Chapter 18: Trying To Seduce Me?
Iris’s POV
I shook my head, blocking Lyra’s voice as I headed into the bathroom to take a quick shower. The cool water cascaded over my skin, washing away my exhaustion.
Once I was done, I got dressed into another clean maid’s uniform. I wouldn’t give Kael or anyone else another chance to call me filthy or that I stink, like Zane had earlier. I knew I didn’t stink but his words still hurt me.
Standing in front of my cracked mirror, I gathered my damp hair into a neat bun, securing it with a few pins. My eyes caught on a tube of lip gloss resting on the table. I couldn’t recall how it got there and who kept it there but since it was in my room, I figured it was mine. I twisted the cap open and applied a thin layer to my dry lips, careful not to overdo it. Then I looked at my reflection, admiring myself.
Just then, Lyra’s voice broke through again, playful this time. "You look pretty. Admiring yourself, huh?"
I couldn’t deny it, I did look better. It was as if the shower had given my skin a soft glow, and the lip gloss added a touch of life to my otherwise weary appearance. My eyes seemed brighter and cuter and my lashes still damp from the shower. As I admired myself, the moment shattered at the sound of faint footsteps echoing through the corridor outside my room as if someone was passing by and then a guard’s voice drifted through the open window, commanding as he gave orders to someone nearby which made me come back to my senses, remembering that I had to go to Kael’s room to take his dirty clothes.
Grabbing the empty laundry basket from the corner, I headed for the door. I had work to do, and dawdling wouldn’t help. My destination was Kael’s room, and the thought of facing him sent a ripple of unease through me. Kael, the third shard of the Darius name, was a puzzle I could never quite solve. Unlike Zane, who wore his cruelty like a badge, or Cade, whose arrogance and hot temper filled every room, Kael was cloaked in unreadable stillness. He didn’t taunt me like others, he simply watched wherever his brothers were being cruel to me and never tries to stop them.
There was something haunted behind his gaze and I couldn’t fathom. Among the three, Kael was the most unpredictable. One moment, he might offer a shred of kindness; the next, he could shatter your hope with a single, cutting glance or words.
Reaching his door, I hesitated. It was widely open as my fingers hovered over, unsure whether to knock or go back and return later.