The Transcended: My Lord

Chapter 14

"Thank you, my lord." Meya bowed her head, turned around, and walked towards the door as calmly as she could manage. "Goodnight."

She clutched the towel wrapped around her body and stepped out into the hallway. The moment the door was closed, she sighed in relief. Today was a messed-up day.

Her mind flooded with images: the knife slitting the slaver's throat, the blood gushing out; the dagger cutting her hand, red drops dripping into the wine; the lord's skin under her touch, her hands roaming his back; his fingers stimulating her, waves of pleasure coursing through her body...

She shook her head and closed her eyes in the hopes of ridding herself of the conflicting emotions. Get yourself together, Meya! She sighed deeply and started to make her way back to her room. It hasn't even been a week. She examined her hand. The scarce light in the hall made it hard to see, but the faint line from where Lord Deminas had cut her was still visible. She shuddered and walked faster. Don't think too much about it. There's probably a logical explanation. She clutched the towel closer. Why would he drink my blood? He's not a demon, right? Lost in thought, she nearly bumped into someone and only just managed to swallow a scream.

"There you are!" Nina exclaimed.

Relieved to not have run into a guard, she muttered, "Oh, hey..." She clutched her towel. Please don't ask if we bathed again. She could feel her cheeks heating up slightly at the memory, and she quickly countered it by thinking about the lord cutting her hand. Gods, today really has been a mess.

Nina observed her roommate, raising the lamp she was holding a bit higher. "Are you alright? We were worried when you didn't show for supper." She leaned forwards to whisper in Meya's ear, "And people were saying they saw you coming out of the dungeons with the lord, covered in blood."

Meya swallowed. She wanted to say she was fine, but the lie refused to leave her lips.

"Come." Nina wrapped her arm around Meya. "Let's go somewhere private."

"The baths?" Meya asked. It might give me an excuse for looking like this, at least to the others.

Nina shook her head. "Winnie got dirty in the stables today, along with some others. They're all taking a bath."

Nina led her through several hallways and Meya looked around; this part of the castle was unknown to her.

"Where are we going?"

A coy smile appeared on Nina's face. "My secret place, if you will." She stopped in front of a large door and gave the lamp to Meya. "Please, hold this for me." She reached into her apron, retrieved two metal pins, and knelt in front of the door. "This will only take a few seconds."

Meya blanched and, afraid they'd get caught, her gaze kept shifting from Nina to the hallway as she listened intently for the sound of approaching footsteps.

The metal pins slipped into the lock and Nina moved them around until there was a click. She placed the pins back into her apron and took the lamp back. With her free hand, she pushed open the door. "Enter."

Meya hesitated for a moment, but Nina's hand pushing against the small of her back made her step into the dark room. "If it's locked, doesn't that mean it's off-limits?"

Nina closed the door. "I suppose, but no one ever told me explicitly that we're forbidden to enter this room." There was a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

Meya swallowed, nervous. "What if the lord finds out?"

Nina shrugged. "Like I said, I've never been told not to come here. At any rate, I've been coming here for years now without getting into any trouble. Relax." She walked farther into the room. The lamplight illuminated the area and revealed a large bed. Nina placed the lamp on a shelf and sat down.