By the time I reach the castle gates, my heart is still doing stupid flips, and my brain is chanting one thing:
Do not smell like Maeve. Do not smell like Maeve. Do. Not. Smell. Like. Maeve.
I slip past the guards with a casual wave, take the stairs two at a time, and bolt straight to my room. If anyone sees me, they're smart enough not to say anything. Either that or my "do not perceive me" aura is finally working.
The second my door closes, I sag against it and exhale.
Then I dive for the bathroom.
The shower is fast and homicidal. I attack myself with soap like I'm trying to scrub away my sins and at least three layers of skin. Floral soap, citrus shampoo, some fancy oil Riley bought that smells like vanilla and summer. The bathroom smells like a bakery exploded.
I towel off, pull on clean clothes, blast my hair with a drying spell, and stare at myself in the mirror.
