Page 26 of The Demon Mark

She didn’t complain as he moved her limp body, breathing a little harder as she sat up, but not fighting him at all. She let him brace her head against his shoulder, leaning against him with her entire weight, and he knew right then how serious this was. Not an ounce of fight remained in her body. She should be pushing him away, telling him that she didn’t want someone like him to help her.

But that wasn’t what she did. Instead, she just let him take care of her while she caught her breath. Her shaking hand lifted to grab onto his wrist, guiding the potion to her mouth as though she hoped it would save her.

He didn’t know that it would, though.

A strange emotion swept through him as she held onto him. And all he could focus on was how small her hand looked holding onto his wrist. She was so much smaller than him, so delicate, and yet right now she was trusting him to take care of her.

She wasn’t afraid that he would kill her. Right now, their interaction was about reassuring her and it was a position he wasn’t all that used to.

Swallowing hard, he wrapped his arm a little more firmly around her. “Feeling better?”

Her hand shook around his wrist and he could see how hard it was for her to swallow. Instead of replying, she shook her head.

“What happened?” No, that was too aggressive. He shouldn’t accuse her of anything. Clearing his throat, he tried again. “I mean, has something like this happened before?”

She finished the potion. Her hand on his wrist remained limp as he drew both of their hands to her lap. The bottle rested against her belly, empty now. “Yes.”

By the gods, the sound of her voice did something horrid to him. His stomach twisted. His heart dropped into the pit of his ribs, and he wanted to break something. Not her. But a plate or a person who had done this to her. He wanted to protect her, not... hurt her.

Tucking her head firmly against his shoulder, he brushed his fingers through the tangled and sweaty locks of her hair. “I’m sorry to hear this isn’t the first time that it’s happened.”

“Just part of being an oracle,” she said, her shoulders lifting and falling with a big sigh. “What did you give me?”

“It’s a relaxant. Something to help your body get into a state of ease. A spell, I suppose. It won’t stop a seizure, but it helps with the recovery.”

“Thank you for that, I guess.” She muttered something under her breath before trying to sit up. “I need to go back to my master.”

“You have no master.”

“I do,” she snapped, but her words had no heat to them. “You don’t understand.”

“Then tell me what to understand.”

She shook her head, clearing her throat again and clearly struggling. “It’s going to happen again. I need to go back to my master. He’s the only one who can help me.”

“Lilith—”

“My master,” she whispered, already out of his arms and on her hands and knees. She was crawling toward the pool, but he wasn’t all that sure why.

Perhaps because she needed to bathe? She was covered in sweat and spit. Maybe she wanted to be clean.

“Come here, oracle. Let me get you in the bath.” He stood, stooping beside her, only to flinch as she hissed out an angry breath.

“Not you.” Those icy eyes seared straight through him. “You need to leave. Or bring me to my master.”

He hated that she still called that other man her master. The circus master didn’t deserve the name, neither did he deserve her adoration. Clenching his teeth, he waved his hand for another portal. Two servants walked through.

Her eyes caught on them, and he saw the need in her gaze. Two other women, eerily similar to the priestesses who had served her in that circus. He’d chosen them for that very reason, because he suspected she would want something familiar. Especially in circumstances like this.

He caught his wrist behind his back, trying to stay in her line of sight in case she didn’t want him behind her. “I understand this is hard for you. For that reason alone, I will allow you to be cleaned by my servants. This is a gift, Lilith. View it as one.”

She glared at him through the tangled locks of her hair. “I need to be alone.”

“You will not drown yourself.” Anger flared a little hotter at the venom in her gaze as he said the words. “I meant what I said. You don’t get to kill yourself. You die when I say you can die.”

“Everyone needs to get out of this room,” she said through clenched teeth. “And I need to go back to my master.”

“So you have said. You seem so dedicated to a man who isn’t even looking for you, and I wonder why that is.” He crouched before her this time, his hands dangling off his knees as he forced her to look at him. “Lilith. Give up your hope of returning to the squalor and performances. This is your home now.”

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