Page 68 of Of Masks and Fury

I remained there, my palm burning with the echo of him, the bond singing faintly in my blood. It wasn’t the same as him holding me, but it reminded me we were linked in ways no door could sever. Still, the pulse faded too soon, leaving cold wood and the hollow ache of almost.

Almost wasn’t enough.

A tear slipped down my cheek. Then another. I pressed my lips together to keep any sound from escaping, but my shoulders shook.

I’d killed a man tonight.

I might have to kill again before this was over.

My father suspected something, though I wasn’t sure what.

The weight of it all threatened to break me.

Pherin flew over and landed on my shoulder, leaning against my neck, her feathered wing stroking my skin.Strong. Fierce. Survived. I proud. Warrior like me.

I sucked in a breath and nudged away from the door.

I walked into the bathing chamber and as the tub filled, I tugged free the laces of my gown, pulling the wretched fabric away from my skin. It whispered as it fell, pooling at my feet in a ruined heap of emerald and rust.

The necklace came next, then the earrings. Each piece of jewelry shed armor, revealing me beneath.

I climbed into the tub and began washing, scrubbing the places where I’d swear Crestin’s blood had splattered my skin, though how could it? He’d flopped on the bridge, his blood pooling underneath him.

Bloodbane.

I’d known the blade was poisoned the moment Trew said it on the bridge, but I hadn’t let myself feel what that meant. But here, I was alone. No guards. No looming father. No long walk through the corridors full of watchful eyes.

If the blade had even grazed me, I’d already be dead. Trew would’ve watched me die three from a few paces away and been unable to do anything but keep his face blank and his hands still.

I scrubbed harder, my skin reddening beneath the cloth, and still couldn't stop.

Steam rose from the water, heat spiking as if fueled by something within me. The surface bubbled, too hot, scalding my legs. Panic surged, my magic flaring without command, responding to the turmoil in my chest. I clamped down hard, willing it back, forcing the water to cool. It simmered down, but the effort left me trembling. I couldn’t afford these slips or I’d betray myself in an instant.

A sharp knock echoed from the outer door, startling me. Water sloshed as I jerked upright.

“Your Highness?” A guard’s voice, muffled through the wood. “We heard a noise. Are you well?”

My heart pounded. I couldn’t let them in, couldn’t let them see me raw-skinned and shaken, with the remnants of magic still humming in the air. I forced my voice steady, the princess mask sliding back into place. “I’m fine. I…dropped a brush in the bath. Nothing more.”

A pause, too long. “You’re certain? His Majesty’s orders were clear. We’re to check any disturbances.”

Irritation surged beneath my calm. They were spying as much as protecting. “Quite certain. I’m bathing and expect privacy. I assure you, all is well.”

Silence was followed by footsteps retreating. I exhaled, sinking back into the water, but the interruption crept across the edge of theroom like a shadow. My hands still trembled as I started washing again, the ritual now filled with urgency. They were watching, always watching. One wrong sound, one slip, and they’d burst in. I scrubbed faster, chasing away the evening’s horror with each stroke, though the memory clung like the steam curling in the air.

Tonight, I’d proven I wasn’t the delicate princess they all thought me to be, and that had to be good enough for now.

I climbed out of the tub and toweled dry, then picked up Trew’s stone again, pressing it to my lips before placing it carefully on my bureau. I pulled on a simple nightgown, something soft and comfortable.

Pherin flew to her perch beside my bed. She tucked her head beneath her wing, but awareness still coasted through our bond.

I climbed into bed and pulled the covers up, though sleep would be elusive tonight.

The torch on the wall cast shadows across the ceiling. I watched them shift and sway, twisting into the faint outline of a mask that was cracking at the edges, revealing something fierce beneath.

Somewhere beyond my door, Trew stood guard. Close, but too far, though not forever.

Nothing was forever except the bond between us, the magic that sang in my blood, and the promise I’d made to myself on that blood-stained bridge: I would stand beside him as the woman I was becoming, searing a path through this realm for those I cared about.