Spirit of Shadows

| Chapter Twenty One |

Em had waited nearly thirty minutes for Jonah to finish bathing in the upstairs bathroom. When he walked out in nothing but his plush white towel slung around his hips, Em choked on her green tea Kachina had brought her.

Jonah startled, his head whipping to the side to see Em staring with wide eyes.

"Do you mind." He said, his hands rising up to cross over his chest.

Em was so shocked she didn't know what to say, she stumbled over her words, and Jonah laughed.

"I'm joking, little dove. I know you've probably never seen a sexier specimen than mwah." He winked.

Em blushed ferociously but managed to roll her eyes; picking up her tea and a towel, she hurried on into the bathroom. She quickly shut the door and heard Jonah let out another signature laugh.

Gods, get a grip! She chided herself.

Em settled down, adjusting her towel to rest against the tub, and her tea was placed on the counter. In all honesty, the girl was afraid to look at her own reflection in the mirror.

But, she did.

Her eyes traveled over Matthias' cloak first, grateful that it still covered her tattered clothes beneath. When her eyes roamed toward her face, she winced back.

Her makeup was smudged beyond repair, causing dark circles to reside under her eyes and around her cheeks. Bruises were pressed against her neck like haunting wrapped fingers. Em shivered but untied the cloak, setting it down gently.

Beneath, her hot pink corset looked even worse. She threw it off immediately, not wanting to spend another second looking at the horrid thing. Next, she undid her tights and stepped out of them, casting them aside.

Her eyes noticed the litter of bruises next. Not only were they pressed against her arms and shoulders, but they were also around her chest and a few on her legs.

Em hurriedly looked away, her eyes growing wet with tears she didn't want to shed. But, since she was truly alone at the moment, she did.

With a quick motion, she turned the lever on the tub, filling it with hot water.

She needed this. She needed the hot water to wash away the horrible events from the day. Em wanted to rid herself of the dirt, makeup, and thoughts of it all. Although, she knew the bruises would stay for awhile, reminding her.

Em stepped into the tub once it was full. Taking a sponge and some of Kachina's rosy body wash, she began to scrub away the dirt and grime on her body.

...

"I'm not sure what to say to her." Matthias said, his face in his hands as Kachina entered his room.

Kachina said nothing at first, only set down a fresh cup of what smelled like green tea. Matthias was thankful for a friend like Kachina. Even if they had only known her for a small amount of time, she was still one of the best people Matthias had ever met.

"Does she want to talk about it?" Kachina asked.

Matthias sighed and looked up, seeing the girl leaning against the closed door.

"She said she would but I don't even know what to ask...where to start..." He said, running a hand through his hair.

Matthias wanted to ask Em so many questions about what happened that day, but he didn't know where to start. Kachina had said something earlier about finding Em in a bed with someone and then she collapsed...it was frightening for him to hear. He couldn't even imagine what Em must've felt–what she does feel.