I grimaced as he wrapped the bandages around my hand. Then, he brought his head closer, blowing air on the wounds.
My eyes widened, almost bulging out. ’This... this... isn’t Damon.’
"Master... what are you doing?"
"Blowing air on your wounds so it doesn’t hurt," he answered without looking up at .
"But that... that is very unlike you. You are scaring , Master."
He sighed. He spared a glance before he focused back on what he was doing.
"You don’t know , Ember," he muttered.
"I want to. Tell more about yourself, help to understand you."
’So I can find a way to make you grant my request.’
"All you need to know is, I have a deep feud with the witches and the Fae. They took sothing very important from , so I swore to make them pay for what I have lost. Their lives will serve as collateral damage for what they have done," he said, as if he was discussing the weather.
A glint passed through his eyes. "It is just sad that the Fae are difficult to catch, as they live in another realm. I would love to rip them apart."
"What they took must be very special to you. But why kill the ones that have no idea of what the real culprit has done to offend you?"
He dropped the hand and took the other one. "You don’t understand, Ember. This is more than just personal reasons—this is a political issue. One I will not let die down all in the na of peaceful negotiations." His jaw hardened.
My heart panged as he bandaged the second hand with the sa sharp focus. I wasn’t sure what hurt more—the sting of the powder, or the wall he kept between us.
When he finished, I stared at him. "So... that locket," I whispered, almost unsure if I should bring it up again. "Is it related to your hatred? To the witches and the Fae?"
He froze for a second. His shoulders tensed. Then he gently pushed off his lap and slowly rose to his feet, walking away from . I thought he wasn’t going to answer.
Silence hung thick between us until he finally said, "Yes."
That one word felt like thunder.
"But that is all you have to know," he added, his voice flat. "Don’t think of probing further."
I swallowed. I had so many questions, but I knew better than to push him when his jaw was clenched like that. So I stayed quiet for a mont, watching him pace toward the window like a restless storm in a cage.
I knew I had to bring up Caroline and Lydia again. If I waited too long, it might be too late.
"Master," I called softly. "Now that you’re done tending my wounds, can we... talk about sothing else? Sothing important."
His back was still to . "What is it?"
"Caroline and Lydia," I said. "Please... release them. They’ve suffered enough already."
"You’re persistent." His voice was eerily low.
"I am," I said. "Especially when people I care about are about to be killed."
He didn’t say anything. He stood unmoving in his spot, silent again, like he was battling sothing internally.
After a few monts, I moved a little closer toward him. "You said you have rules. Fine. I get that. But they weren’t casting spells, Master. They didn’t use any magic. They were helping —because I asked them to."
His voice ca out low. "And if I let them live, others will think they can break the rules and get away with it. Do you understand the kind of ssage that sends in a pack like mine?"
"Then don’t let them get away with it," I said quickly. "Punish them. Make it public if you want. But... don’t kill them." I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Fine, you don’t have to change your rules and beliefs. You know what, just kill with them. After all, I was the one who wore the cloak."
Damon stayed quiet for a long mont, his back still facing . His fingers drumd on his thigh in a rhythmic beat, like he was still thinking. Then finally, he spoke.
"If I must change their sentence, Ember," his voice was low and controlled, "then you’ll have to give sothing in return."
My eyes narrowed. "What do you an?"
He turned to face , his expression unreadable. "A trade. Their lives for a task."
Sothing about the way he said it sent a cold shiver down my spine. I didn’t trust that look in his eyes.
"What kind of task?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
He stepped closer, stopping just a few feet away from . "There’s been... movent in the forest," he said. "Scouts went missing yesterday. I suspect rogues—or worse. I was going to send warriors, but perhaps..." his gaze dropped to my bandaged hands. "Perhaps you’d like to prove that those girls are worth saving."
"You want to go into the forest?" I blinked, unsure if I heard him right.
He nodded slowly. "You won’t be alone. I’ll assign soone to watch over you from a distance. But you’ll be the one going in. Bring back proof of what’s hiding there. If you co back alive... they live."
’I knew that those monts and actions of his were too good to be true. How can a psychopath change his way?!’
"That’s insane," I muttered. "I’m injured, I can barely..."
"You’re standing, aren’t you?" His tone turned cold again. "If they an that much to you, you’ll do it."
I looked down at my hands. They still throbbed under the bandages, and I could feel the sting of his dicine lingering in my skin. But the thought of Lydia and Caroline dying just because they helped ...
I t his eyes again. "Fine," I said, swallowing my fear. "I’ll do it. Just don’t touch them until I return."
His lips curved into the faintest smirk. "As you wish."
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