The room was simple, much like my room in the palace, and for the first time since leaving, I was homesick. Sitting on the homespun quilt covering the single bed, I ran my hand over the stitching and exhaled. It was a welcome release, expelling all the worries snarled in the middle of my chest, but the relief was temporary. The moment silence crept back in my mind raced with tomorrows.

A gentle rap on the door saved me from my thoughts, and I cautiously made my way toward the door, pausing with my hand on the handle.

"Miss? Just checking if you'd like some hot bathwater," the woman on the other side called out.

"Thank you," I said, cracking the door, confirming it was just her, and then opening it wide and stepping back. "A hot bath sounds wonderful."

A quick swipe with a rag dipped in cold water stopped being effective days ago. Filth covered nearly every surface of my body. As she carried buckets of steaming water and poured them into the porcelain tub against the back wall, I resisted the urge to scratch the back of my neck and scalp. It was as if the mention of a bath suddenly made everything itch.

"You must have spent a hard couple of days on the road," the girl said. She stopped and pressed her hands to the middle of her back and stretched. "Did you come from the mountains? Lots of folks been coming down from the mountains saying the storm is gone. Did you ever think such a thing could happen?"

"It's unbelievable, isn't it?" I said, hoping to encourage her to keep talking without actually engaging in conversation. There was a fine line between getting information and giving it, and I was no expert on the matter.

"Right so. Some are saying it's the end times. After that business we're hearing about in Friedesh, but them is just rumors." She dumped the last bucket into the tub and looked at me. Her pink eyes went wide. "Nothing to be afraid of. Didn't mean to frighten you. You went pale beneath all that di–You went pale."

I cleared my throat and forced a chuckle. "That's just my natural coloring. Pale. We haven't heard anything about Friedesh. What happened?"

"Well, I oughtn't to linger too long." She hesitated. "Unless you'd like help with your bath. Now and then we get a rare lady of breeding in here, and she likes help with her bath. You look every bit a lady to me."

Growing up in the palace ensured I wasn't a prude. I'd scrubbed more backs and breasts than the men could claim to have ever seen in a lifetime, but never had I had the luxury of the favor being returned. And with the grime coating me, it would be nice to have some help. Even better to have some useful gossip to share with the others later.

"That would be lovely," I replied, doing my best imitation of Astreia as I lifted my arms above my head to remove my top.

"Here, hand me your clothes and go on and get in. My name is Arna. Oh!"

Her eyes went wide when she saw the burns on my arm. Instinctively, I put my hand over the scars, though it couldn't cover them all, and hopped into the tub. Sinking low into the deliciously warm water, I let out another exhale, this one a cross between a sigh and one of the moans Tievel had pulled from me with his clever hands. Just remembering that turned me pink faster than the heat. Terrified my thoughts were on my face, I ducked beneath the water to hide.

"You have such interesting coloring," Arna said when I emerged, choosing to ignore my scars all together. She lathered soap in her hands before driving them into the tangled mess of my hair and filling my nose with the scent of orange blossoms and ginger. "Almost like the Araphel women."

"Araphel?" This wasn't the topic we needed to discuss, but she piqued my curiosity.

Arna's sturdy fingers slowed–no longer scrubbing but moving in soothing circles. "Oof, sorry. Living so close to the Crystal Sea means we get a lot of travelers passing through, and nearly every single one of them mentions the beautiful black-haired women of Araphel. Well, how beautiful they used to be. Ain't nobody seen them in a long time. Not since the war."

I mulled over her words. A village like this, situated between kingdoms and mostly untouched by the war, would see all types of elves come and go. To have ended up in the Vesper, I had to have traveled this way as a child. Perhaps even with my family.

"Did I offend you?" she asked. "Even though the Edreshians don't bother us much here, especially being so afraid of the Vesper, some folks don't want to be associated with the Araphel."

"No, no," I insisted, easing back into the tub. "I'm just tired and sore. I wasn't much of a rider before this journey, and my body is reminding me."

