6. Chapter 6- Nyx

Iknow this isn't my tower even before I open my eyes. My body is softly encased in a thick mattress and silky sheets. This is a luxury that only the Royals or Keryth can afford. And if the softness of it didn't count as a factor, then the smell would.

The air, the mattress, and every scent that comes to my nose are clean and refreshing…except for me. That smell is the only one I recognize.

"I know you are awake," the familiar deep baritone comes from somewhere too close.

Memories come forward, closely followed by the female's words: It seems you now own a pet.

My eyes spring open, and I roll off the bed away from that voice.

I quickly look for an exit and the two large windows immediately grab my attention. They span from the vaulted ceilings down to benches covered in thick pillows and furry blankets. They don't look like they open, but glass can still break. It will be tricky, with the iron bars that are meant to be decorative while holding the smaller panes in place, but I believe I am malnourished enough to slip through. I just need to see how high we are because the castle of the Royals is the only place in this cursed city made of stone.

"I wouldn't if I were you. It's much higher than back at the Inn," he taunts.

"Then another way will be found. I am no one's pet," I seethe.

"You have been murdering Keryth. Did you believe that there would be no repercussions?" He moves around the bed, but I quickly step into a defensive stance, readying to fight my way out or until he kills me. He must sense it because he pauses. "You now belong to me. As Prince, it is my duty to seek out justice."

My lungs and muscles stop working. The only thing in my being that is not frozen is my pounding heart.

"Prince?" I whisper.

"Yes, Prince, Little Thief," he says with a bright smile that screams self-satisfaction. He is enjoying the fact that he shocked me.

The male with the hat and the man with red hair and glasses are one and the same.

The Prince of the Keryth.

My enemy.

"Your title does not affect me. Those Keryth—" I grit out the title, not hiding any of my disgust at the thought of them, "—were killing people. They kidnapped them. Would do unimaginable things and often drain them dry. Do you honestly believe there would be no repercussions?" I throw back at him.

"That is not your place—"

"Then who?" I yell, not caring that he is stalking toward me. I am too angry to think about self-preservation. "You? The other Royals? Other Keryth? No. One. Cared!"

"But you did?" He smiles down at me. His glasses slightly fall down his nose, and everything in me screams to break them…and his teeth.

"Yes," I growl.

His hand shoots out quickly and wraps around my neck. I grab onto his arm, despite knowing that with a slight flick of his wrist, he could crush my windpipe. My small, weak, underfed muscles could never take him in a hand-to-hand fight. I need to be stealthy and catch him off-guard if I truly wish to do harm. And I do.

"You are now mine to do with as I please until you work off your crimes."

"Murder is punishable by death," I strain to say with the bit of air he is allowing into my lungs.

"Good thing I am immortal. I can ensure your sentence will be fulfilled." That is what he thinks. "Especially after what you left behind at the house I picked you up from." He lets me go and walks toward the door. "Bathe and change. I will be back to get you for dinner."

"Kill me!" I scream in desperation. I cannot go through this again. I cannot be owned again! But he doesn't answer. He only shuts the door and locks me in. "Kill me! Please. Just Kill me!" I bang on the door, but he still doesn't answer my pleas. "Killmekillmekillmekillmekillme!" I panic.

Air is hard to take in, and my lungs scream with my effort to fill them. I stop pounding on the door and close my eyes. I can't get anywhere or do anything if I am not in my right mind. Taking deep breaths, I allow my heart to return to its natural rhythm and control the chaos before it takes over my mind.

"You are not a pet. This will NOT be the same as last time. HE cannot hurt me here." I repeat it a few times until I can finally open my eyes without them burning from the unshed tears.

Now that I am back in complete control, I swiftly turn to the windows, and to my dismay, the asshole was correct. We are over three stories high. Even higher than my home. He has placed me in the tallest tower of the castle. The one that stands strong above the entire city, giving me an unobstructed view of the forest of vines that stretch to blend in with the horizon.

"So, the vines are not a wall after all," I breathe in disbelief. I look back down at the distance to the ground and groan. "I am so fucked!"

