Page 48 of Wicked Magik

This innovation alone made them eager to work for me. Many vampires direly needed employment and a place to belong. Having been outcasts since their downfall centuries ago, it was time for these new generations to escape the burdens of their ancestors' past.

Benedict opened and closed his mouth. “You aren’t going to revive the others?”

I cleared my throat. "It takes time. I've preserved their parts to prevent further decomposition, but I need to learn how to properly..." My mind went blank when I noticed Benedict's forearm. The threads I'd sewn into his skin were no longer visible. Only faint lines remained around his wrists. Actually... there was hardly any line left at all.

I seized his arm with a vice-like grip and yanked it toward me, my eyes narrowing into slits of suspicion. "What’s this? Did you go to someone?" I growled, my voice dripping with venom. My lip curled into a feral snarl as my free hand clamped around his throat, fingers digging in mercilessly. With a forceful shove, I slammed him against the unforgiving stone wall.

He hiccupped and grasped my hand. “M-my Lord. Don’t kill me again!”

My eyes widened and I let go, which caused Benedict to fall to the ground. I stepped away and gazed down at my gloved hand.

Benedict got on his knees and pulled at my trousers. “My Lord, I’m sorry. I did not mean to remind y…”

I shook my head, my hair falling over my face. "It's okay, I startled you. Here, let me help." I helped him to his feet, trying to quell the mix of anger and curiosity inside me. "What happened?Did a witch spin some magik thread? Did it pull your skin together?"

If it did, that would solve everything. At the night markets there were no magik stalls that had anything with magik thread. Surely you would think a seamstress witch would create such a thing.

Benedict bit his bottom lip. “No, not a witch. Did you see the courtyard?” He opened up his arms wide and walked away from me. He turned in a circle. “Isn’t it wonderful? The flowers will bloom better with…”

I snarled. “You are stalling. Don’t test my patience.”

Benedict shrugged. “Worth a shot. Oryx has a friend.” He winked obnoxiously.

I wrinkled my nose. “A friend? What sort of friend? Since when does Oryx have a friend other than me?”

Benedict shook his head. “Ha? You a friend? Since I’ve been back you’ve hardly said two words to the creature. Surely you didn’t think he would want to be alone forever.”

“I’m protecting him. Making sure he doesn’t get… Damn it, Benedict. Who healed your arm? Was it a witch?”

Benedict crossed his arms, he raised one and sighed delightfully onto his hand. “She might be. Or maybe a siren. Lately I’m thinking she is an incubus because…”

"That's enough!" I shouted. "Grab the bags, and be cautious with the dirty ones; you know where they go." I stormed away from him and shoved the door to the mansion open.

What in the Under Shadows was he talking about? Oryx has someone? As I rushed up the stairs and stopped midway.

The night I was outside his room. He wasn’t alone then.

A seething, jealous rage consumed me, burning like a wildfire within. I felt the raw energy of my magik surge down my arms, crackling at my fingertips with a tingling intensity.

With a swift swipe through the air, a wave of power rippled outward, causing every painting along the wall to tilt askew, as if an invisible hand had disturbed them. The fire lights flickered and dimmed, casting long shadows that danced across the hallways. My snarl, deep and resonant, filled the space, echoing as fiercely as Oryx’s defiant roar.

As I approached his room, the double doors swung open on their own. Upon entering, I noticed the room was dimly lit, filled with his familiar scent mixed with something else. The aroma drifted into my nostrils and settled in my lungs, a blend of lavender and honeysuckle washing over my lifeless skin.

It felt like a warm blanket that warmed this rotting body the further in the room I entered.

A candle sat on the side table. Oryx’s form, back facing me, was breathing in deeply, snoring.

No chains were on his ankles to keep him in bed. He was sleeping peacefully.

I stood observing Oryx's chest gently rise and fall with each deliberate breath. In the flickering candlelight, his skull and body appeared almost peaceful, a sharp contrast to the creature he had turned into. The soothing aroma of lavender and honeysuckle filled the air, bringing me a sense of calm.

I shook my head.

My fingers curled into fists at my sides as I tried to make sense of the situation. Who could possibly have this effect on Oryx? And why was he allowing someone into his inner sanctum now, after all this time? A surge of possessiveness and protectiveness washed over me, clashing with the confusion swirling in my mind.

I took a hesitant step closer to his bed, my eyes never leaving his peaceful form. He was curled up into a ball, his tail wrapped around him tightly. I stepped forward once more and when Ifound myself on the other side of the bed to see his face, the warmth I felt on my skin vanished.

He was curled around a female. She was smiling slightly, nuzzling her forehead against his. A smile played on her lips.