Page 15

“I could heal you, you know.”

“What?”

“I can rearrange every cell and molecule in your body,” Melchom said, his body way too close to him. Dave shuddered—at the words or the proximity, he didn’t know. “I can order your body to do anything. Healing included.”

He gulped down. “Why would you do that?”

Because he wants you to know you have no control.

It wasn’t a minion’s voice this time, but it was just as terrifying. Yay?

“Because.” Melchom’s hold tightened. Dave guessed that answered his question about whether or not he was in his head. “Because I’m the only one who gets to hurt you.”

Of course.

Should he scoff? Or maybe laugh hysterically?

He wasn’t sure, but he thought he settled for something in between.

“That’s not as romantic as you think it is.”

“It’s not meant to be.”

But Dave still heard the click of the bathroom door when it closed. The grip on his arm loosened, too. Tremors were still running through his body when he was spun around and lifted from his armpits.

“I’m not a kid.”

He didn’t fight when he was deposited back on bed. He couldn’t quite tell why.

“You are gonna have to take a bath now,” the demon spoke matter-of-factly as his gaze traveled over Dave’s body.

Dave tried really hard not to keep trembling under the scrutiny.

“I don’t want to go in there.”

“Because of the minions?” Melchom’s raised eyebrow seemed to be issuing him a challenge. It was just too bad Dave wasn’t interested in one. “Are you that easy to break, Dove?”

Not acknowledging the name Melchom insisted on calling him, he huffed out, “I’m not easy to anything.”

He’d felt quite breakable since he’d walked in these chambers, though.

“We’ll see about that.” Melchom winked. “For now, though, you’re going to ask me to heal you, and then you’re going to clean up after yourself.”

“What do you mean, clean up?” He frowned.

The demon seemed to always be in the mood for playing mind games, but exhaustion was starting to claw at the edges of his mind and pull him under.

“The tiara.” Melchom shrugged. There had to be more to it, though. “And the bathroom.”

“No.”

He shook his head. Hadn’t the demon just witnessed what had happened in there?

“No?”

Dave crossed his arms. “I’m not going in there.”

“They can’t touch you if I’m inside the room.”