The copper tub groaned as Hermi sank into the steaming water. It rose to her collarbones, the heat stinging her skin at first, before settling into a deep, numbing comfort.
She watched with heavy lids as Cassian held a small glass dropper over the surface. Drop by drop, a thick essential oil fell into the water, blooming in golden swirls.
The scent of wild lavender mixed with sharp pine filled the small space, a refreshing balm that seemed to soak directly into her weary bones.
Cassian stripped away his traveling leathers and salt-stained linens at last, tossing them into a wicker basket in the corner of the room. He stepped into the tub behind her, his large frame displacing the water until it reached the very rim of the copper.
His attention wandered to the brass holder where several cakes of soap sat in a neat row. "Which of these do you prefer? There is olive oil, laurel oil, and here is a block of honey." He lifted the pale yellow cake and held it near her nose.
