Straight Through The Heart ((ON HOLD))

Chapter Twelve

The cold marble against the back of Alisa's legs was a welcomed relief as she sat in the Parish plaza while waiting for Chey. After the instructors gave them their final announcements for the day they were released to their respective lodgings only to return and do it all again the next day. She had lost sight of Kaer in the shuffle, and Leyani was too busy speaking with Jax that she wasn't going to interrupt.

That she was able to make it back to the plaza was a feat in and of itself. She hurt in places that she didn't even know had the capability to hurt, and keeping her head up was beginning to become a struggle.

As it was, she held her head in her hands with elbows braced on her knees by the time Chey found her. At least she had suspected correctly— they never discussed their plans for after the presentation ceremony and the day's training sessions, and she wasn't in any state to begin wandering around the city in hope that she'd find the estate all on her own.

"And now you know why each room has its own bath attached to it," he said as he approached, offering a hand out to help her stand.

She took it gratefully, holding back a groan as she returned to her feet. "So that I can soak my sorrows of the day away?"

"At least until you have to do it all again tomorrow."

That groan she did not hold back.

"It gets easier," he assured her as he began leading them through the plaza.

"That's easy enough to say when you haven't had to train in, what— fifty years?"

"Hey," Chey warned. "I still train— I'll be happy to show you the ring behind the gardens if you don't believe me."

"No, please," she pleaded, sounding too pathetic for even her liking.

"And I'm not that old."

She snorted in response.

The walk back to the Rousseau estate felt much longer than it did that morning, but when the familiar facade came into view, Alisa almost moaned in delight.

"Get bathed, and then we'll have dinner and we can talk about your day."

She nodded, though stopped listening after the word 'bathed' and enthusiastically followed Chey into the house.

After exerting more effort than she liked to admit, she finally made her way up the stairs to her room where she slowly peeled the sweat and dirt-covered garments from her aching body. The bath filled quickly and she eased down into the close-to-scalding water with a contented hiss.

The lavender-scented soap paired with the lemon-verbena bubbles was relaxing enough she could have fallen asleep there. She would have considered it, too, if not for the nagging tug of her mind wanting to talk to Chey about the day.

That, and food, as her stomach rumbled on cue.

Making sure her hair was free of soap and her body rinsed of bubble bath, she drained the tub and toweled off before padding back into the carpeted bedroom. Spreading what little clothing she brought with her out on the unexpectedly made bed, Alisa knew she was going to either need to wash her laundry sooner than later, expand her wardrobe, or both. She didn't go out of her way to vary her clothing anyway, but having to be in the Parish for at least a month before she could consider returning home to replenish her garb made her want to vary what she could while she was there.

No, she told herself. Kaer had nothing to do with it.

"Tell me you really didn't drown yourself up there," Chey called up the stairway.

She huffed a chuckle. "I'll be down in a minute," she called through the closed bedroom door.

"I make no promises your dinner will be warm by the time you get down here."