Chapter 8: They Will Be Of Good Use To You
Iris’s POV
"No, no. Don’t do that," Amelia said softly, her voice filled with concern as she reached out, her fingers brushing my cheeks to wipe away the tears that had spilled without my permission. Her touch was gentle, grounding.
I sniffled, forcing a shaky smile as I met her kind eyes, glimmering with empathy. "Thank you," I murmured, my voice filled with emotion.
Just then, I remembered the pile of dirty clothes. "I need to go wash these," I said as I tried to shove the emotions away. I turned toward the door, but Amelia was already at my side, her quick steps matching mine.
"Let me help you with the hand laundry," she offered, as if she’d already decided she wouldn’t take no for an answer.
"No," I said quickly, tightening my grip on the bundle. "I don’t want you to get punished because of me." My words came out sharper than I intended and the thought of dragging Amelia into my mess, my punishment for refusing to apologize to Liora made my stomach churn. I don’t want her involved in this.
Amelia’s lips quivered into a mischievous smile. "It doesn’t matter," she said, waving a hand dismissively. "Let me help you." She paused, her eyes twinkling as she leaned closer, her voice dropping to a playful whisper. "My princess." She winked, and despite everything, a laugh bubbled up. We shared a smile, a silent agreement, and headed out together. I made my way to go get Karl and Zane’s dirty clothes but no one was in the rooms. The doors were locked from the outside. Perhaps they had gone out.
Hours later, my hands were weak from scrubbing Cade’s shirts against the washboard, the harsh water biting into my skin. Amelia sat beside me, her own hands busy with a separate cloth as she entertained me with the gossip from the Warborn pack’s bar. And soon, we were done.
Where we were now seated, there were approaching footsteps. I looked up to see Liora sauntering toward us. She’s carrying a plate of raw corn and a cup of water balanced in her hands. Her lips curled into a mocking smile as she stood in front of me.