The Dragons' Bathhouse: A Reverse Harem Enemies-to-Lovers Soulmate Romance

24

They were stopped by a group of one-eyed cat spirits. The cat guards surrounded her, peering at her with their huge jelly-like eyes; the slits in those yellow orbs combing over her skin. They watched her warily, looking at her from top to toe. It unnerved her. The way they seemed to size her up with their gaze. Plus, their claws were all out, the sharp peaks glimmering in the light, a reminder of their strength.

Eden gulped nervously.

"Hello, how can I help you?" She bowed, wincing a little at the way they continued to stare at her.

Fuck. Eden had hoped to leave without the Grandmother knowing, but it seemed that she had sent the guards after her. Had the twins called security on her ass? She nibbled on her lips, thinking back to the situation. They had tried to stop her, no doubt to gloat in her face. But didn't they want her to quit? Quitting seemed to be their primary goal. Why stop her now?

The cat spirits swarmed around her, ripping her duffel bag from her hands before she could even blink. The straps dug into her arms and her skin was raw from the sudden attack. Oh fuck. Her eyes widened. It was a spot check, wasn't it?

"W-wait those are my things!"

They tore into her duffel bag, ripping open the worn-out fabric with their claws like a knife through butter. They tossed her items into the air, throwing aside clothes and toiletries. They clawed and scratched, shredding the fabric. She watched horrified as they picked up the photograph, the only one she had of her family, shredding it in their need to get through her items.

No, no. No! She reached for it, scooping up the bits of ripped paper. But it was clearly impossible to fix, the photograph was torn into smithereens. Eden was shaken by their actions and anger coursed through her veins for the second time that day. She shot a glare up at them, her eyes narrowing into slits.

"What is going on? You can't just go through my things. I have nothing to hide, they're just clothes and—"

The cat spirits pulled out a brown paper bag, slicing it open, and Eden watched horrified as pearls spilt forth. They cascaded, bouncing on the floor and creating a cacophony of clattering sound. A sound that would haunt her for the rest of her life.

They were mermaid tear pearls. Pearls that radiated with an inner iridescent light, painting the floor with tiny rainbow shards. Pearls that she couldn't afford for; pearls that cost millions of gold bars. Her lips parted as horror filled her chest. It was a strong gush of nauseating cold that ravaged her body and made her knees weak. It was not just one pearl. Not just one tiny measly little pearl that would cost her a kidney. Her desperate eyes danced across the bouncing pearls, trying to count them all.

There were hundreds and thousands of pearls. Hundreds and thousands. They rattled noisily over the floor, rolling across the tiles. What the hell? She glanced around, horrified at the huge mess. How did they get in her bag? She didn't take them. There weren't any in the room. She didn't remember packing that paper bag.

"You are under arrest for thievery," the cat spirits declared, their eyes glowing brighter with each word. They surrounded her shaking body, her mind struggling to understand what was going on. She glanced up at the guards, her bottom lip quivering as she spoke.

"I didn't—"

"Your sentence will be decided by the Grandmother, human," the cats repeated and a magical rope curled over her wrists, tying her hands to her back. She yelped as the rope tightened, rough against her sensitive skin. Were they joking? This must be a dream! She tried to feel for the knot, but the rope slapped her hands.

"Please you can't be serious—"

Her mouth was zipped shut by a spell, her lip glued together from magic, and the rest of her words escaped her throat as a garbled grunt of sound. She was pulled out of Seri's grasp, flanked by cat spirits. The wood nymph appeared distraught, the leaves in her hair swaying as she followed. Eden glanced at her, begging her to believe her words. I didn't do it. I really didn't.