Page 55 of The Stars are Dying

“Go away, Nyte. Or kill me.”

The floorboards creaked, and I stiffened.

“You need to eat.”

“No.”

“Look at me.”

“No.”

I jerked back with a gasp when my view of the fire was snatched away by darkness and the devil crouched before me. Propping myself up on one hand, he reached for the strap of my nightgown when it slipped. My reaction to pull away faded as I beheld his thoughtful look. His fingers tingled over my skin, always barely-there, running gently past my collar until he met the marking on my chest.

I watched him in fascination, wanting to know what brought on the hint of sadness as he traced each point of the constellation I wore. The flame in his eyes licked down his arm to touch me, and when I shivered he seemed to snap back into himself, retracting. Nyte met my gaze with a hard edge, and I blinked at the contrast.

“What do you want with me?” I whispered.

“Many things. But if it brings you comfort, if I wanted you dead, you would have been long ago.”

His proximity heated my skin, or perhaps it was something else as fatigue strained my muscles. Familiar enough that I remembered…

“How long was I asleep?”

“A day.”

My palm cupped my forehead and I nearly groaned.

“What’s wrong?”

“Where’s my satchel?” I asked, feeling the words like lead on my tongue. “I had a bottle of pills.”

Nyte’s eyes flexed as though he were debating before they flicked sideward. I groaned to even think of crawling to my dress, which was drying over the arm of a chair. Not caring about the scandalous piece of silk I wore, I bit my lip, my muscles crying with every movement.

My heart galloped as I sifted through the sodden things until relief flooded out of me as I felt the solid item.

“What are they?” Nyte studied the bottle I pulled out with a deep frown.

“I’m not well. I need them for my blood.”

“Your blood?”

The intrigue in his tone I didn’t care to answer, only offering a nod.

My shuffle back to the furs was just as torturous, but I nearly moaned at the returning embrace of warmth from the fire. Popping the cork, I tipped one pill onto my palm and stared at it. Nyte extended a glass of water from the tray, and I looked between both for longer than necessary, until he read my contemplation.

“What would she say if she could hear your thoughts right now?”

He didn’t inspire me. There was nothing kind on my face when I snapped my glare to him. “You don’t get to throw that at me,” I warned. “Not when it wasyourkind who did this.” Or was he even a soulless at all? My head spun with the new revelation I wasn’t certainwhathe was.

“You’re right,” he said calmly, maybe with genuine apology. “But also wrong.”

I shook my head, incredulous at this male who should be everything I despised and feared, yet I couldn’t escape. “Thentell me.”

Nyte extended the water to me again. I took it this time, trying to subdue the guilt that I wanted health in the wake of Cassia’s death. “Just because she lost her life doesn’t mean you have to abandon care for yours,” he clarified.

I took a long drink of water as soon as the pill hit my tongue. In my thirst I kept gulping greedily until it was empty, and I caught my breath before I responded. “I might be slow at figuring you out, but at least I can take a hint. I don’t give a shit about what you have to say. You didn’t know her, and you don’t know me. You’re wasting your time, or if you’re finding entertainment in this, you’ll be bored soon. Then maybe you’ll actually be of use to me and do what your kind does best.” I set the glass aside, and he caught my arm. About to rip it from his grip, I paused when both our forearms upturned and his sleeve rolled up.

I blinked at the markings. While my phases of the moon were waxing, his were waning. As if lightning had shocked me straight from where we touched to ignite my chest, I tore my arm away from him.

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