Page 10 of Hearts on Fire
“Well, let’s hope nothing bad comes from it. From now on, you’re to be here at sunset, like everyone else. No wandering through the castle at night,” she ordered, then added, muttering under her breath, “The last thing we need is to be accused of bringing a spy to the castle.”
It couldn’t have been easy for Mother to look after the safety and wellbeing of the women in her charge while also trying to appease the king at the same time. The king’s wishes weren’t always in line with thesalamandras’interests, I imagined.
“I’ll be here at sunset,” I promised. “Every night.”
She nodded, looking somewhat relieved.
“Get ready, everyone,” she announced in a calmer voice. “Time to go to the water caves.”
Her words stirred a wave of excitement among the women. They put their robes on hurriedly, then lined up by the door.
“What are the water caves?” I asked Zenada, who lowered the lace of her hood without a prompt.
“They are exactly that, silly,” she laughed. “Caves with hot water springs running through them. We’ll get to bathe, Amber. You’ll love it.”
* * *
“Here.” Zenada grabbed a couple of plums from a small table by the entrance to the caves and shoved one into my hand. “I told you, food is everywhere at the king’s castle.” She smiled, biting into her plum.
The tables with fruit, candied nuts, and small pastries lined the walls of the wide arched entrance. Long loungers were carved from the stone between them and everywhere inside the caves. This place was clearly meant for enjoyment and relaxation.
The air inside was warm and rich with moisture.
“Come on, Amber, take off your clothes,” Zenada urged at the nearest pool. She’d already finished eating her plum and was disrobing quickly.
I gaped at the beauty of this place. The caves of different sizes cascaded inside the mountain with water rolling down in a series of wide waterfalls. The dark burgundy walls with veins of pink quartz spread out wide. The ceiling of the main cave where we stood rose so high above us, I could barely see the glistening stalactites up above.
Steam rose from the water, giving the entire underground space a mystical appearance. It looked like a dream. And it was so warm here, it must be the warmest place in all of Dakath.
Completely naked now, Zenada approached the dark, steaming water.
“Oh, it’s so nice,” she moaned, dipping her toes into the pool. “Come Amber. You’ll love it.”
I shoved the rest of my plum into my mouth, then spat the pit into a small plate left for that purpose on one of the tables nearby. Untying the laces of my robe, I took it off and folded it on one of the stone loungers nearby. Next, I lifted the skirt of my dress. While taking it off over my head, I glanced up.
Carved paths ran between the pools and waterfalls of the caves. Some had narrow balconies with curled metal railings or stone parapets. There were people on the paths—men. Dressed in loose robes of light, flowy material, they strolled between the caves or casually leaned against the railings, watching the naked women bathe in the streams and pools below.
I pressed my dress to my chest, keeping my long shirt on. “Zenada, there’re men up there.”
She looked up for a moment, not at all concerned.
“They can watch all they want.” She shrugged. “But no one can touch us without the king’s permission.”
That didn’t make me feel any better. Crossing my hands over my chest, I stood at the pool. I would give anything to have a bath. But the idea of being watched by strangers while doing it made me tense with unease. This would not be as relaxing as I’d hoped.
Wading out of the water, Zenada came to me.
“You’re right. It’s best for them not to see you.” She took my hand, then led me away along a side path. “If they see you naked, they’ll know you’re not a fae.”
Zenada’s brown skin shimmered in the glow of the caves. Her coal-black hair glimmered with burgundy highlights from the reflected light cast by the quartz walls. Her body was flawless, perfectly proportioned, with a narrow waist, a delicate flare of hips, and breasts of just the right size.
With my bony shoulders, lanky limbs, and the breasts barely big enough to fill an A-cup, I didn’t need to stand naked next to her to know that the physical differences between us would be striking. Most importantly, however, my human skin looked dull compared to hers that glowed with fae magic. Anyone seeing us naked together would know we’re not of the same species.
“Come here.” Zenada pulled me into a small cave off the path. A side stream filled the bottom of it, pooling in the middle into a small, round pond.
The ceiling in this cave was low, barely high enough for us to stand at full height.
“No one will see us here.” Zenada took my dress from me, then lifted my shirt, taking it off.