LITMIR.BIZ

      Alexa slept most of the morning, until the strings attached to her door rippled and Marwey called out. Alexa buried her head in the pillows and ignored her. After a while the girl went away.

      Alexa dozed again until Thealia came and made demanding noises. The woman was impatient, not even denting Alexa’s willpower to hold out before stalking off—Alexa could feel her irritated energy and hear hard footsteps.

      Just as Alexa was beginning to relax, Partis chanted at her door, comforting, soothing. Lulling, Alexa thought with a snort. She wasn’t moving.

      Partis sang for about half an hour, then left.

      The doorharp sounded again and Marwey spoke. She knocked. Alexa heard noises out in the hallway and wondered if they’d starve her out. Then the baby cried just beyond the door.

      It went on and on. Alexa couldn’t bear it. She got up and stood by the door, calling softly to the child, murmuring endearments. That only worked once.

      She opened the door and scooped up the baby, who broke into a smile. Alexa smiled back, and a couple of women nabbed her.

      Marwey, eyes wide, advanced and touched the ends of Alexa’s shoulder-length hair. “Argent,” she whispered in awe.

      Alexa grimaced. She’d forgotten the color had changed from brown to silver.

      “Alyeka, Alyeka, Alyeka.” The women called her name. With a swirl of jewel-toned robes, Marwey and Thealia and the rest, laughing and coaxing—and cuddling the baby—took Alexa down long, curving stairs.

      It wasn’t a dungeon, but a big bathing room tiled in white and turquoise with slim graceful pillars. There were three pools of light blue, and lush greenery. The whole room was like something out of a harem. To one side hung a rich robe of dull gold. It looked Alexa’s size.

      She allowed herself to be led to a pool. Narrowing her eyes she examined the liquid. It appeared to be water. Thinking it would be easier to test the stuff than to try to ask what it was, she bent down and cupped some in her hands. It felt like water. No stinging. Alexa let it trickle through her fingers.

      Lifting her hands to her nose she inhaled the scent the liquid had left. Herbs. Nice and somehow sweet, not astringent. As she scooped up the “water” again and lowered her mouth to taste, she watched the others. They looked amused but didn’t protest or stop her. She darted the tip of her tongue out to lap at the water—again, it tasted of herbs.

      Alexa stood and straightened her shoulders. She gestured for others to bathe before her. Thealia lifted her eyebrows, but moving a little jerkily, she disrobed and sank into a steaming pool. She leaned her head back on what appeared to be a padded cushion that rimmed the pool, shut her eyes and hummed. Alexa eyed the older Marshall and decided to follow her example.

      Walking to the hot pool, Alexa summoned the courage to drop her bathrobe, and, ignoring embarrassment, trod the shallow steps into the pool. The hot water caressed her arches and Alexa knew why Thealia had moaned. It felt so good! The water lapped silkily at her as she submerged; the heat banished the aches and stings the liquid the night before had burned. Thealia sat on a ledge at the deep end of the pool. Alexa judged that if she joined the woman the water would rise to Alexa’s mouth. She found a spot and a ledge where it reached her shoulders—ignoring the twittering of the other women, probably about her height—and flopped her head back on the pad. Oh yeah! The only thing better would be jets.

      “Alyeka,” Marwey said.

      Alexa opened one eye. The teen offered a tray of soaps. One was green and Alexa had seen it in Marwey’s mind the night before, one was oatmeal colored and textured, one peach. Alexa sniffed them all and took the green one that reminded her of the ocean. A pang went through her. Oceans. She wondered if she’d ever see one again.

      “Shh,” Marwey said, joining her in the bath and patting her shoulder.

      Battling the ache of tears, Alexa looked at the girl. Marwey stared into her eyes and frowned. Then, slowly, an image took shape in Alexa’s mind—a rocky coast with a gray-green ocean frothing spume. She closed her eyes and turned her head away.

      Alexa drifted and listened to the cadences of the voices around her. Just from pitch she seemed able to differentiate the classes. Thealia’s and Marwey’s tones were lower, more decisive than those of some of the other women, whom Alexa had pegged as servants.

      She wasn’t sure what she thought of servants, or dealing with them. She and Sophie hadn’t even had a secretary to call their own, let alone a receptionist or legal assistant. Tears stuck in her throat again at the memory of her good friend. Or maybe it was just all the changes she’d been through in a few hours—less than a day. God! Self-pity and sentiment were overwhelming her and she wanted to bawl her eyes out. Here in the pool would be fine if she were alone. She sniffled.

      “Alyeka.” Thealia sounded soothing too, and near.

      Alexa sighed and opened her eyelids. She was pretty sure the Lladranans would never get her name right.

      Swordmarshall Thealia held two goblets in her hands. They looked like gold. Alexa bit her lip. Thealia smiled and sipped from one, then held the other out to Alexa. She took it and tried a tiny taste. Not too bad—very thick and heavy with spices.

      Thealia ostentatiously held up her glass, and Alexa got the idea she wanted to toast something. What? Anything the Swordmarshall thought was great, like Alexa’s advent here, wasn’t necessarily fabulous to her. She shrugged and little wavelets spread from her bare shoulders.

      The Swordmarshall scanned the room, and Alexa followed her gaze. Everyone held goblets, though only hers and Thealia’s were gold. A movement came from the dimness under a fancy, colorfully tiled cabinet. Alexa narrowed her eyes.

      “Viva Alyeka!” Thealia exclaimed. Her voice boomed off the tiles.

      Alexa jolted and turned to the woman.

      “Viva Alyeka!” the other women returned enthusiastically, and her name hit her ears several different ways.

      Alexa slipped. Thealia steadied her with one hand and clinked her goblet against Alexa’s with the other. Gazing at her over the edge, Thealia gulped down her drink.

      Alexa did the same. The brew slid across her tongue and down her throat, coating them like honey.

      Everyone else drank too. Thealia smiled benignly at Alexa, took her goblet and handed both to a nearby woman. Then she gripped Alexa firmly by the elbow, pulling her through the water to the steps.

      Bathtime’s over. Too bad. Alexa blinked and blinked again, a haze gathering over her eyes. Her mind dulled.

      Alexa!

      Alexa stopped at the top of the pool and peered around the room as she was patted dry with huge fluffy towels.

      It’s Sinafin, Alexa!

      Sinafin, the little fairy. Alexa’s lips curved in a goofy grin. She looked harder for the tiny pink being, swayed, and was held upright by several sets of hands.

      Alexa, think!

      Think? It was hard to think. How could she think with the gold-colored robe dropped over her head? She couldn’t see, could hardly breathe.

      Her head popped through the neckline and she craned to find the fairy.

      I’m not a fairy now, only in your dreams.

      Did that make any sense? No. Nothing in the past twenty-four hours made any sense. Alexa frowned, started forward and stumbled.

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