Two hundred days went by.
Okay, it was only four days. But it felt like two hundred.
The water couldn't get my skin clean enough. I stayed under the steam until I was sure I was going to melt away and float into the river myself. But it didn't matter how many times I shampooed my hair or how hard I scrubbed my skin, I couldn't forget the feeling of Erebus touching my thigh.
Holding my waist
Leaning in close.
I shook my head. It was ridiculous. It was pathetic.
My brain even restored to dreaming about him. As if I needed to think about him any more than I already had.
My thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the bathroom door.
"Go away, Erebus," I yelled.
But it wasn't Erebus who entered anyway, chirping herself on the ledge of the sink.
It was Amanda.
"Amanda!" I shrieked. "What are you doing in here? I'm kind of naked right now!"
"Oh, please," she said, flipping her long hair over her shoulder. "Humans are so prude. Erebus thought you might be losing your mind in here or something. You know if you stay under the water too long it causes wrinkles."
"I'm fine!" I yelled.
"Yeah, he also said you would say that. And he told me it probably wasn't true."
I cursed under my breath.
"Heard that," Amanda chirped.
These damn Werewolf.
I stepped out of the water and wrapped myself in one of the pristinely white towels Erebus had. The fact that they weren't all already stained with blood was impressive.
"I'm really fine, Amanda. I don't need a babysitter."
She squinted her eyes. "You should be dead right now. And that cut still looks bad."
I looked in the steamy mirror and tried not to cringe. Right in the middle of my throat, a bright red cut was nearly halfway healed.
A reminder of how close my assassin had gotten to succeeding.
No wonder Erebus was so pissed.
"I'm alive, which is better than I could have asked for."
"Yeah, but we have to keep you alive. And your will to live is a slightly important factor there."
I rolled my eyes. "I'm not going to do anything stupid, Amanda. I already told Erebus I would listen to him from now on."
Amanda glanced toward the bathroom door before hopping off the counter and stepping closer to me. "Erebus can be…possessive. He doesn't like that someone laid a hand on you, Eve. And this is the first time he's been able to make some headway on whoever has been killing his wives. He's going to protect you no matter what. You understand that, don't you?"
I let my head rest on the wall behind me. "I'm willing to do whatever it takes to stay alive. If that means living, acting and breathing like a damn Werewolfrie, then so be it. But I can't stay locked up like this. I can't just sit in here like I'm nothing. I can protect myself."
I realized after I said the words that they may have been stupid, but when I looked at Amanda, she had a giant grin on her face.
"You have no idea how happy I am to hear that," she chirped, nearly jumping with excitement. "Now put these clothes on. I'm taking you somewhere."
I didn't have time to ask questions. Amanda was gone, leaving a stack of clothes on the counter.
After getting dressed, I had to admit I was impressed. Amanda hadn't picked out a ridiculous, revealing Werewolf outfit. Instead, she brought me simple slacks and a basic tunic.
I could actually move freely. And I wasn't covered in blood or wearing Erebus' clothes.
Consider me grateful.
After a few minutes of walking, Amanda and I found ourselves leaving the castle and heading into the jungle-like woods that encapsulated the entire back half of the estate.
"Does Erebus know we're heading into the woods?" I asked Amanda.
She rolled her eyes and groaned. "What Erebus doesn't know won't kill him. Besides, it can be really beautiful out here. He would just ruin it."
I followed her down a narrow stone path, the light around us slowly diminishing even though the sun had just fully risen.
She wasn't lying. The beauty of the castle should have been a huge indication as to how beautiful the jungle was going to be. Even so, the castle hardly compares. Thick vines weaved through massive trees, filling the space with a variety of greenery. Thick moss covered the stones we walked on, silencing every step we took further into the jungle. The sound of water pouring in the distance grew stronger and stronger as we continued.
I was about to tell Amanda to stop when we entered a clearing, revealing a sErebl waterfall that was almost hidden in the vast stone structure behind it.
Hidden. Like it was here just for Amanda. Just for us.
"Saints," I mumbled. "This is what you dragged me out here for? It's gorgeous, Amanda."
She gave me a knowing smile and trotted forward, perching herself onto a bench-like structure I assumed she was responsible for.
"See!" She said, "It's not so terrible here, is it? You're a fighter, Eve. I knew that as soon as I met you. You're going to stick around, I just know it. So, you might as well not absolutely hate this place while you're here!"
I couldn't help but smile. This was undoubtedly the nicest thing anyone had done for me. Granted nobody ever did nice things for me at home, and all Amanda did was drag me into the jungle, but it was still true.
I couldn't believe it.
"I'm assuming this is where you hide while your brothers continue whatever feud they have going on."
