"Thanks," I tell him.
"This is your room. Storm's room is the first door closest to the stairs, and mine is right next to it," he explains to me. “Though we all like our private space, so I wouldn’t go walking in people’s rooms.”
"So, you live here?" I ask him.
"Storm took me in when I was ten and causing big trouble. I needed a strong role model, and he was that for me. I don’t know, he helped me find my strengths and use them, so I just ended up sticking around much to his annoyance,” he explains, somewhat awkwardly brushing a hand through his hair. "I will be around if you need me, Karma. Dinner is in about four hours. Oh, and your powers are weakened here. Any magical objects won’t work either, it’s part of the magic of the prison. I thought you should know.” Well, at least I don’t have my necklace for it not to work.
"Thanks again," I reply before he nods and walks off down the corridor. I shut the door, resting my head against the wood and trying not to panic at how permanent this situation is starting to feel. I turn around, looking at the room I have been given. My bag sits on a single bed with blue sheets and a throw pillow that looks handmade. There is a woven trunk at the end of the bed and a blue rug in front of it. The room has another door in it, which I walk over and pull open to find a bathroom. Well, it's an old-fashioned one with a hole for a toilet, but as I go and look down it, I see it goes to a stream of running water. There is no shower, so I'm assuming the sauna and pool room downstairs is for that. There is a counter with a basin filled with hot water; a soap and sponge cloth are on the side waiting for me along with a rough feeling towel. I place the sponge cloth in the water and breathe out a deep sigh after cleaning my face. I just have to wait for the twins to pass the test, and then I can ask them how they plan to get out of here.
Chapter Eighteen
I finally finish washing my body with the cloth when there is a knock on my door. I pick the towel up, wrapping it around my naked body before leaving the bathroom. I go to the door, edging it open to see Killian there, soaking wet with his arms crossed. Damn, he looks good wet.
"I wanted to check you were alright," he tells me, and like he suddenly realises I'm just in a towel, his eyes widen. "I didn't expect you to have no clothes on when I knocked."
"I have a towel on, and as you can see, I'm good. Did Seth and Jade pass the test?" I ask him, slightly relieved to know he passed and I’m not on my own. Plus, he is my ticket out of here, and I need him alive for that.
"I don't know. They threw a screaming Jade off the bridge the last time I saw them, and Seth was still in the cage. Storm wanted him to go last for some reason," Killian explains. "My room is next to yours." He points a thumb to my right.
"For what it is worth, I'm happy you didn't die," I admit, pulling my bottom lip into my mouth as I start to really register how attractive Killian looks like this. His top is stuck to his chest, making his muscular and toned body easy to see. His blond hair is darker wet, pushed to the side as little drops drip down past his dark eyebrows and his full lashes. How is it even fair he has eyelashes like that? I'd have to wear some pretty expensive fake ones to even get close to his.
"Are you alright?" he asks, and I shake my head, snapping out of it.
"Just cold. I'm going to get dressed, and you might want to clean up. You smell," I say, needing to say something that is far from the truth. He doesn't smell, well not bad anyways.
"Yeah, I might do," he laughs, wiping some water droplets off his forehead. We smile at each for a moment, and I shake my head. What am I doing? He is my kidnapper, and I have to remember that. He hasn’t even said sorry yet.
"I still haven't forgiven you for throwing me in here, you know that, right?" I say as he steps away, pausing, though he doesn’t look back. "That test would have killed me if I were evil. If I were lying to you about killing that god by accident, I would be dead. Now I'm locked in here because you wouldn't listen. I really hope someone comes for you two, to save you and get you back to your job, because when that happens, you are taking Jade and me with you. You know deep down that we shouldn't be here."
"It seems I don't know anything, Karma," he softly replies, and I wonder what the little slideshow of his life showed him. He turns his head back to look me in the eye. "I did my job...but I am sorry. That's all I can say or do for now."
"It's enough..." I reply and step back, shutting the door before he sees any more emotions from me. Dammit, these attractive guys are messing with my head. I glance at my bag, knowing the last thing I want to do is get bitten by a goblin to get my clothes out. Groaning, I pull myself away from the door and get the bag, opening the top and tipping the contents out on my bed. Kit bounces out my bag, glaring up at me as he hisses.
