After Rhane had entered the mansion, Jenna stood at the same place. A lot of things were running through her mind all at the same time. She touched her lips, pressing her finger on them.
Soft. Warmer than she expected. Slightly parted like they were waiting for something, no, someone. Her fingers lingered there as her thoughts spiraled deeper, her feet moving but her mind far, far ahead.
Rhane had asked her to enjoy the rest of her afternoon, as if he hadn't left her with such wild thoughts. Even in his absence, she still wondered what kissing him would be like.
Would it be fast, like he couldn't hold back? Or slow, like he wanted her to feel every sinful inch of him pressing in?
Jenna imagined them standing somewhere secret, maybe that sunlit corridor with the stained glass windows, where the air always smelled of lavender and secrets. Or perhaps the garden at twilight, with its overgrown flowers and that broken stone bench that no one ever sat on because it was clearly uncomfortable. Perfect spot for a little sacrilege.
Strolling further inside the mansion, Jenna tried to think of her reaction if Rhane kissed her. Did she have to act surprised, or just lean into it and let him ravish her the way she truly wished? It had been a very long time since a man had kissed her, and the one time she actually kissed Rhane, she was too drunk to even be a part of it.
If only- Jenna came to an abrupt stop when she bumped into someone.
"Oof!"
Jenna stumbled backward, instinctively clutching her bodice.
"Watch it, blo—!" Percy hissed, before stopping mid-rant. His eyes widened.
Jenna tilted her head gently. "Wait. Percy?" Her breath caught somewhere between disbelief and outrage. "We finally meet!"
Percy bowed. When he raised his face, he stood there looking like he'd just been trampled by three horses, one ghost, and the weight of his own poor decisions. Clothes wrinkled, hair tousled, and his shirt shifted awkwardly to one side.
"My lady," Percy said, brushing off his sleeves in that useless, overly dramatic way of his. "You're looking… well. Better than me." Percy was yet to shrug off the dead bodies he saw the previous night and Kali pulling out a dagger from her stomach like it was normal.
The young servant needed more than a sleep to feel better. Percy believed the ghosts of the men he saw now latched heavily on him, since his whole body felt sore even after he had slept.
Jenna's mouth opened, then closed. Then opened again. How occupied had Rhane kept her that she forgot about her servant?
"Where have you been?!" she replied. "You were supposed to carry my bags, get the carriage ready, and possibly throw yourself in front of a sword if things got dangerous." Jenna remarked playfully. She was glad to see her servant and that he wasn't taken away by Gerald.
Pulling his shirt over his shoulder properly, Percy sighed. "A lot happened," he said, rubbing his temple like his soul ached. "In one night, might I add, I almost crossed the gates of hell."
He exhaled deeply, and for a moment, Jenna thought he might actually fall apart right there on the dusty path.
"My entire life flashed before me. If I wasn't a competent servant, I wouldn't be standing here now, my lady."
"Charming," Jenna muttered, crossing her arms. Her lips quirked up, but she didn't smile. "Tell me more, Percy." She humored him.
"I was attacked, my lady," Percy said gravely, and Jenna rolled her eyes dramatically. "He- he came at me like shadows, stood there like three men, no face, just voices and knives. I tried to run. And you know I don't run."
Jenna scoffed, tucking her hair behind her ear. "You ran when the brutes almost attacked me," Jenna pointed out.
"That was different. Those thieves were evil." He composed himself again and cleared his throat. "Anyway, I was asked to find, ehm…" Percy paused. He wasn't sure if he should mention Gerald in front of his mistress. "All you need to know, my lady, is your beloved servant almost died. I thought I was a goner."
Jenna's eyes narrowed. "You were almost murdered by pirates?"
Percy opened his lips to counter but noticed Jenna holding her smile. He played along and nodded. "…I may have added flair, but yes, murder was definitely the vibe."
"And then?" Jenna asked, only mildly entertained.
"Kali saved me," Percy said reverently, as though speaking of a goddess who had descended from the clouds in trousers and a scowl. "She jumped fearlessly. Sword in one hand, death in her eyes. I wept."
Jenna sneered. Percy was really the most dramatic fellow she'd ever met, but he was loyal. "You wept?"
"I wept," Percy confirmed, then sniffed. "I would've written her a poem when I woke up, but she told me if I spoke one more word, she'd feed me my own shoe."
Jenna actually smiled, a small, reluctant twitch at the corner of her lips. "Sounds like Kali."
Percy hummed, stretching his body to the side, then he stood straight. "She dragged me out of her room this morning like a sack of regret, then told me to 'go find your bloody mistress before she does something she shouldn't,'" he said, mimicking Kali's heavy accent and smug expression.
That brought Jenna up short. Her cheeks flushed traitorously. "She said that?"
Percy eyed her knowingly. "Should I be concerned, my lady?"
Jenna cleared her throat and looked away. "No. Of course not."
They stood there for a moment, the air warm with the coming noon, the distant scent of herbs and smoke drifting lazily through the trees.
Speaking with Percy made Jenna relax a bit from thinking too much about Rhane. She remembered her servants—and the one especially she promised to help: Mabel.
"Have you sent a letter to anyone back at home?" Jenna asked Percy.
Percy shook his head. "I thought we would have arrived home this morning, so I didn't think to write to them. Should I do that now?" he asked, ready to get things done if his mistress gave the order.
Jenna pressed her lips together, giving it a thought. There was no need to worry her servants if she would return home in a few days. "I don't think so, Percy. A few more days and we'll be leaving."
Percy raised his brows, partly filled with concern but more of surprise. "Did he…"
"I'm not trapped here, Percy." Jenna began walking, her eyes drinking up the expansive mansion with an oval ceiling. "I just have some things to sort out before leaving." Things like her feelings, Jenna completed in her mind.
As much as her body ached badly for Rhane, she needed to pack it up and get ready to leave. Life wasn't always that beautiful, and she knew better than anyone.
Percy followed his mistress, his eyes scanning her expression. "I hope you get things sorted correctly, my lady." His voice, as well as his eyes, was filled with concern this time.
Jenna paused and turned. "Do you think we should stay back here or what, Percy?"
"I think you should choose whatever makes you happy, my lady. Be it here or back at the merchant village. So long as your happiness comes first, my lady. That should topple everything else," Percy replied calmly.
Jenna nodded, turned her head, and continued walking. "My happiness," she murmured softly to herself. She liked the sound of it, putting her own needs first.