Page 26 of Marked

“Please?” Blair asked.

“Nope. Not happening.” Damien answered, displeased.

"Come on, I'm hungry, and I want to go out." Blair stood with her hands on her hips, looking at Damien.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he paid no mind to her theatrics.

"Let’s go to dinner! I'm almost completely healed, and I've been stuck here for over a week." Blair begged, adding a dramatic flair by doing small arm circles with her arms and then gradually increasing the size of them.

"I'm not risking it," Damien responded, not looking up from the book he read.

"Listen, we'll hide ourselves in the back and I’ll eat quick. I can't stay here any longer, I’m literally going crazy. Plus, you're going to be with me, so everything will be fine!"

Blair placed her hands together in front of her chest, kneeling on her knees, pleading with him.

Damien raised one eyebrow at her and sighed. Shaking his head in defeat and closing his book, looking back up at her.

After a moment, he groaned loudly. "I like you better when you're feisty. "

Blair's eyes widened, and she stood, jumping up and down but stopping quickly.

She had put in a lot of work to earn the forgiveness of her muscles, and she was starting to understand her boundaries.

She moved to the door, grabbing their cloaks and handing his to him with a large smile on her face.

He stared at her for a moment and then took it, shaking his head.

The cottage they were temporarily staying in was closer to the shops.

They didn't have to walk far before the smell of food hit their stomachs. The old tavern they chose was a miniature mock-up version of The Raven’s Nest. The wooden beams were dark with age, the scent of roasted meat and spiced ale thick in the air.

Blair and Damien stepped inside, the low murmur of conversation wrapping around them like a warm embrace. There was no fire in this one, but the roof opened in multiple areas, showing glimpses of the night sky and the stars that littered the canvas of black.

They found a table near the back, where the light from the lanterns was softer, and settled into their seats. Blair stretched her legs beneath the table, running her fingers over the rim of her glass as she glanced around.

"I like this place," she said, her voice light, thoughtful. "It's got character."

Damien nodded his head in agreement, “Definitely. If by character, you mean a unique smell of horse stall and stale beer." he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. Blair chuckled in response and kicked his leg underneath the table .

They ordered and ate slowly, with different plates of meat and vegetables in front of them.

Blair moved slowly, admiring the food and atmosphere.

A musician in the corner plucked at his strings, the melody weaving its way through the room like smoke.

The rhythm was smooth and inviting. Before Damien could react, Blair was rising from her chair.

"I love this song," she murmured, her body swaying as she stood.

She stepped into the open space near the musician, her movements fluid as she swayed to the music.

The candlelight around the musician highlighted the soft brown tones in her hair, her smile gleaming bright and effortless.

Damien leaned back in his chair, watching her, his lips curving upward as she twirled lightly on her feet.

But then, someone else noticed her too. A tall man with broad shoulders sauntered over to her after he watched her for a moment.

Filled with the confidence of someone who had spent his life charming women, he moved into her space.

Leaning in, he murmured something to Blair that Damien couldn't hear.

Blair laughed and the stranger's hand found hers as he pulled her into a dance.

Damien's whole body tensed, his shoulders tight with anger.

Blair laughed loudly as she was spun. She moved in step with the stranger, his hands moving to her waist. As Damien watched, his fingers tightened around his drink.

The song seemed to stretch on far longer than it should have. By the end, Damien was seething. He watched as the stranger leaned in, whispering something in her ear again. As the song came to an end, the man took Blair's hand and pressed a slow, deliberate kiss to her knuckles.

Damiens's shadows shot out, ready to grab Blair and pull her close. They made it halfway before they reluctantly stopped and started to recoil. Damien met them as he charged toward Blair.

Blair turned to him, breathless, flushed from the dance.

"You okay?" she asked, noticing his demeanor and tilting her head slightly.

"It's time to go," Damien said, his voice tight, controlled.

Her smile faltered as she caught the look in his eyes. She noted the tension in his shoulders and the way his jaw was locked as if he was holding something back. She didn't argue. She simply nodded as he grabbed her hand and went to follow him toward the door.

