jail, in which case I’m on the run again. Alone. With more people than ever after me.”
I didn’t really like the sound of any of that, but particularly of the last one. I’d been on my own for so long, it had been nice to be part of a group, even if that group had been using me.
The truth was that it had been a long time since I’d had any contact with people. I missed that. I missed the interactions, and feeling like I had a connection to someone. That I mattered to someone. I hadn’t had anyone since my last foster mom Maud had died twelve years before.
“Poor Maud. I’m sorry I put you through such hell. You did such a nice thing rescuing me when no one else wanted me. But you’re gone, and I’m alone, and what am I going to do?” Using my toes, I pulled the plug on the tub and got to my feet, shivering a little when a breeze suddenly swirled around my wet skin. I stepped out of the tub and went over to the counter, where a towel was folded. “I suppose that what I’m going to have to do is sing my way out of here and then go to—ack!”
The First Dragon stood in the doorway, looking bemused and slightly startled. I snatched up the towel and held it protectively in front of me. “Mille pardons,” he said, and gestured toward the open window in the bedroom. “I thought that perhaps you had tried to climb down. I take it your bath has made you feel better?”
“Yes,” I said, more awkward than I’ve ever felt, and not just because I was stark naked in front of a powerful demigod. “It ... I’m ... I wasn’t actually ... oh, goddess. This is just a mess.”
He glanced over my shoulder. “Do you need assistance? Would you like me to call one of the female mates?”
“No, I don’t need—” I waved a dismissive hand. “I don’t need anyone. The mess isn’t me, or rather, it is, but not in the way that you think. The truth is, I’m not having my period.”
He just looked at me with those uncanny, brilliant eyes, eyes that in this light had a touch of icy blue in their silver depths.
“My woman’s time,” I said, using his phrase. “I’m not having it. I won’t for several months. My birth control takes care of that. And yes, I’m sure you don’t particularly care about what’s going on in my downstairs, but everyone is being so nice and sympathetic, and bringing me chocolate and pads, and I feel like the biggest heel in the world.”
His eyes narrowed slightly as he puzzled this out, his gaze going over my shoulder again. “You used the excuse of your woman’s time to get out of the cellar?” he finally asked. “I told you I would have you released.”
“Yes, but then you left, and there I was stuck in that place. I hate being closed in, and besides, it wasn’t very nice down there.”
To my surprise, a little smile curled up the corners of his lips. “That is very clever bringing the mates to your side.”
“And now I feel worse for using them.” For some reason, tears pricked behind my eyes. I had a feeling they were based in self-pity, but that didn’t make me feel any better. “I just ... I was desperate, and it seemed like the only thing to do, and dammit, I am not crying.”
He wiped away one tear with his thumb, his fingers cupping my chin. “Then your face is leaking.”
I couldn’t help it—I laughed at the deadpan delivery of his delivery. “What I meant is that I normally do not cry over little things, and I’m more than a little ashamed that I’m standing here right now, nearly naked, and bawling over something so silly.”
“Remorse, I’ve heard, can have that effect.” He put his hand on my shoulder, his fingers warm. “Why did you not seek help to escape the control the musicians held over you?”
“Help from who? The Watch just wanted to put me away so that I couldn’t affect anyone. There were several very wealthy individuals who promised to protect me, but I knew better. Honestly, the band was the lesser of two evils, and in return for me helping them take money from people they swore could afford the loss, they promised to keep me hidden from the nasty people who intended to use my powers in ways that made me sick.”
He nodded. “You made the best out of an impossible situation.”
His fingers moved gently on my shoulder, and I was aware again of just how warm they were. Very warm. So warm, it felt like my skin was on fire under them, but it was a pleasant burn, one that seemed to sink down into my blood.