"You have no idea, honey. I feel like I've spent years out here with all the fighting they do. But family is complicated. Erebus knows that. I'm sure you'll learn about all of their silly politics soon enough."
Now it was my turn to groan. "I feel like I've learned enough already."
Amanda's eyes were full of pity when she looked at me. "I know this must be hard for you, Eve. You don't know who to trust and you don't know what to believe about us. After what happened…"
"It's really okay—"
"Erebus can be terrifying. I could smell the blood the second I walked into that room, Eve, and that was after they had cleaned it all up. I've seen him kill. I've seen him slaughter people dozens of times. Just because I'm a Werewolf doesn't mean I'm heartless, despite what you humans may think."
I shoved her shoulder playfully, then she continued.
"This world can be daunting, and Erebus has been through a lot. He's had to turn into someone he doesn't want to be."
"He seemed pretty proud of himself after ripping that man's head off."
"For nearly killing you!" She said, "I would have done the same thing!"
I took a deep breath. This was all too much to process. I was starting to believe everything I had been told about Erebus, despite Amanda's confusing claims.
"How am I supposed to believe he'll protect me when he has the reputation that he has? I'm just a human. I'm nothing here."
"You're not nothing, Eve. You're Erebus' wife. That makes you untouchable."
"Well, his last wives were pretty touchable."
She gave me a look of pity. "This is going to be a never-ending cycle, Eve. The facts are that you're Ereb's wife now, and you're also a Caliphate Princess."
"I'm not a princess," I mumbled.
"But you are. And you can either live here in fear every day, or you can do something about it. I know you're trying to help Erebus find out who's been doing this. I don't have to tell you to be careful. You already know that."
I nodded, not sure of what else to say.
So I changed the subject. "Do you know Kara?" I asked.
Amanda groaned. "Please don't tell me she's bothering you. I've had enough of her to last me two lifetimes."
I smiled at her reaction. "She seems very attached to Erebus."
"Yeah, she has been for decades. Literally. Erebus had some fun with her, but it was never serious. Kara wants power. She's a snake, and we all know it. Even Erebus."
I scoffed. "I don't know. He seems to put up with her more than anyone else. If other people talked to him the way she does, they would be dead."
"I think Erebus feels bad for her. I do, anyway. She wasn't always this terrible. We actually used to be friends a long time ago."
"Really?" I asked. "You and Kara?"
Amanda nodded. "But that was before her obsession with my brother."
I thought about her words. "You don't think she would be killing Erebus' wives out of jealousy, do you?"
"The thought has crossed my mind, I'll admit. But Kara is harmless. She is jealous, yes. And you should avoid her at all costs. But she doesn't have it in her to actually kill someone out of cold blood."
I nodded. Amanda confirmed what I had been thinking. Kara was a spiteful brat, but I had known girls like her. They were all talk. Kara was used to getting her way, and I was an obstacle.
Although I can't say I liked the way she acted toward Erebus.
"Okay!" Amanda sighed. "Enough of this serious stuff. I brought you here to show you how beautiful Werewolves can be, so come on!"
She stood from the bench and kicked off her shoes.
"What are you doing?!" I yelled.
I was answered by the sound of her splashing into the water.
"What?" She yelled from the water. "It feels so nice!"
I laughed. It was a real laugh, and it somehow felt wrong, like I didn't deserve to be laughing.
Tessa was probably freaking out right now. For all she knew, I had been killed.
I had to go see her. Erebus had to take me there.
And I had to help Erebus.
Amanda splashed a handful of water in my direction. "Are you jumping in or are you staying out there like a big baby?" She taunted.
I always loved swimming. Back home, I used to spend every morning swimming in the pond near our house.
But that was before I spent every day fighting for survival. For food. For Tessa.
That felt like ages ago.
But this was a new life. This was a new home. And as much as I hated to admit it, this was my new reality.
Amanda was right. The Caliphate, as despicable as I might have thought it to be, did have a few benefits.
A gorgeous waterfall in the middle of the jungle was definitely one of them.
Amanda clapped her hands with excitement as I stood from the bench, kicking my own shoes off and jumping into the water.
The water was a welcoming, luxurious pool of bliss. Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration. But it was absolutely amazing.
I held my breath and dunked beneath the water, letting the weightlessness of my body drift.
"I knew you'd love it!" Amanda said a few feet away.
The water hardly covered my chest when I stood on the rocks that rested at the bottom.
"My sister would love it here," I said to her. "She usually hates the outdoors… but this…"
"Welcome to the Caliphate, Princess Eve. This is just the beginning."
I opened my mouth to respond, to object to the princess title once more, but Amanda's eyes had settled on something behind me.
I didn't turn around. I froze as I heard what she was hearing.
Footsteps in the jungle headed straight toward us.