Not knowing what else to do, I explore the room. There isn't much furniture, but it all seems to work with the room's exceptional size and round shape. The bed is pushed against the wall, and the headboard is carved to fit snuggly against it.

Beside me is a large fireplace that looks to be carved out of gray stone. It has two deep red overstuffed chairs on either side and a small matching couch directly in front of it. There is the door he left through and another thinner one to the right of the bed.

I slowly open the door to find a smaller room roughly the same size as my tower. But this one is colored with the suns' warmth glowing off the pale stone walls, the floor is smooth dark wood, and the window is just as large as the ones in the bedroom. But instead of a bench at its base, there stands a large tub. I haven't seen one since before my captivity. But this one has some strange metal vines hanging over the edge of it and disappearing into the floor.

That isn't even the most bizarre thing. On the furthest wall stands a contraption that looks to be made from the same stone as the giant tub. But this one resembles a seat of some kind. I don't understand what any of it is.

Weirded by the whole thing, I shut the door and flop back onto the bed.

"I have to find a way out."

Suddenly, the door is thrown open, and the female with onyx skin saunters in without a care in the world. Her voluptuous curves make me jealous for several reasons that I am not ready to look at too closely yet. This is not the place for self-reflection.

"You didn't bathe." Her deep brown eyes scan me from head to toe.

"No one brought me water," I shrug, sitting up.

"Why would we bring you water?" her thick brow raises as she crosses her arms over her chest. "There is a perfectly good working tub in the bathing-room."

"Working tub?"

"A—oh, right. Come on. I will show you." She waves her hand to get me to follow her.

I hesitate to do so, but I need to watch my capturers carefully. I need to pick out their weaknesses and strengths and then use them to form an effective plan to use against them.

Slowly, I step into the room and watch as she twists a few knobs on the metal vines where water flows out. And to my surprise, it is clear. Not the murky brown stuff that Reckless and Forsaken are used to. I am unsure if the Dutiful also get this rare luxury or if they, too, must deal with whatever it is they have been giving us.

"These supply the water," she says, running her hand under the pristine liquid.

"And what is that?" I wince, pointing at the weird object on the other wall. I hate feeling stupid, but it is no one but the Keryths' fault for keeping the Elani so na?ve. And when you have lived on the streets or in a cell most of your life, you don't exactly get to see these kinds of things daily.

"That is a toilet. You sit on it, do your business, and then once finished, you pull that cord on the wall, and water pushes the waste down the pipes." Her voice is soft and understanding, but it just fuels my anger even more.

"Are you telling me that Keryth have had these things all along? And instead of sharing this information with everyone, they continue to let everyone they deem lower suffer with chamber pots and standing tubs?" my voice rises with each word until I am viciously screaming at her.

"Unfortunately, yes," she winces.

"Get out!" I yell, pointing at the door.

"I cannot until you are bathed. Prince's orders," she says, finally standing to her feet. We are about the same height, but with her being a Keryth, her strength alone would be my undoing. I can't ‘make' her leave.

"I don't care about his stupid orders. I want you out!"

"What's all this, Tia?" a soft voice comes from behind me. I quickly turn to find another female whose skin is only a few shades lighter than the other, and her hair is styled in tight, bouncy black curls.

"Not now, Kaelin." The one whose name, I guess, is Tia, crosses her arms over her chest and shifts her stance from a relaxed one to something more aggressive.

If they do not get along, I can use that to my advantage.

"Don't be rude. Is this the new friend?" Kaelin asks while rubbing her hands together.

"I am not your friend or anyone else's!"

Tia steps up at my aggressive tone, but Kaelin's eyes only widen.

"Watch how you talk to my sister, or I will cut your tongue out!"

If she doesn't watch how she talks to me, I will cut out hers, just like I have all the others.

"Your sister?" Damn it! I won't be able to use it against them after all.

"Yes," she grates.