"I'll check with my Ma later this evening and see if she still has the Arnica cream she likes so much. Gets awful aches after years of carrying trays up and down these stairs, and it's the only thing that helps her."

"Thank you. So, your mother is the innkeeper?"

"She is. Me and my sisters work here. Juniper works the tables downstairs. Laurel runs the kitchen, and I am the mistress of the upstairs. Mostly cause I ain't got no business in the kitchen, and Ma says I'm too chatty for the tables, though sometimes I work them in a pinch. Why, just last night I had to help, and I met the most delicious stranger."

"Oh," I said, not really interested. She was now scrubbing my back, and my eyes grew heavy with every stroke.

"Course, he was an odd fellow. All but his eyes were covered, and they were unlike any eyes I've ever seen before." She paused and clicked her tongue as she searched for words. "Like a glass of bourbon. Caught a glimpse of tattoos on his arms when he left. Silver and black. Laurel said she thinks he's a pirate or maybe one of the outlaws who lives on the border."

My knuckles whitened as I gripped the edge of the tub. With such a description, there could be no doubt that it was the Reaper, but the how and why escaped me. He was supposed to be rushing to be searching for answers, not eating dinner at the local inn and seducing its barmaids. I thought the last bit on with a sour twist of my lips.

Arna droned on about the Reaper, sticking mostly to superficial tidbits like the odd lilting accent or the almost boyish charm he wielded. Only when it suited him, apparently. Was it a coincidence we ended up stopping at the same inn as him? It's not like there were many to choose from.

"I invited him upstairs," she said as she dumped water over my shoulders.

"Oh?" I stretched a long leg out of the tub and ran my fingers up the limb, digging into the tired muscles as I stretched my toes, doing my best to appear disinterested.

"Oh my. Look at me. Bout to be inappropriate. You don't want to be hearing such lewdness."

She grabbed a towel from the warming box she'd carried in and held it out to me. Grudgingly, I stood and wrapped myself in the heated material and then sighed in bliss. The fluffy cocoon was almost better than the water, and my eyes grew heavy as she buffed away the water droplets.

"So, did anything happen between you and the stranger?" I pressed once I'd dressed and settled myself on the edge of the bed.

I only asked because it was wise to know everything I could about the enemy. And despite our bargain, the Reaper was still my enemy. It would do well to remember that he would be the one to end Tievel's life the day I Sang—not me.

Arna gathered her things and blushed. "Like I said. I ought not be talking about such things with a guest. Especially a lady who asked for a separate bedroom."

Her words stung despite there being no censure in her tone. She hadn't called me a prude, but it felt like it. It was tempting to tell her about the night in the tent, but just remembering how Tievel's body had covered my own while his fingers worked between my legs was enough to turn me redder than Arna.

Maybe I was a prude? Surely, that's what the prince thought about me after refusing to share a room with him. Or worse, he thought me a tease.

"Things are complicated," I admitted at last. "But if you heard the things my friends talked about, you would know there is very little I haven't heard before."

"Well, alright then. I invited him up and–"

"Arna! Daft girl, where are you?"

"That's my Ma." She blanched and snatched her things. Sticking her head out the door, she shouted down the stairs. "Coming."

When she turned to me to apologize, I silenced her with a raised finger. "Don't worry about it. I've kept you too long. Please see the gentleman I came in with about a tip. I truly feel indescribably better."

Tossing me a grateful smile, she rushed out of the room in a clamor of clinking buckets. I could hear the sounds from downstairs. Good natured chatter and singing, as well as the tinkling of utensils against plates and the thump of tankards hitting wooden tabletops. The savory scents of dinner slipped under the door, but despite the less than stellar food consumed during our travels, it did not tempt me to go downstairs and eat.

Eventually, I would have to. If only to ensure Tievel didn't get too deep in his cups. He'd downed the first order like it was water. Sobriety was new to the prince. A few weeks ago, I would have called him an addict, but now, seeing how easily he went without, I wondered if his indulgences were more about image than dependency. But considering I was responsible for the sour mood which drove him to drink tonight, I didn't want to test my theory by remaining absent. A hungover prince would not be a pleasant companion.

