Cursed to the Bone

46. Guilty Conscience

When my weight returned, and the drag of Relocation stopped, I squinted through darkness in an attempt to see where we were. Then the curtains parted and light splashed in. It was a bedroom.

As Lucien finished healing, I took my time examining the space.

The cream-colored walls were covered in a tedious display of cork boards and papers. There was a cute cubby tucked into a wall, too. Inside, it was lined in bookshelves and had a cushioned section to curl up in. I glanced from one wall, where the bed was, to the other side where a desk stood among low shelves.

"That should do it," Lucien said, standing. He helped me to my feet and held up a finger. "Wait a moment." Striding across the dark floorboards, Lucien entered what looked like a bathroom. I stayed where I was, not wanting to intrude at all in what I gathered was his space. He returned moments later and gestured me inside. "I put a towel out for you. Take a bath. I will acquire a change of clothing from Miss Morimoto."

This felt weird, but I didn't argue as he vanished from the room. Entering the bathroom, I shut the door behind me. The tiny room had a quaint feel to it that made it somehow charming.

The ceiling angled down shorter than the main room and a claw-foot bathtub took up one corner, with a shower-head and curtains. The floors were black tile and the walls were vertical boards of wood painted white. There was another door but it was shut. I assumed it was a closet or something, but I refused to poke around.

Instinctively, I flinched as I caught sight of myself in the mirror. My eyes were red, from the blood magic, but so was my face. Sort of. Blood was smudged around my eyes, cheeks, and nose. I looked at my hands. I'd been wiping it on my face. I should have been bothered, but I couldn't be. I kept seeing Sakura. Her eyes flashing wildly like she knew the outcome herself. And I hadn't done a thing to help her.

Too drained to wash my hair, I put my hair up and rinsed the blood off. When I exited the shower, I found a bag of clothes on the counter by the door. I tried not to think about the fact that he had to open the door to put it there. It wasn't like he'd have seen anything, anyway. The bathtub had a shower curtain, after all, and what did it matter? After changing, I hung the towel and exited the bathroom holding the bag of my things.

"I thought you may prefer some quiet to recuperate in." Lucien looked over from his desk and gestured to his bed. "Rest."

The idea of sleeping in his bed unsettled me. I set the bag down somewhere out of the way and crept closer to the bed. It was too weird. Dragging the comforter with me, I took a pillow and crossed the room to the book cubby.

"Vera."

"Yes?" I said, crawling onto the cushioned space between his bookshelves. I set the pillow against the shelf and curled up inside the blanket. Chancing a peek, I found him staring again.

"It is no trouble for you to use my bed. I would like for you to be comfortable."

"This is fine."

"Very well."

When he faced the desk, I leaned back onto the pillow and stared at one of the walls of books. My mind was terribly burdened. I felt like I should explain myself. Explain what happened with Killian. Finally, I worked up the courage, "Rhodes tricked me."

Lucien's chair squeaked but it didn't sound like he was moving. Just listening.

"He convinced me you were plotting something. The way he said it, it was like you wanted all of this. I should have known better, but I was scared. Scared it may be true. I'm sorry."

He heaved a sigh. "That is no fault of yours."

I rubbed my eyes as they watered. "Professor Ishida is dead."