Page 13 of Gilded Curses

With no other choice, Sahira squeezed Orin’s hand on her arm and started to move forward again. Before she could take a step, he pulled her back a little and stepped in front of her.

This place hadn’t dimmed his commanding or protective tendencies any. With a sigh, Sahira followed him down the steps and into the room.

As she took in more of it, she realized this wasn’t the place where someone would drown them…. It was where they were to be cleaned.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Desmond and his wife closed the doors behind them when they left the pool atrium. In drifting waves, steam rose from the water in the center of the room. The pool was at least forty feet long and twenty feet wide, but it didn’t take up half the space.

Gold specks glittered on the white brick floors and walls. Designs and patterns etched the bricks.

Orin spotted a sun, moon, and stars but didn’t see an hourglass anywhere. It was a good thing because, if he did, he’d take his sword and hack away at the bricks until nothing but shards remained.

Lush, green plants lined the windows that made up the entire left side wall. The right side had a dozen or more doors lining it.

From overhead, the sun’s rays spilled through the glass to dance off the crystalline water. The water was probably the only thing in this place that didn’t sparkle with gold.

The humidity inside the room caused his clothes to cleave to his skin as sweat trickled down his nape and beaded across his forehead. Dozens of guards descended the stairs and moved throughout the room until they stood shoulder-to-shoulder with each other. Some of them carried bows with arrows notched and at the ready.

“So much for a peaceful race,” Zeth muttered.

“You have nothing to fear from them if you don’t try to attack us,” one of the women said. “They are only here for our protection. We realize you’re scared, have been through a lot, and are ready to fight, but we cannot have that.”

“How do you know what we’ve been through?” Pip inquired.

The woman’s eyes darted away as more guards entered the room and approached them.

“Hand over your weapons,” the biggest guard at the front commanded.

Orin glowered at the man. He could envelop himself in shadows and might be able to cloak the others too.

He could grab Sahira and have her disappear with him, but she’d fight him and wouldn’t leave the others. Maybe she’d realize they could always return for them and not fight him.

The likelihood of that happening was about the same as him putting on a tutu and doing a pirouette, but he wasn’t leaving here without her. When some of the arrows swung in Sahira’s direction, Orin sucked in a breath as he stepped in front of her.

“Back off,” he warned the guard through his clenched teeth.

The man’s eyes bore into Orin as the guard held out his hand for Orin’s sword. “Give me your weapons.”

“If you hurt her, it will be your last regret.”

“I never regret anything. Now, give me your weapons.”

Before Orin could decide what to do, Sahira handed over her spear and the dagger strapped to her side. On her shoulder, Fath also handed over his spear and small sword.

“Sahira,” Orin hissed.

She shot him a look and then glanced pointedly around the room at the hundred or so guards in there with them. Their eyes met and held again as they stared at each other, and she nodded toward the guard.

Elsa and Loth followed suit, but Zeth hesitated before finally relinquishing his spear, sword, and a knife strapped to his ankle. The guard continued to hold his hand out to Orin, and Pip didn’t move.

The brownie would follow his lead, and if anyone was susceptible to death, it was the tiny creature with a fierce heart. And he shouldn’t give a shit about that, but he did.

He really disliked that he’d developed a conscience. He scowled at Sahira, the cause of his sudden inability to leave someone to their fate, before breaking eye contact to look at the guard again.

“When will we get our weapons back?” Orin asked.

“When our Lord decides you’re trustworthy,” the man replied.