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He groaned. “I could be torturing you for no good reason?”
Had she the strength to lift her good hand, she would have brushed the lock of black hair from his forehead and tried to rub away the worry lines above his nose.
“You’ve been torturing me since you made love to me in an erotic vision. I haven’t been able to get it out of my head. Or the fact it was a one-time deal.”
“Jade…”
“Just do it,” she insisted. “Please.”
He didn’t hesitate a moment longer. He clasped her hand with his large one and then used the other to shift the protruding bones. She screamed from the pain, despite her best effort to remain quiet. Darien didn’t let up, doing exactly as she’d asked him to.
When he was apparently satisfied with the placement, he sprang from the mattress and washed his hands in the basin Sheena had supplied, then dried them. He snatched the decanter of brandy his assistant had left behind. He refilled the glass and turned back to Jade.
“No,” she said. “I had just enough to help me focus. I need to hang on a few minutes more, and another drop will put me out in a heartbeat.”
She could already feel the alcohol’s effect. It was helpful and she could concentrate on what she needed to do, though exhaustion crept around her consciousness.
Darien took large drinks from the glass before setting it aside. He dragged a chair over and sat bedside.
“What else can I do?”
Her head rolled against the pillow. “I’m not going to be able to stay awake. I won’t heal much while I’m asleep, but resting will return some of my strength, so I can continue when I wake up.”
His gaze slid to her hand. “The bloodflow has already slowed and it’s soaking into your skin.” He skimmed two fingers over her temple. “Are you warm enough?”
“Yes.”
He bent his head and kissed her softly. “If I could take all this pain away, I would.”
She attempted another smile. “Don’t try to read my mind. It’ll hurt you more.”
“I’m not the one you should be worried about.”
“Take a look in a mirror,” she muttered. “I know I look bad, but so do you. You can’t try to absorb anything I feel.”
“It’s my fault you’re injured. And there I was the other day, telling you I didn’t want your friend Michael to hurt you again. I’ve gone and done it myself.”
“Not your fault.”
“Yes, it is,” he whispered. His lips grazed her cheek, then her jaw. “I didn’t keep you safe.”
“I didn’t let you.”
He sighed. “This castle isn’t the home you love. I understand why you insisted on staying there, not here. But until you’re healed, please sleep in my bed.”
Honestly, there was no place she’d rather be while she recovered. Especially not alone and suffering in her cottage. But a daunting thought flitted through her nearly numb brain. “The slayers will look for me. They’ll see the tracks and the blood and come to the castle for me. They’ll want to take me back.”
“Not until you’re healed,” he murmured, his breath teasing her neck, comforting her. “Just get better. I’ll deal with everything else.”
Her eyelids closed once more and she couldn’t help but give in to the drowsiness that consumed her. She had to place her faith in the Demon King and believe no one would harm her while in his care.
Chapter Five
Darien felt sick to his stomach. Not a common occurrence for an immortal of any species. His gut clenched so tight his abs hurt. And deep in his damned soul, an unfamiliar sensation taunted him. The human sleeping restlessly in his bed unleashed emotions within him so potent, he wondered if lust had become an extreme understatement for the feelings he had for her.
He kept the fire blazing and the natural rosy color returned to her lips. Her cheeks glowed with a similar tint. She’d lost whatever shoes she’d been wearing, if she’d had a chance to slip into them at all. He pulled the turned-down duvet from its folded position at the foot of the bed and carefully draped it over her.
The temptation to slip into her mind was difficult to resist. Returning to his bedside chair, he brushed strands of hair from her face, gently so as not to disturb her. Possibly, in her slumber, her thoughts might be more peaceful. If he could further soothe them so she could regain her strength, then he could push past the strain she caused him over her agonized state.
