Page 42 of Marked By the Dark Lord
Lunging forward, I grabbed her by the jaw, holding her still until our faces were inches apart. “What did I tell you about calling me by that name?” I growled threateningly.
“Then stop keeping secrets from me,” she hissed defiantly, not backing down despite the pressure I exerted on her. “You’re not going to hurt me anyway, not seriously, so you can stop with the tough guy act. We both know you’d rather fuck me than fight me.”
Where was her backbone coming from? Was she speaking like that out of fear? Or was I seeing a new side to her, a more defiant, feistier side? Perhaps that was therealMila? That wouldn’t be so bad …
“You know it. And you’re scared of it,” she said, deducing the incorrect answer from my pause. “Fuck. That means we’re truly screwed, aren’t we?”
“I am not scared of it,” I said, glad to tell that little white lie. I didn’t enjoy lying to Mila, which was a confusing sensation I didn’t want to deal with now as we were in the middle of a situation.
“Are you sure?” she questioned, narrowing her eyes.
I let go of her jaw. “I’m positive. It’s you, tiny witch, who should be scared of it. Now that you’re back in the mortal realm, and as the one who holds sway over him, Irrtok will be looking for you. I have nothing to fear, but you …”
“Then why did you want to leave?” she said sharply.
“To protect you!” I snapped.
“Liar,” she said with far too much calm.
I hated when she read me so easily. Not that I was about to tell her the truth, that I recognized Irrtok indeed, that he matched the magic I’d easily recognized on the book. I didn’t want her to know that he was a Fae. The truth was, I had nothing to fear from Irrtok if it came to a fight. He might easily overpower Mila, but me? I scoffed. I was one of the Sidhe.
Unfortunately, I didn’t know Irrtok by reputation alone. That was why I didn’t want to be around when he showed up. I knew him because he was fr—
A piercing shriek from inside the bakery assaulted my ears. Mila’s head snapped around, holding a hand against her parted lips.
“Time to go,” I said. “Time to return to The Place Behind.”
I took one step forward before Mila moved to block my path, crossing her arms. “No.”
“What?”
“We are not about to let her justdiein there,” she snarled as another scream came. “Especially if I am the one who caused it. So, you, Mr. Big-Bad-Whateveryouare, are going to march in there, and you are going tokick its ass.”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I am not.”
I lifted my hand and gestured. Mila hissed in pain as the mark I’d made on her chest burned, compelling her to move aside and walk next to me.
“Why are you doing this?” she moaned through the pain, still trying to fight it. Didn’t she know it was pointless?
“I’m saving your life, that’s why,” I said. “You should be more grateful.”
The screams intensified. Metal crashed against metal.
“Please,” Mila begged. “Help her. Go stop it. I’d literally get on my knees and beg if I could move. Please, for once, do somethinggood.”
I laughed. “I’m not good, Mila. Haven’t you learned that by now?”
“Please,” she whispered pitifully. “I’ll do anything. Whatever it takes.Anything.”
The connotations of that offer were clear as day. I paused, considering it.
“Anything?” I replied.
Mila looked down, her tongue running over her lips. There was a long pause, but in the end, she nodded, her shoulders slumping slightly. “Yes,” she said hoarsely. “Anything you want. I’ll do it. I’ll be a good girl. I promise. Please. Justsave her.”
She looked up at me, eyes wide and pleading. My cock burned, straining toward her. What was it about her that drove me so insane with lust? One moment she was weak and frail, and the next, she was strong and determined, willing to call me a liar to my face.Nobodydid that and lived. Yet I hadn’t punished her for it. She was infuriating!
“What are you talking about?” I snarled, disguising my anger at myself as anger at her by pretending to be oblivious.
