TWENTY-ONE
Alone in another bathroom, Tulsi checked herself in the mirror. Her bruises were darkening, but the swelling wasn’t as bad as it might have been without Svana’s quick actions.
The ice was disintegrating. Frozen lumps floated in the slush of the smaller cubes that had already begun to melt.
Having been deprived of food and water that day, Tulsi considered how she might take a drink. With her hands at her back, she had few options. Pondering how likely it was she’d snag one on her tongue, she was about to try when another face appeared above hers in the mirror.
The sudden sight made her gasp.
“You were wrong,” he said in a deep growl, leaning forward to rest his hands on the vanity on either side of her.
“About?”
He lowered his mouth into her hair, keeping his eyes on her r