"I don't care who she is to you. You helped the prince kidnap me! I don't owe you or any other Keryth any kind of kindness. For all I care, you two can go fuck yourselves!" I mimic her stance but ensure her sister is still in my sight. Though she may seem small and innocent enough, looks can be deceiving.

"I like her," Kaelin muses with a bright smile.

"You would," Tia grumbles. "Now get in the tub."

"No." I refuse to back down, no matter how tempting the steaming water looks.

"Ok, then, if you won't do it willingly, then I will get the prince in here, and he can make sure you do it…or do it for you."

I narrow my eyes at the infuriating female, and to my dismay, she only plays with her thick black braid, not intimidated in the least.

"You wouldn't dare," I challenge.

"Try me," she smiles wickedly.

Do I dare see how far she will take this? Brave the chance that she will actually get the prince? I can't fight her. I have no weapons, and I would much rather be dealing with these two females than an entitled, irate male.

With no other way out of this, I undo my shirt and only pause for a split second at the thought of them seeing my scars. What do I care what they think about them? It is none of their business, anyway! Plus, I am still covered in that other female's blood. I quickly strip bare, rolling my eyes, and ease into the scalding water.

If they have anything to say about my mutilated body, they keep their comments behind their teeth.

"Let's wash your hair." Tia begins to untie my braid, but I quickly pull it from her fingers.

"I can bathe myself. You two don't have to be in here for this."

"When is the last time you let someone care for you?" she asks so quietly I nearly miss the question.

"I haven't needed anyone since my parents were brutally murdered in front of me." I wish I could remember more from before that moment. But every time I try to bring those memories back, I end up with a headache and nothing to show for it. I don't even know if this is something my mother would do for me. The Keryth have a lot to answer for.

"Then enjoy," she says, ripping my braid out of my hands and continuing to untangle it.

I grumble under my breath and inwardly wince as she combs through the strands that are still crunchy from the ink. Just you wait, bitch!

"Dunk under."

"So, you can drown me?"

"No, so we can wet your hair."

I quickly dunk under and come back up before she has a chance to get her hands on me.

"The top is still dry."

I roll my eyes and do it again, just as fast as before.

"That will do," she sighs.

"Soooooo, what is your name?" Kaelin asks with a bright smile. She leans against the tub, playing with the water, while Tia works some kind of liquid into my hair.

"Nyx," I grunt. "What are you putting in my hair?"

"Shampoo."

"Doesn't it normally come in a bar?" Tia's hands freeze, and then she leans over to meet my eyes.

"Have you been using bar soap on your hair?"

"I use whatever I can get my hands on." I don't say it for pity, but because it's the truth. To my surprise, it is not pity shining through her deep brown eyes, but understanding and empathy; that is worse. I don't need her to sympathize.

"Kaelin, go get the oils."

Kaelin's gasp in response has me instantly on edge.

"What are those? We don't need any of it!" I try to stand, but I can't beat Tia's strength as she holds me down.

"Your scalp is full of dead skin and is black for some reason. Trust me, your hair will thank me."

"Oh, it is going to feel amazing. What smells do you prefer? Something floral? Fruity?" Kaelin asks excitedly.

"I don't trust anyone. And no scent," I grumble.

"No…NO SCENT?" Kaelin shouts, obviously offended by my answer. "Are you kidding me? Scents are important for women. They can attract a mate. Or gather people to you. They can even be used to warn people away!"

"Kaelin, reel it in," Tia laughs with her hands paused in my hair.

"Sorry, but she said no scent! I don't even think that is a real thing! Oh! Don't you worry; I will bring you the one that best suits you! You will be amazed how a fresh new scent will make you feel. Once we are done with you, you will never turn back to your old ways. We will…" Her overly excited voice fades as she continues ranting while walking from the room. Tia just laughs and resumes her work.

At first, my shoulders stay stiff as she continues to touch me. But then her strong fingers start scrubbing at my scalp. Despite my practiced self-control, I moan from the sensation.

