Page 53 of Witch’s Heart

The endearment caught my attention. I tore my gaze from the slack-jawed audience and looked into his eyes.

“That’s it.” He brushed a hand down my hair. “I’m all right. I’m okay. You saved me. It’s all right. Take a deep breath.”

I tried, but it felt like I couldn’t get enough air. Tears were sliding down my cheeks. I couldn’t stop trembling, in rage, in fear. “I can’t… I can’t lose you.”

“You’re not going to lose me. I am right here.” He cradled my face in his hands. “I’m right here, sweetheart.” He leaned in and kissed my forehead. “Take a deep breath.”

I nodded, trying to breathe more deeply. Slowly, ever so slowly, the thing inside me settled down. “The guards, did they…?”

“It looks like they’ve given chase. Come.” He pulled me to my feet, then tucked me against him, my back facing the crowd. “Guards, escort Weiss to the dungeons. He cannot be trusted. Let this be a lesson to all. Anyone who wishes to kill me will suffer the wrath of my lady witch. I promise you she will be far more ruthless than I. We’re done for the day. You are dismissed.”

I distantly heard the jostling and footsteps as the crowd dissipated. I couldn’t pull away. I didn’t have the heart to look upon his people. “Rixon, they saw me,” I breathed. “They saw me like this.”

Had I just ruined everything?

“I know.” There was no judgment in his voice. No anger. I expected him to be furious. I might have cost him the loyalty of his courtiers. His kingdom. What would they think, seeing their king cavorting with a demon-possessed witch?

His arms only tightened. “You did good, my love. So good. You saved me. Everything's going to be all right. You’ll see.”

“No it won’t!” I cried.

He leaned back, hooking his fingers under my chin, forcing my eyes upward. “I will make sure of it.”

There was a grim determination in his expression. It was enough that I believed him. Still, it didn’t make me any less fearful.

He backed over to the throne and dragged me with him, sitting me down on his lap. Holding me. I curled into him, still trembling.

“How can you be the calm one?” I demanded. “You literally almost died.”

“I knew you would save me.” The certainty in his voice made my insides melt.

“I… I almost didn’t,” I admitted, feeling the horror of my words. “For a moment, the thing inside me wanted to go after the assassin. It was enraged and thought only of revenge and retribution.”

He was quiet, digesting my words. “But, you fought through it. You got to me in time.”

I swallowed. “What if it gets worse? Darker? More controlling? What if next time, I don’t?”

“Stop.” He stroked down my hair. I hated his fierce optimism. “No matter what is inside you, you will still have a part of you that is uniquely you. That is the part I trust. Besides, I think your demon is a little fond of me, no? Surely it would have seen the sense in such an action. Who would make you—it—come the way I do, if I’m gone? I saw the way it looked out at me last night.”

I shivered against him. He wasn’t wrong. The thing inside me had reveled in last night’s activities. I had enjoyed it too, but whatever this thing was, it hungered for what Rixon offered. Needed it, even.

I blew out a breath. “I guess you’re right.”

“Mmm-hmm.” He stroked a finger down the shell of my ear, then followed the motion with his mouth, sucking the lobe between his lips before tugging.

“Rixon,” I groaned.

“Didn’t I just have a fantasy—a dream—about fucking you on the throne this very morning?”

A laugh burst from my chest, suddenly lightening my dark mood. It was exactly what I needed to hear. “You cannot be serious.”

“Oh, but I am⁠—”

The doors to the throne room grated open. A trio of guards strode in, led by General Ralston. I wanted to snarl at the sight of him. “The assassin escaped,” he informed us. “We will try to find him.”

“Your king is doing fine,” I scoffed. “Thanks for asking.”

“I can see that he’s fine,” Ralston drawled before addressing Rixon. “The guards tracked him out of the palace but he disappeared after that. Our units are combing the city.”