Talon's of Life and Death

11

"Well, back in Falor you'd heat the water by the fire, here it felt silly since the only fireplace is in the common room, and everyone's there. I couldn't just walk in with a pale of water and leave it in front of everyone." I confess, keeping my chin high. "So, I've been using the cold water from the sink to fill up the tub."

This time he did laugh. "I must have forgot to explain how it works here to you, I'm sorry." He stops his amusement to throw me an apologetic smile.

I cross my arms and frown. "Amuse me then."

His eyes drop from my face for a second, before I could glance to see what degraded his eyesight, he was already speaking. "We have boilers, machinery built in the basement of this house. The water is stored into a large water tank, the furnace heats the water and the piping running through the house sends it to the bathroom." He says, distracted almost, he was barely looking at me.

"That sounds... remarkable."

"It is, come on." He waves at me to follow as he leaves my room. I silently follow him on bare feet as he enters the bathing room closest to my own from the hallway. I'd been in here before, it offered a full length mirror and a tub you could stand in with a sink and toiletries. They also had a toilet. I wasn't privy to such a privilege back in my tiny shack in Falor. "Look," He says, gesturing to the large shower head above the tub.

"The left is the hot water, right is the cold. Sometimes you have to wait a moment for the water to heat, the boiler is temperamental. As soon as it is at a temperature you like, pull this plug and the shower will turn on." He does so, water trickles from above. "There is boilers in almost every home in Palin, and in the academy. It was strange for Kessa to get used too as well when she first arrived. Maddox helped her though."

I blink, surprised by how easy and simple it was. I turn to him, "I assume you've grown up with this?"

He shuffles on his feet and nods. A stupid question. His father was a general and a reigning council member on the council of Sphere. He grew up wealthy, igniting another difference between us. "I want to apologise, about today. I should not have left you like that."

Now it was my turn to shuffle awkwardly. I run a hand through my frazzled curls and shrug my shoulders. "The Lycan's rattled all of us."

"It was no excuse." His voice was hard, his eyes carrying emotion as he stared at me.

Moving past the intensity of his voice, I avert my gaze. "It doesn't matter, me and your brother shared a lovely conversation instead."

He groans. The sound nerve wracking and surprising coming from him. "I bet it was." He talks in a deep tone, striking me.

I send him a knowing smile, "I would tell, but I swore I wouldn't."

He arches an eyebrow. "Now I have to know."

I chuckle, shaking my head as I gaze at the shower. "Thank you for... showing me how to use this." I bow my eyes in embarrassment.

"It was my pleasure," He almost bows his body in mockery. "When you're finished, come to my room, I want to show you something."

My entire body freezes at his words, my eyes must have expressed my alarm because immediately his body responded the same way. "Oh, Gods, no! Not like that." He struggles to speak, his cheeks flushing pink as he awkwardly rubs the back of his neck, flexing his arm and his muscles.

His bare chest was not helping this situation.

He clears his throat, his voice smooth and rid of any embarrassment. "I want to show you something that is not in my room," He clarifies with precision. "I just meant when you are... finished, to meet me at my room and then we'll leave."