Within that exact second, a foreign touch tugged her other hand, and her body was pulled to a halt. Blair turned, meeting the eyes of the stranger she had shared a dance with. Her mouth gaped open, and she tried to pull her hand away. He yanked first, breaking the hold Damien had on her.

"I want another dance." the man whispered into her ear as her chest collided with his from the force.

A sharp snarl made goosebumps erupt on her skin and she felt Damiens presence at her back. She turned, ready to tell him everything was okay, but his eyes were glued to the man's hands on her .

"You will not touch her." Damiens's voice commanded as he pulled Blair behind him and pushed the man up against the wall, his hand around his throat.

In reaction to the hostility, the man swung.

Damien turned his head, avoiding the sluggish punch.

When he looked back at the man, Blair noticed black wisps had begun to peek out of his collar.

Damien raised the arm that held the man's throat, and his feet came off of the floor.

As his foundation gave way, his eyes filled with fear.

Blair watched in horror as the other patrons' attention shifted to the brawl.

Blair looked around and then back to Damien, his shadows so very clearly teetering on releasing. She moved to him then, aligning herself to his back. Molding her chest to his shoulders, she put her arms around his waist and squeezed gently.

"Damien, we need to go."

His breathing was escalating, and his body was rigid.

"Damien, please!" she whispered loudly.

With that, Damiens's hand relaxed, and the man fell to the ground in a pile of exasperated inhales. Blair stepped in front of Damien, placing her hand on his cheek, and stole the attention of his darkening eyes.

"Let's go." She pulled him then toward the door and away from the shouting voices.

As the door swung open and they stepped outside, the cool night air cooled her hot face. Blair turned to Damien, brows furrowed.

"What is wrong with you? "

"Nothing," he muttered, but his hands were curled into fists.

Blair studied him, her brows furrowing in concern, "Don't lie to me. What happened back there?"

Damien didn't answer. He just exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair before finally looking at her.

"You. You happened, Blair," he said, turning and walking away from her, back toward their cottage. She followed him as they walked the short distance back. The whole way had been coated in a stewing silence as Blair tried to give him space and figure out what had happened.

Damien entered the cottage, Blair following behind him in large strides. As soon as they stepped in, the door slammed shut, Damien's shadows using a force that shook the wall.

Blair froze and turned to look at Damien, who had gone straight into the kitchen and sat at the table.

Holding his head in his hands, he was staring at the floor.

She walked up slowly, approaching him with caution.

She first noticed his neck, which was darkened by a pattern of black swirls cascading up his arms. The shadows materialized around his hand, weaving between his fingers as he tapped his head.

Without thinking, Blair reached out and traced one of the black lines on his forearm.

Damien inhaled sharply at the contact and his shadows raced to Blair.

They traveled up her arm, hugging close to her skin.

She flinched and closed her eyes as a reflex, remembering what pain she had experienced with shadows previously.

Opening them back up slowly, she realized this was different; they were soft and caressed her gently.

Damien stood abruptly and walked around Blair .

"I need a minute." His voice was short and rigid, filled with an unknown emotion.

Blair moved fast to block his exit. She stood in front of him and placed both hands on the doorframe.

"Not until you talk to me!"

Damien became motionless, closing his eyes and breathing through his nose as his nostrils flared.

"Damien. Please tell me what’s going on." Blair pleaded as she watched his shadows coil around his shoulders, surging with power. Taking a step toward him, Blair bumped her chest to his, and within that split second, Damiens's eyes popped open, completely devoured by black.

Blair gasped and stepped back. The blue was entirely gone. Something felt different. This form of Damien was dominating. A sense of authority emaciated from him from whatever power this was. Was this from being shadowborn?

Whatever it was, she felt oddly calm. Even with all the power radiating off him, she wasn't scared. This realization made her straighten her shoulders and step closer to Damien. Her chest touched him as she brought her hands up to his arms, rubbing slowly.

" Talk to me." Blair repeated, staring into the black galaxy of Damiens's eyes. Her fingers gripped the back of his biceps as she pushed even more into his space.