Page 83 of Their Fierce Little Monster

Insy nudges me, giggling, drawing me back from my thoughts. We emerge from a gate manned by two more guards, and they take us through double doors.

“Is this it?” I whisper to Insy.

She nods, grinning. “You need to book and pay for spots, but I wanted to thank you. Most people don’t even talk to me in the compound, and you’ve been so sweet to me. You’re my friend now,” she says proudly, which melts my heart, as I adore her already.

“I didn’t have many friends back in my village. Most feared me.” I shrug, thinking back to how I’d spent most of my time with either my adoptive parents or Kazak.

“That’s horribly sad,” Insy says, leaning in closer to me. “Especially since you’re the nicest person I’ve ever met.”

“Many people are afraid of anything different,” I say just as we step through the doors and enter an enormous open courtyard with manicured gardens and shrubs trimmed into shapes of animals I don’t recognize. But it’s still captivating, especially the arrangement of colored flowers displayed in patterns of butterflies and birds. “This is beautiful.”

We’re led along a stone path and eventually arrive in an area with at least a dozen pools. They come in different sizes and shapes, decorated with large rocks and lush greenery that border the edges. It resembles a hidden pond in a woodland, with steam that wisps up from the water’s surface. The air also carries a strong earthy smell.

“The water is heated groundwater and rises from beneath the ground’s surface. The baths are believed to offer healing therapy as a cure-all remedy,” Insy explains. “I once fell over and scraped my knees. Two sessions in these pools and they healed.”

“Wow. Well, I’m ready.”

“Good. Now, up ahead are the changing rooms, and here”—she hands me a small bag—“this is what you need to wear. Once you’re changed, select any pool.”

I hug her instantly. “You’re the best.”

“And you’re safe here. It’s guarded. Enjoy.” Then she waves and hurries back the way we came.

Never in my life have I experienced such a phenomenon, and I could do with some relaxation, especially if we’re meeting the king later today. The Gamemaster makes me tense every time he looks at me, so I make my way to the changing rooms and start pulling things out of the bag. A white towel and… wait… I stare at pink fabric-like ropes and some fabric patches.

“What is this?” It takes me several moments to flip them around to finally see that one sits over my breasts with two small strips of material. And then there’s a bottom part with only a tiny strip for my girl parts, but nothing for my ass. No one should be wearing this in public.

But I figure if Insy got it for me, I need to give the baths a try. I strip off my clothes and put the outfit on. I glance down at myself, and I might as well be naked.

“Is this what people wear here?” Quickly, I grab the towel and wrap it around myself to head out.

The area is mostly empty aside from guards in the distance at the entry door and a woman in a pink dress and apron running around with a bundle of towels in her arms. No one is in any of the pools, so I meander as far into the corner as I can to a pool that seems tucked away. A set of steps descends into the bath of light blue water, which is easily big enough for ten people. Steam rises from it and looks so inviting. I drop my towel quickly, then rush in.

The hot water relaxes me instantly, my shoulders lowering, muscles unfurling. For a moment, nothing else exists but me in this pool. I move in deeper until the water reaches my collarbones. It’s a rather deep pool, and I’m in love. Bonus—it has healing properties, so it can help with the ache between my thighs.

Water suddenly splashes against my back.

I whip around, unsure what to expect, but I cop a face full of water. “Gah.” I frantically rub at my eyes. Then I open them and see Lian dipping into my pool. Wait, is he completely naked? Because I swear I saw something big!

“Oh Gods, Lian, are you naked?”

He glides toward me with a huge smirk, just his head sticking out of the water. “It’s a pool requirement.”

“Shut up, it’s not.” I assume as much, considering Insy provided me with something to wear.

“Go read the sign by the main gate. I’ll wait.” He circles me, mist floating between us, making the water blurry, so it’s impossible to see him completely.

I twist and tilt sideways to see past the pool, except we’re too tucked away to view anything else. “I’ll check later,” I say.

When I face him, he’s positioned himself on a side ledge inside the pool, lounging back, the water lapping at his chest. My gaze goes to his cut, which now blushes a deep red.

“Shit, your wound looks worse. I really think it’s infected,” I say, sliding over to him for a better look. “It’s nasty.”

He stares down at it, his fingers patting around it, then he lifts his gaze. “It’s why I’m here. Insy came to give me a pass for my injury.”

I stiffen. “Really? Insy sent you here?” I narrow my gaze because she did this on purpose, didn’t she? She’s cheeky.

“She wants us together, as she saw how much Eve went all love-crazy over Corvin. And she didn’t want us to be alone. But fuck, did you see how obsessed Eve was with Corvin? I think she might go all serial killer on him.”