I carried the linens inside without looking back again.By the time I’d finished laying them out in the guest rooms, my cheek had stopped throbbing and settled into a dull heat. The rest of my body still ached from yesterday’s work and from the phantom pain of a death that technically hadn’t happened yet.It didn’t matter. In Bloodthorn, work didn’t stop because your soul was tired.“Aria!”Madam Hest, the head of servants, stuck her head out of the laundry room, grey hair coming loose from her bun. Her lip curled when she saw me.“Training grounds,” she barked. “Before the warriors start snapping at us. Towels, water, move.”“Yes, Madam,” I said.She thrust a stack of rough towels into my arms and jerked her head at the back door. A wooden yoke leaned against the wall beside two heavy water buckets.I slid my arms through the yoke and hefted it onto my shoulders, muscles complaining. The weight bit down across my collarbones, the buckets sloshing cold against my calves as I walked.T
Last Updated : 2025-12-03 Read more