Chapter 2: The Beast’s Burden - 1
Rin hadn’t spoken for nearly an hour.
She sank into the bath until the water lapped at her collarbone, its heat seeping into bruises that no longer screamed with every breath.
Clove oil and pine smoke wove through the steam, curling around her bare skin like a lover’s whisper.
She leaned back, head resting against the polished stone rim, golden eyes half-lidded, her dark gray hair fanning across the water’s surface.
Kio entered without a sound, a fresh robe draped over one arm, a tray balanced in his hand.
Only then did Rin stir, her tail flicking lazily beneath the surface.
"Did you sharpen your knives?" she rasped, eyes still closed, voice rough as if dragged over gravel.
"Didn’t need to," Kio said, setting the tray on the bath’s edge.
A bowl of boar stew, steam curling upward.
A thick slice of dark bread.
A shot of whiskey, amber and sharp.