Serpent's Touch (Serpent's Touch 1)

AMIRA

Rourke took us upstairs to the lobby of the hotel. Above ground, the place looked a bit more presentable, with red runners on marble floors and crystal chandeliers under the mirrored ceiling.

“You can have the best room we have,” he chatted excitedly. “The top floor suite.”

The price he named for it made my jaw drop.

Unfazed, Kyllen counted the bills from the thick stack of money he had gotten for his chips downstairs and handed them to the woman at the check-in desk.

She eyed him curiously, sliding the card key his way. “Enjoy your stay.”

Rourke snickered. “Yeah. Have fun, you two. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He slapped Kyllen on the shoulder in a comradely fashion.

Kyllen said nothing, stretching his neck and rolling his shoulder back as if trying to shrug off the sensation of Rourke’s touch.

Only when the two of us were in the elevator alone did I release a breath and let the tension drain from my back, neck, and shoulders.

A while back, Radax had arranged for a free rollercoaster ride for me with the carnie who operated it. I screamed my head off during the ride. The sensation of my insides rising to my throat then dropping into the abyss was unforgettable. Tonight reminded me of that very much.

“It was intense,” I said. “Worse than a rollercoaster ride.”

Kyllen chuckled. “That’s the pleasure of gambling, isn’t it? The thrill.”

Maybe I wasn’t cut out for gambling, but it’d been a bit too much excitement for me. I’d been ready to leave from the moment they had brought the money for Kyllen’s arm bracer.

Once we reached our floor and exited the elevator, I leaned over to him and lowered my voice. “Just tell me one thing. Did you know you would win at the end?”

He brought his mouth to my ear. “Yes.”

“Kyllen!” I recoiled from him, slapping his chest. “I was so stressed. I nearly had a heart attack every time you lost. Don’t you ever do this to me again!”

He laughed, catching my hand. “Admit it, you had fun. Maybe just a little bit?”

“Fun? I’m a wreck.” My insides hadn’t settled yet, and my knees still felt like mush.

He grabbed me into a side hug while I slid the card key, opening the door to our room.

“I’m sorry, my honey cake,” he murmured playfully, kissing my hair while dragging me in through the door.

“And don’t you ‘honey cake’ me.” I tried to summon some anger or at least annoyance to my voice, but it proved impossible to be cross with him when he cuddled me and purred silly nicknames in my ear.

Warmth tingled through me from being this close to him. This was the thrill I enjoyed. But it came with a chilling tendril of trepidation, too. These feelings were so new, so unfamiliar and overwhelming.

I stepped out of his arms and cast a glance around the room. It was nice, as far as I could tell. I’d been to hotels with Madame to help her unpack or to bring her things when she sent me on errands. I’d never actually stayed in one before.

Dark carpet covered the floor. A set of sliding doors separated the sitting area with a caramel-brown couch from the sleeping area with a bed under a cream-colored bedspread.

I opened the mini-fridge under the counter in the kitchenette area. “Water?”

Kyllen eagerly took the bottle from me and emptied it in a few hungry gulps. Tossing the empty bottle aside, he inspected the room with a nervous energy. He glanced behind the flat-screen TV, opened a closet door, then poked his head into the bedroom.

“Are you looking for something?” I asked, somewhat confused.

He turned to me, propping his hands on his hips. “Isn’t a guesthouse supposed to have a water feature? Even in this dry, cold world where water is packaged and distributed in miserly amounts?” He tipped his chin at the discarded water bottle.

A water feature?

“You mean like a fountain?” I clarified.

“A fountain, a waterfall, a basin… Something.”

“Oh, a bathroom?” I opened a door near the entrance. “There it is.”

I flipped the switch on to illuminate a large bathroom with a tub, a sink, and what looked like two toilets.

Kyllen glanced inside over my shoulder.

“The tub is empty,” he stated disapprovingly.

“Well, let’s fill it, grumpy pants.” I headed to the tub and turned the faucet on. Warm water rushed out in a strong stream. “Here you go.”

He stood next to me, watching it run. His arms crossed over his chest, he seemed calmer now.

“Are the bathtubs always full back in Nerifir?” I asked.

“I can’t speak for all of Nerifir, but in Lorsan, the waterfalls never stop running. They’re a part of the wetlands, as are our homes.” He bent over to stick his hand under the stream.

“Is it warm enough? I can adjust the temperature.”

“No. It’s perfect.” He unbuckled his belt.