147 Chapter 144 Bath House (2/2)
Heading into the bath house, wrapped in her own towel, she had to pause at the door because of all of the steam in the air. Selena was already in the water, leaning back against the wall. There were three pools to choose from, and she had entered the largest. Trays lined the sides of the pools, filled with different soaps and oils. It looked like the water was constantly being filtered, so it didn't stay dirty when someone used one type of soap.
Walking carefully through the steam, she saw that the water Selena was soaking in, was bubbling gently. Her first thought was that it had some kind of system to make the bubbles, but as she stepped into the water, on the first step, her tattoo that protected her from heat flared up and Stella realized the water was merely that hot.
”You have tattoos!” cried Selena in rapt fascination, swimming closer to see them, as Stella finished entering the pool.
”Yes, Joseph put them on me. They are all magic to protect me or allow me to do something of some kind.”
”Even the one here, over your heart, that says Joseph?”
”Yes, that allows me to be able to find him, and step out of his shadow where ever he may go. He a.s.sured me it would always work, but I'm not sure. The few times I've used it, he hasn't been that far from me.”
”That's fantastic! My lover can't mark me, this form is too fragile.”
”Oh, Joseph and I aren't lovers, not yet, anyways.”
”Are you waiting to finish maturing? I must admit, I'm not familiar with your new species type.”
”I'm plenty mature, just not ready for taking that next step. Whenever I think about…certain things, I get uneasy, and that is not a feeling I enjoy. Joseph understands and is willing to wait until I am ready. I just wish his mother understood.”
”Perhaps her problem is that she is only a mortal. While you and Joseph could live as long as you wish, she knows that life is a precarious thing. Did you know that her parents died when we were trying to make our way back to you and Joseph in the north?”
”That would definitely explain why she has been hounding and trying to control him so much.”
”Well,” Selena said with a chuckle, ”Part of that is merely being a mother, and having trouble dealing with your child growing up so fast, and part of that is that little Joseph has never been like any child his age, at least since I met him a little over a year ago.”
”That makes more sense. I had always wondered about that, but it's hard to talk to Joseph about these things. His perspective is just as skewed as my own, when it comes to parents.”
”I would like to caution you, that more and more people are growing to fear the two of you. Little Joseph has grown vastly more powerful. If I had not known the two of you from before, I would even be scared of you.”
”I've noticed some of the glances, and heard some of the mumblings. Don't worry, I will keep Joseph safe.”
”Good, I will need him to keep these hot baths available for me when I decide to have my own children.”
”And how do you intend to do that?” asked Stella, incredulously.
”I have not figure that out yet, but I am sure a day will come, when I do.”
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