"If I could pay someone to spend all day doing this to my head, it would be worth every rupiah." She giggles, but I ignore her attempt at small talk. I may be involuntarily enjoying it, but I will not offer any other kind of niceties. She clears her throat and changes the subject. "We will need to get you out and fix fresh water. You are a bit dirtier than you first appeared. Is your hair white?" she asks, peering closely at my scalp and scratching more ink away.

I look down at the black water and realize it is all ink. Whatever kind of shampoo she is using is stronger than the soap I usually use. And if the water is any indication of how much she has already scrubbed away…

"I…I…" I swallow my panic. There is no way she could know! She can't possibly…unless she was still alive then. I may not have a lot of memories from before, but I know what my hair means. No one can know! It would put an even bigger target on my head. I put on the mask of death I wear during a kill so that I can feel in control again. "Yes, it is. And you will say nothing to the prince. I need more ink to replace what you washed away. It is a disease. It's not a contagious one. So, I don't need anyone getting any wrong ideas about me and treating me worse than they already do."

Smooth. Real smooth, Nyx!

Annoyingly, she isn't even phased by the sudden change in my demeanor. She only grabs me by the shoulders and forces me to look her in the eyes.

"We have dyes that are healthier for the hair and don't come out even when washing or getting caught in the rain. It would either have to grow out, or we would use a special compound to break the dye down. No one would be any the wiser of your true hair color."

I pull away from her and sit on the other side of the tub.

"Why help me?" I narrow my eyes. There is something she wants for my cooperation. There is always something. Nobody ever does anything without expecting something in return.

"Because I can." She narrows her eyes back at me. "Let's drain the water."

"Just do what you have to. Draining the water is a waste."

"We have plenty of water. No need to stress about it."

"Why waste it?"

"Because it's black. You can't bathe in that!"

"I normally bathe in the river. This is fine!"

"Stop arguing with me."

"Elani are dying of thirst, and you are sitting here calmly refilling huge tubs multiple times. Shame on all of you!" She has the good sense to flinch at my condemnation. I only wish I could kill her for it. Unfortunately, I cannot. All I can do is cross my arms and watch as she drains the perfectly good water and turns the knobs once again. So much to answer for.

"We should just put your hair under the water until it runs clear and then worry about filling the tub later. They need to have a shower up here."

I don't say another word as I stick my head under the flowing water and allow her to scrub my scalp until it is raw. Her long fingers comb through the strands repeatedly until they easily slide through. She moves my head to the side, adds more shampoo, and begins scrubbing all over again.

"I found the perfect sce—" Kaelin stops in the doorway and stares wordlessly. "It's white!"

"The oil?" Tia says, holding her hand out to her sister.

"Oh, right. Here." She hands her the bottle, still staring at me. "Were you that dirty or…"

"She covered it up," Tia corrects her.

"Why would you cover that up? It's beautiful. You should never try to hide who you are from the world. You bring a different kind of light that no one else has. You—"

"I don't bring light. I snuff it out," I scowl.

"Oh, hush. You do not! Why do you cover it?"

"Kaelin, that is none of our concern. She has her reasons. And doesn't feel comfortable talking about them yet. We won't share this with anyone either." Kaelin nods in silent agreement while Tia opens the bottle, and a warm scent fills the air.

I can't quite place the name of it, but it brings forth feelings I have long forgotten. Like cold nights sitting next to a comforting fire in an overstuffed chair. Or a warm hug. Neither one I have felt since… just another thing I cannot remember.

"Oh, Kaelin, this is perfect," Tia gushes. "What's the name of it?"

"I call it Lady of the Shadows," she preens. "I had to mix a few to get it exactly right."

"I like it," I accidentally say out loud. But it is so low she couldn't possibly have heard me.

"What was that?" Kaelin asks with a bright smile.

"Nothing," I grumble.

"She likes it," Tia laughs.

I don't say another word as they scrub every inch of my skin, oil my head, and finally dye my hair the inky black I have become accustomed to. They talk and laugh around me as if I am not even here. I don't mind, of course, I am used to being invisible. I prefer it. That is how I get the information I need. And one day, they will slip up and provide me with the weapons I need to take down the Prince.