Page 25 of Marked

Blair stood and looked down at her body.

Cloth shorts hung tight on her thighs, and she counted the marks on her legs.

Four on one and six on the other, where the shadows had sliced her.

The scars were thin white lines that adorned her skin.

The small marks all that was left from the attack, thanks to the Healers.

One of them had taken the time to ensure the bleeding had stopped while the other followed behind and focused on each cut.

The healing time had then been expedited through the use of elixirs and lotions.

Although her skin healed at an impressive rate, the inside of her body was still stiff.

At this point, she was relying on massages and baths to help soothe her body .

Blair took another small breath and ran her hand over the scars, feeling the raised skin and remembering how she had felt small pokes in the hazy memories between clouds of black.

She lowered her hands and stood tall, peering into the bathroom.

Damien had the bath running and was putting some kind of oil into the water.

There had been a major shift in him since the attack.

He was no longer full of silence and distance.

He watched her with his full attention, tending to whatever she needed and never making any comments, no matter how small the accommodations were.

It had been like that since the first night she remembered waking up.

That night, he slept on the floor next to her bed, often waking to check on her.

Last night, though, he had been next to her in bed.

This room had become theirs, even though there was another one down the hall.

She had grown accustomed to this, having her own personal bodyguard.

Her legs moved slowly as she walked to the bathroom, just in time for the water to stop.

Damien was watching the water and looked up as Blair entered.

He pulled her to him and looked to the side as he pulled her shirt off, giving her the privacy she needed.

Turning his whole body, he sat with his back against the tub, just as he had the previous week.

Blair sighed in acceptance and tucked her fingers under her waistband to take off her shorts.

It was lifting her arms that angered her muscles, as if the shadows had focused on her shoulder blades, digging into her skin and attempting to rip into her body.

She watched the back of Damien's head as she stepped into the warm water and inhaled the scent of eucalyptus.

Blair smiled slightly, wondering when he had refilled it since the last bath.

Blair bent, using her knees, as the water hit her waist and then chest. Her hands guided her as she slowly lowered herself until she was covered in water.

The water sloshed in the tub, making ripples that mimicked the lines in her skin.

She rested her head back on the rim of the metal tub and took a deep breath.

"Need anything?" Damien asked quietly.

Blair answered with a sigh, "No."

The bathroom was quiet except for the soft lapping of water and the occasional drip from the faucet. Blair stayed leaning against the edge of the tub, her skin warming from the bath.

Next to her, Damien sat on the floor with his back on the outside of the tub, his head resting on the rim as well. His legs were extended straight out, and his hands rested on his lap, his fingers intertwined.

She studied the back of his head, contemplating asking the question that had been heavy on her mind.

"So, what is this? Us?"

Damien exhaled, his body stiffening slightly. He didn't look at her right away but then slowly turned his head, meeting her eyes over the edge of the tub.

He finally lifted his gaze, dark eyes unreadable.

"I don't know," and then silence.

Her pulse quickened. Damien was always cautious, but now, he was antsy, as if searching for an answer he didn't have.

Then, he tilted his head away again .

"I don't know how to explain us." His voice was low and steady, but something in it felt fragile. "I just know that I can't leave you alone."

The bathwater rippled as Blair shifted, the weight of his words pressing against her in a way that made her breath catch.

She should have said something, should have asked what that meant, what he wanted.

But she didn't. Instead, she sat up and watched him over the edge of the tub.

The way his fingers tapped anxiously, the way his throat bobbed when he swallowed.

Damien finally met her gaze again, his turquoise eyes unwavering. "I tried to ignore it, but it's like every part of me is drawn to you. Even my shadows."

Her fingers drifted lazily through the water at his words. The air suddenly charged with electricity.

"Well... maybe I don't want you to ignore it," she replied in a small voice.

Damien stilled, “Good.”

Neither of them moved until Blair had said the water had gone cold, and then he stood, leaving only to return with a towel. She dressed with him outside the door, calling him in when she was done.

Over the next few days, this became their routine: cooking food together, reading, and talking. Blair focused on healing, while Damien never left her side.