"You'll know everything you need to know later," Raye said for what must have been the tenth time, her small face scrunching with subtle impatience.
"Now go in the bath tub and have a proper bath."
I stopped myself from asking again.
There was no point since she wouldn't answer, and truthfully, I didn't have the strength to argue anymore.
Besides, Raye didn't look dangerous. Her frame was small, almost childlike, and though her voice carried a sort of chirpy authority, it wasn't sharp with cruelty.
She hadn't once raised her hand or her tone at me since I woke up here.
So I obeyed.
The tub was wide, carved smooth from stone, filled with steaming water that smelled faintly of lavender.
When I sank into it, heat spread across my sore limbs, seeping into my bones. I hadn't realized how badly I'd needed it until that moment. The river's cold still clung to me, a memory that made me shiver even in warmth, but the ache in my muscles began to loosen.
