Page 117 of These Fractured Bonds

He hopped to his feet and pulled her along, almost running outside. Her surroundings flashed by—she hadn’t left her room outside of going to and from the arena—but he moved them too quickly for her to take it in, and she soon lost track of the turns and staircases they took. They burst through a set of doors, arriving at a quiet cobblestone street. Fae were already out, ambling to their destinations as the city awoke with the dark. A few turned to look at them, and she instinctively made herself small, placing herself slightly behind Leo.

He glanced at her, then tugged her forward.

“Don’t hide. You’ve earned their respect,” he said. “Besides, what does it matter if they see you?”

She bit her lip, having no answer for him. The anxiety had been sudden, as if it were a drop in her blood pressure. With his encouragement, she set her shoulders back, raised her head, and walked alongside him. He squeezed her hand and pulled her closer, knocking her into his side. His warmth lulled her into a sense of security, and she found herself leaning into him without embarrassment. They left the residential area, entering a market street where vendors opened shop, and although the sun had fully set, the streets were well illuminated by the lampposts.

“Are any other courts nocturnal?” she asked.

“No, the Fire Court alone prefers the dark.”

“So, it’s the dark they like, not the moon?”

“Curiously, they follow the dark and not the night. Rising earlier during the winter months but later during the summer.”

“That sounds like it could be really inconvenient.”

“Inconvenience is but a test to resiliency, or so they say. I think they like pretending they’re tougher than the rest of us.”

They stopped, letting a patrol walk by; the soldiers paid them no mind, laughing with one another with an ease that matched the city’s relaxed airs. It was as though the festival had devoured their excess energy and spat out contentment. Everyone moved with looser shoulders and smiles. Another large group, wearing dark brown cloaks, passed by.

“Students at their military academy,” Leo explained. “Most active military members attend further education courses throughout their service, swapping between school terms and active duty.”

She hummed in interest. Leo was a walking encyclopedia, easily distracted by posed questions, but she greatly enjoyed his company, taking in the new information like a sponge. Theycontinued walking, entering the craftsman's district next; the temperature spiked, the blacksmiths’ furnaces already smoking. Hammering filled the air.

“Where are we headed?” she finally asked.

“It’s a secret.”

“It’s always a surprise. Come on, tell me,” she said, pouting.

“How about a hint? It’s somewhere hot.”

“We’re in theFirecourt, isn’t everything here hot?”

“A generalization,” he replied, clicking his tongue. “They do, in fact, enjoy the cold too, and for good reason. You’ll see once we arrive. We’re almost there.”

She scrunched her nose; her dislike of surprises had remained the same. Okay, so maybe she didn’t always enjoy him spewing facts at her, but she bore with it. They arrived at a wide building that spanned half the street, its massive chimneys spouting smoke into the air. Large windows displayed an empty waiting room filled with a variety of plants. Its name was engraved into the stone in Izmarian above the door. She recognized the word for rock, but Leo pulled her inside before she could ask its name.

The first thing she noticed was the humidity, then the strong smell of sulfur. Leo strode them up to the receptionist and spoke in fast Izmarian. Her curiosity was piqued; it was not often Leo spoke in Izmarian. The answer came to her like a gentle wave landing upon the shore. It was a hot spring. The receptionist handed Leo a wooden slab and gestured for them to enter the door to the right. The excitement in Leo’s eyes was contagious, and anticipation bubbled in her chest.

A staircase greeted them, and they made their way down, the sulfur smell increasingly stronger the deeper they went. Yareli relaxed further, so much so that she was almost giddy. In one smooth motion, Leo spun, sweeping her off her feet and carrying her. She yelped, laughing as he ran down the stairs. They arrivedat a long hallway, and Leo took them to the furthest door at the end.

“Wait,” she exclaimed. “I don’t have a bathing suit.”

He set her down on the floor, tapping his finger to her nose. “It’s not a problem.” He opened the door, revealing two adjacent doors. “I’ll go on the left, you go on the right. See ya on the other side.”

She shook her head and walked through the door. It was a changing room with a shelf full of linens. She searched through them for a bathing suit, but found none. Panic rose through her; did he intend for them to enter the hot spring naked? It was much too sudden. She sighed in relief when she found something akin to a bathing suit—a slip of white cloth that went over her head like a dress. She rinsed quickly in a small shower area before she dressed.

A red curtain fluttered nearby, and she pushed through it, gasping at the wide, round room. Steam rose constantly from the hot spring, reflecting off the faerie lights that floated in the air. Scattered around the pool were rocks of varying sizes. Leo was nowhere in sight. She sat on one of the larger ones, dipping her toe in and hissing at the temperature.

“Keep it in. You’ll want to enter slowly.”

Leo appeared from behind a rock on her left, already chest deep in the water, and she was glad for the heat; it hid the blush on her cheeks. She became aware of her dress’s thin fabric, crossing her arms over her chest. He waded over, his face flushed from the hot water. He met her eyes, and taking hold of her foot, guided it into the water. It was strangely intimate. She couldn’t look away. When she didn’t protest, he slid his hands higher onto her calf, drawing her leg farther in.

“Put your other foot in,” he instructed, his voice softer than she had ever heard.

She listened, no longer sensitive to the water’s temperature, consumed by his touch. Her breath hitched as his hands traveled higher up her legs, trailing goose bumps across her skin. He let go briefly to grab her waist, holding her.