Kara wanted to scream. She wanted to jump out of the tub and snatch up her clothes. She wanted to run, to pound on the door until someone came and rescued her. She wanted to fling herself out the window—anything to escape what was coming. But she couldn't. No matter how hard she tried to do any of those things, she couldn't move. Instead, she obeyed, closing her eyes with a soft sigh.
The warm liquid flowed down Kara’s hair, onto her shoulders, and down her back and chest. “This is hyssop, to cleanse and purify you before you join with the king.”
Kara shuddered. She tried to keep her mind blank, not wanting to think about what “joining” was to come. She wanted to sink so deep inside of herself that at least her mind wouldn't experience the sensation of the touch of a man she didn’t want.