But for now... I leaned back in the bed and closed my eyes. Damp hair curled around my cheeks and the robe felt like silk against my clean skin. I wanted to enjoy this for a few moments longer.

When my eyes opened again, the room was nearly dark. Only the blue glow of starlight piercing the filmy curtains over the window broke up the black. I sat up slowly, rubbing drool from cheek and froze as something scraped across the floor.

A calloused, stinking palm smashed over my nose and mouth, stopping the words I'd been about to say. Blood pooled on my tongue as a tooth sliced into my bottom lip, and another set of hands pressed my body back onto the bed. At first, I struggled, but the twisting movements loosened the tie on my robe, and the rush of cool air between breasts warned me I would soon be completely exposed.

"How bout that, Jol?" the man holding my mouth said to his companion, presumably the man pinning my shoulders against the mattress. "She gave up pretty easily."

"It's cause she wants what's coming, Brun," Jol replied, sliding a palm nearly as rough as Brun's down my collarbone and over my breast. He flicked a nipple with his thumb and grinned when it hardened. "I s'pected she was a slut when she walked through the door."

Brun straddled me, one knee forcing my legs open. He kept his hand over my mouth while he undid his belt buckle. The whisper of the leather sliding from its loops sent a chill down my spine and almost spurred me to struggle again. But in this position, it would only excite him further, grinding my intimate parts against his.

If I could free my hands, I could freeze or burn him, but Jol pressed my palms into the bed. Between the two of them, I saw no way out and only hoped my lack of fight would make me seem a boring conquest. Tears seared my face as they rolled over my lashes. Not even surrounded by murdering beasts had I felt so helpless.

Brun grunted as he shifted on top of me, and against my better judgment, I looked down to see him stroking himself. His appendage was flaccid in his meaty palm, but when he caught my eye on him, it twitched and hardened.

"Having a bit of a problem," Jol teased. He had climbed on the bed and put a knee on either side of my head. Jutting his hips forward, I could tell he was not suffering from the same issues as his partner, and I prayed they didn't switch places.

"They usually struggle," Brun said, redoubling his efforts. "Make her watch me. That helped."

I couldn't help it. When Jol jerked my head down and jammed his thumbs into my eyes to keep the lids open, I whipped my head back and forth in a vain attempt to stop him.

"That's it." The bed shook with Brun's movements. He released my mouth and gripped my thigh hard enough to bruise. "Already naked. Like she was waiting for us."

His heat was between my legs, nudging where no man had ever been before, and I opened my mouth to scream. I could not lie here placidly after all. Not while they violated me.

Ice rushed down my limbs, and I vaguely registered a shocked yelp. I was so cold. Everywhere except for the center of my chest. There, a blistering note swelled, expanding into my throat and stomach. I could not move my head, but I imagined I was a grotesque sight of frost and darkness.

Still, it was nothing compared to the rancid essence of Brun's soul as it sank into me.

"What in all the Realms are you?" Jol shouted, scrambling off me.

I shot upright, gripping Brun's throat hard enough that my nails sank deep into his flesh, beyond the surface level of his skin and into the tissue. White crystals blossomed beneath my fingers, freezing the blood welling up from the wounds.

"Please," he gurgled, flailing weakly against my hold.

"If I had begged, would you have stopped?" The voice coming from my mouth sounded nothing like me, each word reverberating with power.

"Yes," he shouted.

"Liar."

The Song burst forth, notes rising and falling, and all of them pulling on his soul. I hated every sour bit that I consumed. There was no power there. Nothing of value, but I did not stop Singing until everything that made him Brun was devoured. Then I released him and watched with unveiled elation as he toppled to the floor.

"You vile bitch," Jol screamed, charging at me with a knife in his hand.

My eyelids fluttered closed, all my strength gone from the effort it took to subdue Brun, but it didn't matter. This was a death I could accept. Quick and without violation, but it never came. A liquid hotter than my tears splattered across my face.

