The steaming water of the bathtub, into which the healers had meticulously crushed balsamic herbs and poured intoxicating, heavy oils, swirled around us. It was a thick, fragrant brew designed to draw the pain from bruised limbs, and slowly, very slowly, it began to wash away the acrid, cloying scent of dust and blood that clung to our skin from the battle. Yet, while the grime of war dissolved into the water, the tension hanging heavy in the humid air refused to lift. It remained suspended around us, a palpable static charge that made the fine hairs on my arms stand on end.Nathan sat behind me, his presence encompassing my world. His massive body formed a protective cage, a fortress of muscle and heat that almost completely surrounded me. His legs extended on either side of my hips, resting heavily at the bottom of the tub, boxing me in. I could feel the water shifting against my back, displaced by the dull, rhythmic movement of his wings. They were cramped in this space, the
Last Updated : 2025-12-31 Read more