Just A Taste | BOOK 1 The Night Lords Series

42. Cold and Sweet

I was bathed by the same three women who'd prepped me beforehand. This time, though, I nearly wept with gratitude for them. I thanked them more than once for the oil and they murmured their acceptance of my appreciation.

After I was washed, they didn't coat me in oil this time. Instead, they soothed a creamy looking balm over my injuries and wherever I said it hurt while I lay on a slab of stone sticking out of the copper wall. As their hands worked the ointment in, the pain ebbed until it vanished altogether. When I stood up to stretch, my body felt new. They then presented me with a dress the color of the sea when light shines through it. I twirled and the skirt fluttered, swirling like an underwater current. It hugged my legs before relaxing once more to drape prettily, a waterfall of viridian. Up top, the gown hugged my curves before the deep color became translucent around my collarbone to continue along each arm. The sleeves were snug and I slipped those on first before one of the girls began buttoning me up from behind.

"What are your names?" I ask, breaking the silence we've all been enjoying for the past fifteen minutes.

One of them stood by a table that held an assortment of jewelry which she examined with keen eyes, determined to find something that would go with my outfit. She answered first.

"I am Valaria."

I smile with my lips. "That's a pretty name."

She lends me a small smile in return.

"My name is Kena," says the one behind me.

"And I'm Pauline." I turn my head to watch the third woman approach with makeup in hand.

"Are you guys related?" I ask.

Pauline motions for me to close my eyes and I do. She begins working on my face. "No. We are of the same culture and race but we are all just friends."

"How did you guys end up here, if I might ask?"

I hear Kena sigh, sadly. "We were captured a long time ago. We'd just been little girls then and our master took us when we'd been playing outside away from our people."

"Who's your master?" I feel a hand take my arm, probably Valaria, before she slips a cold bangle onto my wrist.

"We do not know his name. He visits from time to time but is otherwise busy."

I frown. "That's... good."

Kena scoffs behind me, now focused on my hair. "Perhaps if he didn't hold a promise to us he has yet to fulfill, we'd agree with you."

"What do you mean?" I ask, hoping I'm not being too nosy.

Valaria takes my fingers to slip some rings on. "We've been stuck down here for ages, Miss Grace. The last time we saw the sun was the day we were taken. On one of the nights he was making love to us, he promised to take us back to the surface."

I try not to balk at how nonchalantly she mentioned the love-making. Clearing my throat, I ask another question. "How old are all of you?"

"We don't know," answers Pauline as she drops her hands from my face. My eyes flutter open. "I suppose we could be well over our nineties."

I couldn't hide my reaction this time. My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets and I jerked forward a bit with a surprised gasp only to yelp when the movement caused my scalp to sting given Kena was still handling it. I breathed out a quick apology before stuttering out, "W-What?!"

Pauline turns away to pick up a small container filled with silver powder. She dips her fingers in, coating her fingertips, before dabbing at my cheekbones and temples.