Rogue drops of water roll down the smooth glass to where my fingers tighten. Water that heals. Water that extends our lives. Water that Ever isn’t allowed to access. “There was a… a w-wolf.”

Trevor sucks in a breath, the color draining from his face. “Are you hurt? There’s a physician down the road⁠—”

“No.”

He freezes, his hands outstretched toward me and brow furrowed. Slowly, he lowers his arms to his sides, and his lips  flatten into grim line. “We must go to the king straightaway.”

If we go to the king, he’s liable to cut off all access to the well. I cannot be the cause of an entire village’s downfall as well as my own. “No,” I say again, stronger. More resolute.

“Kerris—”

“I said no. The wolf wasn’t on our side of The Divide. It was on theirs. And it’s dead.” The Seelie are safe which means the king doesn’t need to know a blessed thing. Besides, there are four guards watching the bridge. They would kill any beast before it made landfall in Rosehill.

Trevor blinks at me for a moment, but then his eyes widen, followed by a slow nod.

I take another sip, willing my hands to stop trembling. How am I supposed to walk through town looking like I’ve been shredded to ribbons? Word is bound to reach the king, and I cannot have anyone else finding out what happened. “I know I have no right to ask you this, but will you help me? I need you to get Nia and ask her to bring me a change of clothes.”

He bobs his head. “Yes, of course. I’ll go straightaway.”

“Thank you.” Although it’ll do no good to put on a clean dress and still have blood on my hands. “Do you mind if I use your bathing room?”

“Not at all. Help yourself to what’s there. There are fresh towels in the closet.”

“Thank you, Trevor.”

His boots fall heavily against the wooden floor as he hurries toward the exit, leaving me in bitter silence, drowning in memories. Forcing myself to my feet, I drift toward the bathing room to fill the claw-foot tub. Such a simple convenience that I’ve always taken for granted. With a shuddering exhale, I shed my clothes and sink into the water, its healing properties doing nothing to save me from the images in my mind.

Of the wolf.

Of him.

My eyes sink closed, and I let my tears melt down my cheeks and disappear into the bath. Eventually, the water goes cold, but I cannot find it in me to rise.

Hinges creak, and Nia steps into the room, a colorful carpet bag slung over her shoulder. “Are you all right?” she whispers. “You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.” She steps closer. “Heavens above, Kerris. Is that blood on your forehead?”