Breathing raggedly, I rolled off the side of the bed and retched onto the hardwood floors. Flames roared in the fireplace, filling the room with light, but I shrank away from them as I heaved again. All the darkness in the room had rushed inside me and now squatted in my chest. I felt filthier than I had before my bath.

"Morana." Gentle hands pulled my hair from my face and smoothed my brow. It reminded me of the moment outside of Friedesh.

"Rea- Tievel," I gasped when I saw the prince kneeling at my side. His blue eyes were filled with worry and barely restrained rage. I threw myself into his arms with a sob. "Tievel. I'm so sorry."

He rubbed soothing circles on my back. "What do you have to be sorry about?"

Hiccupping, I buried my nose into his shirt. "I don't know. I don't know. If I hadn't pushed you away, I wouldn't have ended up in this predicament."

"Look at me." He tipped my chin upward. "Don't you dare act like this is your fault. Ever. They were sick, depraved men who got what they deserved."

I nodded, twisting to look at the bed to see exactly what it was they'd deserved. Brun was slumped across the floor, facedown, his bare ass jutting up in the air. Jol hung halfway off the bed and sported a deep cut across his throat. I pressed my fingers to my cheeks. Blood. His blood, not mine. It was enough to make me want to throw up again. Tievel cupped my cheek and forced me to look away. He gently cleaned the blood from my face with the end of his shirt.

"I didn't think of heating the blade until after I killed him," he admitted. "I wasn't thinking much of anything when I walked in here. Other than to kill them and make sure you were okay, but it seems like you were handling things well enough."

"Thank you," I said again, throwing my arms around his neck. "I couldn't summon the strength to stop Jol. If you hadn't come, I would be dead."

His arms slid under my knees, and he lifted me from the floor, cradling me against his chest as if I were going to shatter into a million pieces. I wasn't certain I wouldn't. Even in the safety of his arms, I couldn't banish the hateful smell of my attackers' unwashed bodies or the feel of their rough skin against mine.

"Let's get you another room," he whispered. "We can tell them Astreia and Yoko got into a fight and wanted a separate space. We'll be gone before they check this one in the morning."

"No."

He tensed against me. "You can't think of staying there."

"No," I repeated, curling my arms around him even tighter as I trembled. There was no way I could stay alone. Not tonight. Maybe never again. "I want to stay with you."

"Are you sure?" he asked. A lock of hair fell into his eyes as he looked down at me and an almost sheepish grin curled his lips. "I was planning on sleeping outside your door."

"I'm certain, though I expected nothing less."

His bed was twice the size of the one in my room, and it was still warm from the heat of his body as he slid me between the covers. Using the covers to shield myself, I peeled off the robe and threw it across the room. Brun's blood splattered the downy white surface, and I would burn it tomorrow.

Tievel's Adam's apple jumped as he swallowed, and he handed me one of his extra shirts, turning his back to give me a bit of privacy. Once it was on, I laid down and patted the place beside me, grateful what had just transpired had not made me fearful of the prince.

But he hesitated before getting into bed. Propped on an elbow, I frowned at him, and patted the bed again. Finally, he turned back the covers and crawled in beside me, doing his very best to avoid contact. Then he drew in a shuddering breath and put a fist over his mouth.

"Tievel?"

"I want to bring them back from the dead so I can kill them again," he hissed, the first tear falling from the corner of his eye. "And again and again. I wish they were High Elves so they would heal, and I could make them suffer for eternity."

I wanted that too. It scared me how badly I wanted that. Even worse, I wanted to Sing and rip their souls from their bodies, destroying their very essence. There would be no afterlife for them; they would just cease to exist.

"Did he... Did he..."

Twice more he tried to ask, and I touched his shoulder. Shaking my head, I answered, "No. You got there in time. Would it have mattered? To you?"

"No." The single syllable was harsh as he rolled to his side and took my hand in his. "Only because of what it would do to you. Something like that changes a person. I would know."

His admission startled me, but as much as I wanted to pry, I could see even mentioning it had cost the prince something great. With nothing left to say, I let him draw me into his embrace. The steady thud of his heart matched my own—a reminder of how we completed one another.