The hot water in the bathtub no longer burned. It just ran down her body.

Aurora sank a little deeper, up to her chin. The silence in the room contrasted with the explosion she felt inside.

She wanted to say no.

She wanted to run away.

But there she was. In a bathtub scented with spices, inside a magical fortress, about to dine with the leaders of an ancient clan.

Samira entered without knocking, as if it were natural. She carried a soft cloth and a set of ...