Page 136 of Reaper's Quest

Even though the thought immediately bloomed in my head, I couldn’t get my mouth to comply with vocalizing it.

“I’ll see you soon.” Winter pressed a kiss to my temple, squeezed my arm, and strode into the depths of the palace.

Lady’s maid Tara led me through endless hallways to a room and attached washroom where I could clean up. She ushered me straight through the ornate bedchamber to the bath.

She turned on the water?glorious running water?and began to fill the tub. Steam rose from the water’s surface as she added foaming soap, scented salt, and lavender.

She placed fresh towels beside the tub then turned to me. “My lady, may I help you disrobe?”

Still don’t need a maid. And definitely don’t need one undressingme.

I rubbed my arm and wished the burn of the current reaping task would lessen, because…the underworld waited on Tara’s overdue soul. I’d welcome some distance from the assignment. Lots and lots of distance.

I shifted my gaze from her awaiting form to the door and back again. “Would you mind stepping into the bedroom for a moment?”

“My lady?” She tilted her head, a blatant blink of confusion washing over her face.

“Would you?” I raised my hand, motioning to the door. “Step into the bedroom?”

“Of course.” She bowed her head then straightened and stepped out of the washroom.

I closed and locked the door. Called to the maid on the other side. “Thank you, but I have never needed help taking care of myself. I can handle everything from here.”

“But, my lady”?she banged on the door?“the prince will be most displeased.”

The prince. Winter.

I tuned out her protests and busied myself cleaning the filth from my skin, taking extra time to soak my hands in warm-to-hot water. Instead of warming my flesh, I only managed to cool the water that much more quickly. I breathed on my fingers and rubbed my hands together, thawing my fingers a fraction.

At some point during my warming and cleaning process, I detected the click of a door in the chamber beyond. I either had a visitor or the lady’s maid had left. I hoped?hoped hoped hoped?for the latter.

Once clean and dry, and redressed in my soiled clothing, I unlocked and opened the washroom door. An inviting bedstacked with fluffy pillows and a maid-free bedchamber greeted me. As I’d expected, given that the sting of the reaping task had all but vanished.

Covering my mouth against a yawn, I shuffled across the room, pulled the blanket free of the bed, and wrapped myself tight. Within seconds, I lay curled up on the bed with my eyes closed, quickly slipping into unconsciousness.

Dreams of a reaping wraith surrounded by the fires of Hell filled my thoughts. And when I had awoken, freshened up, and properly prepped for the predesignated time of the prince’s intended collection, my dance with death’s sweet oblivion hadn’t lasted nearly long enough.

A knock on the door announced Winter’s arrival. He let himself in. “Sorry I’m late. Valen wasted much of my time with his ceaseless inquiries.”

“Inquiries about me?”

Winter flashed his pearly smile and offered his arm.

The questions were definitely about me. I probably have as many questions about him as he had about me. After all…a reaper working as a palace healer?

I accepted Winter’s arm and followed his lead. We strode through the palace, servants and guards bowing their heads as we passed. Overdue reaping tasks stung my arm?there and gone?but I ignored the names and instead found myself sneaking peeks at everyone’s ears, trying to determine who was fae and who was not.

Countless hallways and turns deposited us before a grandiose entrance.

“Your Highness,” two fae guards said in unison and opened the double doors.

They stepped aside and bowed.

Winter tugged me forward. “Are you ready to meet my grandmother?”

By grandmother, did he mean the queen? “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

He tugged me tighter to his side and whispered in my ear, “You’ll do fine.”