Of course it doesn’t work. That would be too easy.
If I remain in here with the man’s body, someone is going to find me, and I’ll end up rotting away in the pit for the rest of my days.
Let me see…
There are plenty of towels. If I remove my gown and wrap myself in one, I can pretend to be coming out of the bathing room. That’ll work, right?
I grab a towel off one of the lines and hurry to the sink only to realize the blood has soaked all the way through to my undergarments. I need to strip out of everything, but there is nowhere for me to hide this gown where it won’t be discovered. If I leave the thing behind, everyone will know it’s mine. Maybe my bed has a hidden panel like Braith’s, and I can hide it there until I can burn it.
I twist the knob on the faucet, and hot water sprays from the tap, smelling like rotten eggs. At least it’s not blood. I scrub my hands clean and wrap the towel around me, adjusting my long hair so that the scars on my back are covered.
My bare feet make no noise as I cross the cold stone floor, clutching my bundled dress and slippers against my chest. Thank the stars the hallway is empty.
Even though I feel like sprinting away, I don’t run. I walk, slow and calm, the picture of nonchalance, down the hall, around the corner, and almost to my room when Braith steps out of the bathing room.
“Stars, Wynn. What happened to your face? It’s covered in blood.”
When my fingers graze my cheekbone, it’s like the man hit me all over again. Stars, that is sore. The cheek I can excuse, but blood?
Braith grabs my elbow, urging me into the steamy bathing chamber. I swipe a hand across the foggy mirror above one of the sinks. Sure enough, a bruise darkens my cheek. But that isn’t what makes me gasp.
At some point after hitting the guard, I must’ve wiped my face, painting my forehead deep red.
Stars…I killed someone.
Not only did I kill him, I bludgeoned him to death. These hands trembling in front of me are the hands of a killer.
I need to get to Senan, explain what happened. He’ll help me. But first, I need to give Braith some sort of excuse. I open my mouth, but the words refuse to come.
Say something, dammit.
You must save yourself.
“A guard… He tried to… He locked me in and said he was going to?—”
Understanding lights her eyes, and she takes me by the arms. “Shhh…it’s over now. You’re safe. I won’t let anything happen to you.” Braith takes my bundle and nudges me toward the closest shower. My whole body begins to shake, my hands trembling so badly that Braith has to help me unhook the towel. I lurch forward beneath the stream of steaming hot water and scrub at my face and hair and hands. The water at my feet turns deep red. Stars…
I must get to Senan. I must.
Braith lets out a low curse. “Wynn… Your back.”
Shit. My scars. I completely forgot about them.Dammit. How did such a perfect day end so terribly? “P-please don’t tell anyone.”
Braith’s expression hardens, but she says nothing as she draws the dividing curtain. No matter how hard I scrub, I can still feel the guard’s blood like a layer of oil painting my skin.
Everything will be fine. Braith is my friend and will keep my secret. I just have to get to my prince before?—
A screaming bell rings from the hallway.
Shit.
Braith yanks the curtain aside and throws me a clean towel. “Get this around you. Quickly!”
I hate myself for dragging her into this. She is innocent. I’m not. “I should turn myself in.” Perhaps if I explain what happened, they won’t punish me too harshly.
Braith shakes her head, her silver hair sticking to her flushed cheeks. “You can’t tell a soul. If they find out, you’ll be executed.”
Executed?At least in the pit, Senan would have a chance to save me. But if I’m executed before the sun even comes up, I could be dead before he wakes.