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“It is called a massage, you ungrateful sod.”

Since its back wouldn’t be riddled with so much pain, she could do this now along with other things to help it heal.

Eventually, the stiffness the lizard had been holding in its body since it arrived started to loosen. It even sprawled on its stomach down her thighs with its back legs stretched back while the front seemed to reach forward.

She peeked her head over to see its eyes were drooping, barely blinking, like at any moment it might fall asleep.

Such a weird creature.

Chapter 4

She has me trapped in this damn cage again.

Rurik growled quietly to himself while watching the Witch potter around her pathetic peasant home from the window outside.

He was angry that she’d made him fall asleep just by prodding his back with her nimble fingers. With the tea she was forcing down his throat, the ointment now actually working, and her fingers expertly getting at his sore and tense muscles, she’d completely relaxed him.

He hadn’t even woken when she’d picked him back up. He put it down to being in too much pain to rest beforehand.

However, he’d definitely woken up when she’d pushed him into water, that was for sure. He was embarrassed by the fact she’d bathed him... again! He’d bitten her for doing it, and she’d tapped him on the forehead because of it.

Him!How dare she treat one such as myself like this!She kept smacking him, and the only reason he hadn’t unleashed his fury upon her was because she was aiding him.

Until his wings were healed, he was stuck like this.

Well, that was not necessarily true.

He could revert back to his true size, but with his wings still unusable he’d be a sitting duck. Either a different Witch would stumble upon him, or a useless human would, starting a battle he didn’t wish to fight in his injured state.

So, he allowed this filthyWitchto care for him in the hopes it wasn’t a trap, and she truly intended to release him.

After she smacked him, he’d held in his want to let loose every ounce of his fury and allowed her to bathe him. Then he had to deal with her slippery hands while she put something over his scales and tender wings.

He shuddered with disgust that this woman was touching him with her hands and magic.

Obviously, whatever concoction she was using required sunlight because she hung his birdcage outside so she didn’t have to hold him while he soaked it in.

He was offended she didn’t want to! Like... he wasn’t worth holding.

He felt conflicted about the pretty thing – and she really was a pretty thing, even for a lowlyWitch.

She had long blonde hair that was straight near the roots of her head before spiralling into large curls that framed a very soft and easy to look upon face. Her long lashes were dark, like her eyebrows, but they framed spell-binding blue eyes – Azure blue, like a shallow lake.

Rurik didn’t just hate Witches, he detested them all the way down to his soul. Yet he could tell this one wasn’t inherently evil. Actually, she appeared to be quite kind, very nurturing even. She had no reason to take care of an injured creature like himself, and yet she was.

He’d also watched her sob like a child over some useless human because...Something about not being able to save her?

He’d barely been paying attention since he had been plotting his escape. He’d been scheming as to how he could trick her so he could run away because she hadn’t been able to heal him.

Then last night, he’d watched with abject horror at her using blood magic,evilmagic, to remove the hex he’d already known was on his body. Not only had she done it, but she’d done it to him!Blasphemy!

He couldn’t believe he’d allowed her to do such a thing to him, even though she’d removed what was stopping him from healing by doing so.

He didn’t like her simply because of what she was, but he also didn’t find her particularly... unpleasant. Although her constant chattering to him was irritating.

She also did keep saving him from that blasted cat that tried to eat him.

He felt shame at the fact he’d almost been taken down by nothing but a house pet, but it’s not like he was the one who’d delivered the hex. No, that was one ofherkind.