"Sorry, Kit. Though, I have a new bed for you to hide under," I say, putting the bag down, pausing when I see my necklace pushed under the gap of the door and hear someone’s footsteps walking away. My necklace that Seth took off me and gave to Killian. Why would Killian give me it back? I pick it up as Kit hisses once more before jumping off and hurrying under the bed to no doubt make his new home. Bloody weird creature, that one is.
I pull on my underwear, including my favourite red lacy bra before putting on my top and jeans. After putting my jar of peanut butter on the bedside table, I count that I have two more spare underwear and only one more top before I run out of clean clothes. I put all the clothes and my bag into the box at the end of the bed before hanging the wet clothes from the bathroom over the bathroom door for them to dry. I glance down at my necklace, feeling a million times better now I have it on. I'm not powerless exactly without it, but all my powers are mental and not physical, which I think won't help me here. Even if the charms don’t work, they make me feel better. Deciding it's best I have a look around, I walk to my door and pull it open, heading out into the corridor. I get to the stairs just as Jade is walking up them with Coxen. She is soaking wet, but damn, am I happy to see her alive.
"Did I ever mention how much cats fucking hate cold water?" she says, stopping in front of me, huffing. "We really, really hate it. Like, swimming is not something I like to do unless it’s a spa."
"I didn't think of that, but hey, at least you are alive," I say, trying to give her something to smile about.
"Yeah, swimming and reliving all of my worst memories. This is just the best fucking day ever," she huffs, and I can't help the laugh that leaves my lips. My laugh must be infectious as she smiles before laughing herself. Even Coxen smiles.
"We should find you a room," Coxen gently suggests, and our laughs drift off.
"Good idea. I need to get dry," Jade says and then pauses. "But I don't have any other clothes to wear."
"Storm is on his way back with clothes for you all. He went to the market not long after Karma came up," Coxen explains to us. "I'm sure Karma could wait downstairs for him and bring you some clothes up."
"Would you?" Jade asks me.
"Of course," I reply, crossing my arms. "I wanted to have a look around anyway." Jade smiles at me before heading back up the stairs, and I walk down to the bottom. I walk into the kitchen first, which is like no kitchen I've seen before. The counters are made of pure stone with dark wood surfaces, and above them are the same colour wood cupboards. Herbs and dried fruits hang from the cupboards, and under them are various kitchen utensils that are all handmade. The other side of the room has a long wooden table with enough wooden chairs to seat at least eight people. The room is lit up by lights, but they don't look electric as I can't see any wires. No, these are glowing orbs that hang around the place. They are everywhere, in all the rooms, on the ceilings, by the looks of it. I wander around the kitchen before leaving it and heading into the corridor just as the door slams open. Storm stomps in with a big bag on his shoulder, which he drops on the floor as Seth follows him in the room.
"Hey, you survived!" I say, but he only glares at me before walking up the stairs, leaving us in an awkward silence.
"He's an angry one, isn't he?" Storm points out the obvious.
"I think I pissed him off on our one date," I reply, moving my gaze to Storm.
"So, you two are a thing?" he asks.
"Oh, nope, not one little bit. He hates me," I reply with a chuckle. "He literally ran away from me on our one time date a while back. I don’t have a boyfriend." I don’t know why I add that in, but his smile suggests he is happy. God, I don’t need to make the asshole happy. I don’t even know him.
"Good. I'm glad to hear that," Storm remarks. I don't get to ask him why as he walks back to the door, holding it open as he turns his head back. "The clothes and shit you all might need are in there. I will be back for dinner." I watch him leave, shutting the door, and for some odd reason, the house feels colder without him in it, and I feel lost.
Chapter Nineteen
"Something smells good," Killian says, coming into the kitchen where Coxen is cooking dinner for us all, and I will admit it does smell good even though there is no meat. It's some kind of soup, by the looks of it, and fresh bread. Jade winks at me as Killian chooses to come and sit right next to me instead of any of the other spare eight seats. "How are you?"
"Fine, considering I'm trapped in here and have no chance of seeing my family any time soon. You?" I sarcastically answer just as Storm comes into the room, followed by Seth.
"Do you have a big family?" Storm asks me, choosing to sit opposite me while Seth sits next to his brother.
"Well kinda. I have three brothers, one older and two younger," I tell him.
