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"Don't." His voice came out wrecked, and he didn't care. "Don't you dare tell me you're fine."

"Wasn't going to." Her lashes dipped shut. "I'm a long way from fine, Sparky.”

“That’s the first honest thing out of your mouth since I kicked in your door," he told her at the same time she went slack against his chest.

Across the graves, Izzy looked up from Donovan's still form. "That was the minor leagues, wasn't it?" She went on talking as if she hadn’t asked a question. "If that's the warm-up act, what in God's name is still down there waiting on the main event?"

Abraxos had no answer for her. His female was bleeding and wrung out. He needed to get her help. The thing he wanted most in any realm and the thing he was worst equipped to do had turned out to be exactly the same thing. He couldn't protect her from this. He could only hold on and tell himself that holding on would be enough. He didn't believe it. Not even a little. He held on anyway.

CHAPTER 6

SARAH

"Tell me Donovan's okay, or I'm getting up. Nobody in this house wants that." The words came out of Sarah like gravel dragged over metal.

The last thing she remembered was the cemetery and the stone monster flinging her own power back down her throat and the ground rushing up to catch her spine. After that it was blank. Now she was staring at a ceiling she didn't recognize. It was too clean, too high, and missing the water stain shaped like Mickey Mouse that had marked her bedroom ceiling for a decade.

"He's going to be fine." Abraxos didn't move from the chair jammed against her bed. He was close enough that his knees knocked the frame. Her gaze snagged on one of his wings. It was hanging awkwardly behind him, reminding her of their fight. It was bound and splinted where the Titan had closed a stone fist around it.

"Zander's healer came over," Abraxos continued, explaining. His deep voice carried easily through the quiet room. He rested his forearms across his knees, his attention never straying far from her. "Jace reset his shoulder, mended three broken ribs, and ordered Donovan to stay flat on his back." A knowing smirk tugged at his mouth. "Donovan ignored every word. Izzy's been planted beside him since sunrise. She refuses to leave."

"That sounds like them." Sarah pushed herself onto her elbows, every movement reminding her exactly how hard she'd hit the ground. Her entire body felt bruised from the inside out. "She'll stay there until he's up and back to normal. The first thing he'll do is growl at her for hovering." She snorted softly. "He can't stand looking vulnerable in front of the woman he's in love with, which is ridiculous because she's only worried about him."

Abraxos's mouth curved a fraction. "Males aren't built to enjoy appearing weak."

Sarah lifted an eyebrow, her smile turning sly despite her achy body. "No. Apparently, you're built to do incredibly stupid things and then insist you're perfectly fine while bleeding all over the floor."

A low laugh escaped him. It was rich enough to warm the room. The sheet slipped, drawing his eyes with it. Heat burned in her cheeks as her eyes followed suit. ‘Please, don’t let me be naked.’

A relieved breath escaped her when she realized she was dressed. She’d known that because she could feel the clothes. This male made her brain fuzzy when he was near. Her gaze landed on the skin where the script had burned beneath her skin in the cemetery. It had receded overnight, leaving only pale traces winding along the insides of her forearms. “Is this normal?” she asked, not really expecting an answer. This was all new to her.

His touch was careful, almost reverent, as he reached out and his thumb brushed over the fading symbols. “They'll be gone by tonight. The script always disappears afterward."

Sarah turned her hand over in his grasp, exposing the black sigil in the center of her palm. Unlike the silver markings, it remained as dark and sharp as the day it had appeared. "The brand doesn't."

Abraxos lowered his gaze to the mark, his expression hardening with quiet understanding.

"No," he agreed.

She curled her fingers slightly before opening them again. "So, the script's just a side effect. The brand is the thing that marks me as a tasty morsel."

"Don't do that." His thumb moved over the fading silver. Her traitorous hormones made her lean toward the contact before she could stop it. "Don't dismiss how important you are. You don’t have to make it small."

"It's a lot easier to look at when it feels small." She pulled her hand back because the alternative was letting him keep holding it. She wasn't awake enough to survive that. "How long was I out?"

"All day and most of the night," Abraxos explained, never taking his eyes off her. He stood near the window, his posture relaxed even though his attention remained fixed on her every movement. "Long enough for Amelia and Elsie to turn the library into a war room. They've been waiting for you."

Sarah shoved the blankets aside before he'd finished talking. She pushed herself upright too fast, and the room immediately tilted. Black crept into the edges of her vision as she braced a hand on the mattress. "Elsie's here?" she questioned, blinking until the walls settled.

"She is," Abraxos confirmed as he crossed the room in three easy strides. Amusement softened his features when he stopped beside the bed. "She walked in here, pointed a finger at me, and informed me that if I'd let her new friend get eaten, she'd salt my grace." A quiet chuckle escaped him as he remembered the encounter. "Zander and his warriors are still holding the port. He sent her back to bring the news."

Sarah swung her legs over the edge of the bed and planted her feet on the floor. Pain flared through her body, but she ignored it and kept going. "I need to get downstairs," she declared, determined to keep moving before her body quit.

Abraxos caught her elbow before she managed a single step. His grip was light, but there wasn't any chance of slipping free. "What exactly do you think you're doing?" he asked, studying her with an expression that bordered on disbelief.

Sarah met his gaze without flinching. "Going to the library." It should have been the most obvious thing in the world.

"You need sleep," Abraxos countered with a furrowed brow. "You can barely stand."