Chapter 7
Orion's gaze shifted. "Edward Sterling is your father?"
"Yeah," I replied.
He let out a mocking grin.
"You're the Lightwarden's daughter, but look at the mess you've made of yourself." He stared at me. "Does your old man care?"
"Nope," I said.
He was quiet for a moment. "No wonder."
He didn't spell it out, but I got it.
I fetched a basin of water and set it by the bed.
He glanced at it but didn't say a word. I wrung out the towel and started wiping his face. He tried to turn away, but I grabbed his chin and held him still.
"Don't move," I told him.
"You..." He struggled, the chains rattling, but he couldn't break free. The Miredust was still in effect.
I started at his forehead, wiped along his brow, over his temples, and finally down to his cheeks.
His skin was smooth, and the towel left a damp mark wherever I wiped.
Once his face was clean, I rinsed the towel and began wiping his hands.
His fingers were long, with well-defined knuckles and neatly trimmed nails.
I wiped each finger one by one, and when I reached his fingertips, he curled his fingers a bit.
"Are you done yet?" His voice came out tense.
"Nope," I said.
I unbuttoned his collar. He went stiff all over.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"Wiping you down," I said.
"I don't need it," he said.
"If you don't get wiped down after sweating, you'll feel uncomfortable," I said.
"I'm not uncomfortable," he shot back.
"I'm the one who's uncomfortable," I replied.
He looked at me like I was completely impossible to understand.
I ignored him, slid the towel inside his shirt, wiping over his collarbone and down his chest.
His breathing grew ragged, his chest rising and falling, the chains rattling softly.
"Lydia," he called my name, his voice so low it sounded like he had to force it out.
"Yeah," I replied.
"You'll regret this," he said.
"I won't," I shot back.
I rolled him over and began wiping his back.
His shoulder blades were prominent, his waist slender. I took my time, wiping him slowly, inch by inch, from his shoulder blades down to his waist.
He was lying face down, his face buried in the pillow, silent.
The chains dangled on either side, swaying lazily.
Once I was done, I fixed his clothes and pulled the blanket up over him.
"All done," I said.
He didn't move. His face was still buried in the pillow. I reached out and gently brushed the hair at the back of his head.
"If you behave, I'll be nice to you," I said.
He tensed up, but didn't say anything.
I stood up, picked up the basin, and walked to the door.
I glanced back at him. He was still lying face down, hair spilling across the pillow, the tips of his ears still red. Maybe he was mad, maybe just embarrassed. Hard to say.
*****
That afternoon, Sophia came by.
She knocked on the door while I was combing Orion's hair.
His hair was long, spread out on the pillow. I took my time, gently working the comb through from root to tip, smoothing out every strand.
Orion kept his eyes shut, ignoring me and not even trying to dodge. The only time he reacted was when the comb brushed against his ear. His lashes flickered a bit.
"Lydia," Sophia's voice called from outside the door.
I froze. Orion opened his eyes and looked at me.
I glanced at him, set the comb down, and stood up.
"Don't make a sound. If we get caught, no doubt you'll be the first to die," I said.
He didn't answer.
I stepped out of the secret room and closed the screen behind me. I walked to the door and opened it just a crack.
Sophia stood outside in a pale blue dress, her hair neatly pinned up. She had her sword in one hand.
"Lydia, I haven't seen you out and about for days, so I came to check on you," she said.
"I'm fine," I said, leaning against the doorframe. "Just don't feel like going out."
She glanced inside.
I leaned over to block her view. "The room's a mess."
She nodded and didn't press.
Lucas stood behind her, his clothes as white as snow, holding his sword.
"Lydia," he said, his voice gentle. "What have you been up to these days? You've been pretty scarce."
"Nothing much. Just been resting, feeling a bit worn out," I replied.
Sophia glanced at Lucas, then turned back to me. "Things with the Shadow Sect are pretty much settled. We just got back from the front lines.
"The others said you've been staying in your room since you returned, so I figured I'd drop by and check on you."
"What happened over there?" I asked.
"Most of the Shadow Sect members were captured. The ones who resisted..." She paused. "They were executed right then and there."
"What about the Grandmaster?" I asked, trying to sound casual.
"Missing," Sophia said, shaking her head. "Some say he escaped, others claim he's dead. We've been searching for days, but no luck. Still, there's something strange about all this."
"What?" I asked.
"The Shadow Sect's elders and other guardians are missing. It's like they got wind of something and pulled out ahead of time, almost as if they knew what was coming and left before anyone else," Sophia said.
She looked at me. "Be careful when you head out. Even though the Shadow Sect's been broken up, there are still some leftovers lurking around."
"Okay," I replied.
"Oh, and one more thing," she said, hesitating. "Master's been asking about you. If you get a chance, go see him."