Page 46 of The Demon Mark

He sighed, and the breath stirred her hair. “You said there was only one way for the oracles to grow that herb that you need. Correct?”

“Yes.” She said the word hesitantly, stiffening at his words. “Why?”

“I just think that you haven’t thought all of this through.” He lifted his head from the crook of her neck and then nodded at her drawing. “And you have a talent for drawing, I see.”

She had no idea where he was going with this. “I don’t see how those two things are related.”

“Do you remember what the flower looks like?”

Did she? She had seen it so many times in her life, longed for it for so many years, that she could draw that plant in her sleep. “I know everything about that plant, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Good.” He turned her in his arms, just a little. Enough so that her shoulder was pressed against his chest and she could see that he’d lifted his shirt with his free arm. Exposing a bare part of his ribcage and all the other tattoos that decorated him from his chin all the way to disappearing into his trousers. “See this spot?”

“A rare blank space, I take it.”

“I want you to tattoo the herb onto my skin. If you use it after I pull it off my body, then you’ll have to tattoo it again, but... I’ll let you in on a little secret.” He leaned until his lips pressed against her ear, and then growled, “I happen to like pain.”

18

He wasn’t sure why he’d even said it. The thought had popped into his head earlier that day and then he couldn’t stop thinking about it. There were other ways for them to fix this problem, and why he hadn’t thought of this solution before, he wasn’t sure.

He wanted to keep her. Doing that wasn’t possible without the herb, and frankly, he didn’t think her old master was going to come back. The man had run the moment they had given him the chance, and Envy was certain he wasn’t going to come back.

It seemed like everyone wanted to run from her. And that worked for Envy. He was quite pleased to be the only person that mattered to her. The only person that would stick around when everything got hard, and the only one she could turn to.

Perhaps that was twisted. Perhaps it was wrong.

But his brother’s voice was stuck in his head. He had been given a gift of a woman. A creature unlike any that anyone in his kingdom had ever seen before. No one else had an oracle, and just her existence fed something in him that meant he either had to keep her or kill her.

He couldn’t kill her. Every time he even thought of it now, his hands shook and his power rose as though to protect her from himself. He could feel all the spells ready to drop from his tongue. As if he would defend her even against himself.

It was a quandary, and now he’d wrapped her in his arms and had her staring at his bared chest like the snake that was wrapped there was about to leap out at her. Maybe it would. He could tug it into existence if that’s what she wanted from him. Threatening her with a hissing, scaled creature wasn’t how he wanted this to go, though.

She needed him. And he needed to bind her to him so she would never leave.

He wasn’t sure what he was going to do with her once she was definitely his. All he wanted was to keep her here. Safe and sound and in his arms until he could finally get... something.

He didn’t know what yet. But Envy knew that if she was gone, he would never get it.

Lilith stared up at him with those bright blue eyes, barely blinking as she met his gaze. “You want me to tattoo you?”

“In a way. Magic is easier than needle and ink. You could use a brush if that would make you more comfortable. All I need is the image on my skin.” He tightened his grip on her, like that might convince her quicker if he squeezed. “It would be an honor to serve you, oracle.”

That seemed to do it.

He watched her pupils dilate and her breathing kick up a notch at the words. And though he knew part of that was fear, he liked to pretend that a good chunk of it was desire.

Because he wanted her, too.

Gently setting her back onto the chair he had vacated, he conjured a paintbrush and a pot of ink. He didn’t let his gaze stray from her at any point. He wanted her to feel the heat in him. The need for her to do this even though she was already second guessing everything. He wanted her to know just how much he needed her. Desired her. Ached for her.

She licked her lips, and the glimpse of her pink tongue made his cock throb. He wanted that tongue on him. Not the brush. But if this was what he had to take, then he would endure this moment.

She took the offered brush and set the ink pot between her legs. “I just paint it on you?”

“That’s all you have to do, little one. I will conjure the spell that burns every line of your work into my flesh.”

He summoned another chair and sat down in front of her. Of course, then he had to take his shirt off. And he made a show of it.

---