Chapter 164: Preparation
They spent hours at The Cloisters. If not for the spa session they had scheduled—and the weariness that had finally crept into Ephyra’s bones after a full day of walking—they might have stayed until the sun dipped below the Hudson.
Lyle had to let her lean against him as they made their way to the wellness suite. Its softly lit corridors carried the scent of eucalyptus and lavender, each step into the space like a descent into some hushed, luxurious underworld.
The staff and the head of the wellness suite greeted them with warm, practiced smiles. The head therapist—a tall woman with salt-gray braids and a crisp linen tunic—bowed slightly to Lyle before speaking.
"Welcome to Aether Serenity," she said over the soft ambient music drifting through the air. "You’ll be receiving our signature dual-session. Mrs. Aelion will undergo the Stone Rebalance, while you, sir, will experience Stillness Therapy. These sessions are designed individually, but they harmonize the body’s energies when taken together."
She gestured with ease, continuing, "You’ll be served in separate rooms to allow for complete immersion. Please, follow us."
Two attendants stepped forward. One gently supported Ephyra by the elbow as the head therapist herself guided her through a softly glowing corridor veiled with sheer golden drapes.
Lyle remained behind, watching her disappear from view.
After a brief pause, the youngest of the spa staff—a girl barely in her twenties, nerves fluttering beneath her professional exterior—approached him. She gave a shallow bow, then turned to lead him down a quiet hallway lit with recessed amber light.
The tension in her shoulders was obvious. She walked carefully, stealing subtle glances at him every few steps as though bracing for an order or a reprimand. Just as they reached the door to his private chamber—a dim, obsidian-lit space that hummed with a dry, ambient heat—she turned to leave with another bow.
But his voice, low and icy, stopped her cold.
"Tell your superior," he said without turning his head, "that as soon as Ephyra’s session ends, you’ll inform me. And you’ll end mine. Immediately."
She froze mid-step. Her breath caught. Then, slowly, she looked up and met his eyes—just for a second.