of his back, kneading at muscles he hadn’t realized were so damn tight. Pleasant pain coursed through him, morphing into an achy heat that had him melting into the pool.
“Good God…” he groaned.
The tattooed woman chuckled. “Oh, he likes that.”
“Damaris has the hands of an angel,” Hemera said. “Even The Savior favors her touch over all others.”
The redhead worked her way up his shoulders. “You flatter.”
“Don’t be modest, sunshine.” The woman with the tattoos gestured Tobias’s way. “Look at the man, you’ve left him weak.”
Tobias said nothing, his eyes half-open. Damaris, the redhead with the angel’s touch, massaged his neck, and suddenly everything about that moment was fine, perfect even, and he was more than content with sitting in that pool, bits exposed.
Hemera dipped into his line of sight, raising her rag. “Shall I continue?”
“You can do whatever you’d like.” He lazily pointed at the girl behind him. “So long as she keeps doing that.”
The tattooed woman laughed. “He’s positively entranced.”
“Finally. He’s been fretting this whole time.”
“Oh, hush.” Hemera slapped Nyx on the wrist. “Be kind to him, he’s a very important guest. Likely our next Sovereign, even.”
Tobias tensed, nearly forgetting about all the hands in awkward places. First he was special, and now he was the Sovereign. This is all happening so fast. He glanced between the girls, waiting for an explanation that never came.
A sting shot through his thigh; Hemera picked at his old stitches, looking up at him curiously. “Did Diccus do this?”
“Of course it was Diccus, who else would it be?” Nyx spat.
Hemera swatted Nyx with a rag, then hopped out of the water, taking a seat behind Tobias on the pool’s edge. “What do you think?” She combed her fingers through his hair. “Do I cut it short? It’s quite lovely, I’d hate to lop it all off.”
“Clean it up in the back and along the sides,” Nyx said.
“Yes, but leave some length on top,” the tattooed woman added. “Give Her something to grab on to in the throes of passion.”
Damaris giggled. “Oh, Faun, you’re bad.”
Faun—a slender woman with brown, braided hair, a freckled nose, and black ink decorating her tawny arms. Tobias took pride in having made some sense of the girls, even if everything they said still baffled him.
“We don’t know if She’s a grabber.” Hemera peered over Tobias’s shoulder, looking him in the eye. “Is She a grabber?”
“All women are grabbers if you please them right.” Faun winked.
“Well then, are you properly skilled at pleasuring a woman?”
“Hemera, you can’t just ask him if he can pleasure a woman,” Nyx barked.
“Why not? I can clean his cock, but I can’t discuss its bag of tricks? Is that what you’re saying?”
“Just cut his hair.”
A grumble sounded overhead, followed by a soft clipping. Chocolate curls sprinkled down in front of him, floating atop the water’s surface.
Another servant scuttled to the pool, dropping off a platter piled high with peaches. Damaris plucked one from the rest and offered it Tobias’s way. “Something to eat? You must be hungry.”
Tobias snatched the peach from her hands, muttering a “Thank you” that was garbled mid-bite.
“Look, he’s utterly famished.” Faun chuckled.
“Be still,” Nyx said. “She’s cutting your hair.”
“I wonder if that ravenous hunger of his extends to the bedroom.”
Damaris gasped. “Faun!”
“What? I’m just looking out for Her best interests, is all.”
Hemera leaned in close, speaking into his ear. “These peaches were picked by The Savior Herself, you know.”
Tobias froze mid-gnaw, pulling the half-eaten peach from his mouth in near-disgust.
Sighing, Hemera dusted a few strands of hair from his back. “Isn’t he charming? I can see what all the fuss is about.”
“How? He’s hardly said a word.”
“He has a quality. Nyx, why must you disagree with everything I say?”
“Oh, I think he’s a dream. Certainly worthy of the praise,” Faun added. “And I do believe he’s perfectly suited for the crown.”
“Wait,” Tobias cut in, too curious to stop himself. “I’m sorry, I don’t follow.”
Damaris giggled. “Look at him. It’s as if he hasn’t a clue he’s favored.”
“Oh, he knows.” Faun nudged him playfully. “He’s just being coy, is all. Isn’t that right?”
No, that isn’t right. Not even close. Their chatter continued while he remained flummoxed, trying to grasp their baseless claims.
Hemera tousled his freshly cut hair. “I can’t wait for tonight. I swear, I can hardly stand the anticipation.”
“You’ve been saying that all day,” Nyx said.
“Oh please, don’t pretend you’re not excited, you know you are. Everyone is.”
“What’s tonight?” Tobias asked.
“The celebration.” Damaris’s brows knitted together. “You haven’t heard?”