Bride of the Traitor (The Prophecy of Sisters #1) - Hayley Faiman Page 0,91

extending and I close my scarred eye as she trails her finger over my scar, something that I would never allow another soul to do, ever.

“Go, My Beautiful King. Lead your men, check on them, then come to my bed,” she whispers.

“My Queen, the siren,” I say, grinning like the lovesick fool that I am.

Taking a step back, I wrap my hand around the side of her neck and squeeze her gently. “Rest, soak, relax and fill your belly, Sybilla. I will be back shortly,” I call out before I turn my back to her and head toward my men.

I can hear clanking of steel in the distance and with my closest warriors, my brothers, flanking my sides we head out to see how our troops fare before the battle that lies ahead of us.

SYBILLA

I stand nude, my girls around me and I’m no longer shy or embarrassed by my nudity, at least not with them. The water is hot, with scents of vanilla and something floral that I catch a hint of as I sink down into the large tub.

This castle has a bathroom, a real one, or at least more of a bathroom than I’ve seen before. There is tile-like flooring, a drain, a tub, a basin with water and a pitcher along with a small mirror on the wall, and a small closet that I know, unfortunately, is an outhouse porta potty situation.

A tray is brought to my side with fruit, bread, cheese, and meat displayed neatly along with a goblet of fruity wine.

I moan as soon as the wine touches my tongue. It’s even better than what I drank in Aerilon. It’s almost like a spiked fruit sparkling seltzer, simply amazing.

“You know that I have to ask,” I begin, turning my gaze to Katrina who is busying herself with soaps that I know she’s going to use to wash my incredibly dirty and tangled hair.

She doesn’t look up to me, she doesn’t even stop what she’s doing when she begins to speak. “Merek has left me alone,” she whispers.

“Alone except for his heated gazes, the longing ones that if I were not careful, may ignite my own undergarments. I do not know how Katrina resists.” Ellyn giggles.

Katrina lifts her gaze, narrowing her eyes at her friend. “Do not look at him so,” she snaps.

Ellyn’s lips turn up into a large smile. “Give in to his advances. You’ll both feel better, and you’ll both loosen up, your faces are both screwed up and you’re wound so tight, it’s a wonder you can walk.”

“Ellyn,” Jasmine admonishes.

“What?”

Jasmine shakes her head and reaches for Katrina’s hand. “You do not give in to that man unless you want to. Only when you decide it’s what you want, not to make him happy, not for anyone or anything, but yourself.”

“I want him, but I know that I will want to keep him. Merek is the kind of man that I have fantasized about my entire life and I can never keep him,” she whispers.

My heart aches for her. It ached because just a few months ago I was her. I dreamt of finding a man, a good man, a strong one. Someone who was kind, but firm.

Someone who would see me and without a shadow of a doubt know that I was meant for him. A man who could make my body sing as loudly as my heart.

It hits me, like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. It’s like I imagine a shot of lightning would feel. My eyes close and then they open wide and I gasp for breath. Jasmine, Katrina, and Ellyn are right next to me. Taking my hands and holding on to me.

“Do you need a healer?” Jasmine shouts.

Shaking my head, I gasp for air again and inhale a deep breath. “Something isn’t right,” I whisper.

“What do you feel?” Ellyn asks, her voice calm.

I shake my head, my entire body trembling. “It’s Elias. I don’t know, something is going to happen, I just don’t know what but I feel pain in my stomach and it’s not like anything I’ve ever felt before.”

“Get the witches,” Jasmine barks toward Katrina and Ellyn.

My stomach rolls again before a sharp pain explodes inside of me a second time. I cry out and I hear Jasmine shout somewhere in the distance. I feel my back arch, I pinch my eyes closed and color bursts from behind my lids.

“By the gods,” I hear a voice.

“Grip her arms, keep her from floating off,” another voice shouts.