Page 46 of Fate & Monsters
“No!” A cry ripped from my throat.
His leathers were shredded, stained with mud and blood. His jaw clenched against pain, as if refusing to utter a groan and show weakness. Exasperation flared in me even as I noted the wound in his shoulder, wet with gushing blood.
“Follow me,” I ordered before realizing I was speaking. “Now.”
The Inferni blinked. Domovoy hissed.
They obeyed.
The best rooms were too far away in the damnable maze of a castle. The Inferni followed me back to the library as the nearest room where we could make him comfortable. The demonslaid Mavros down in front of the fireplace and Domovoy blinked a roaring flame to life within. I snatched pillows and shawls from the plush chairs to place under his head and ease the shivering in his body. Mavros slumped, heavy and drained. My hands shook as I fumbled with his leathers to examine his wound.
“I need cloth and water. And whatever healing salves are available,” I barked out.
“Yes, my lady.” The demons scampered off.
“You damn fool,” I seethed under my breath. The clasps tore under my hands as I freed his shoulder. Dark blood matted the downy fur, and a sob rose in my throat.
“I’ll be alright,” Mavros croaked. His first actual sign of life and it sparked my anger.
“Worse than a deer gutted by one of those large metal contraptions humans love to zoom around in. And you know what? I always felt bad for them.” I went on a tirade, not stopping even as the Inferni returned with supplies. I got to work dunking a cloth in warm water. “In this case, I don’t think I can feel bad for you. I see you bleeding all over the floor after you leave me without saying goodbye, and all I can think is ‘that’s exactly what that bastard deserves.’ Yet you have the gall to say you’ll be alright bleeding like this.”
I poured water on his shoulder. Mavros hissed and recoiled.
I didn’t apologize.
“What happened, Mavros?” I demanded.
“An incident. Nothing more.”
“An incident?” My voice rose on the verge of being shrill even to my own ears. “With what?” Fear wove through my concern and anger, twisting into an asphyxiating lump in my throat.
I pressed the soaked cloth against the wound to clean it. Harder than necessary. “Tell me the truth.”
Mavros grunted, the sound almost a snarl as his eyes clenched. “It’s nothing to concern you.”
“Nothing to—” I fisted the cloth and glared down at him, nostrils flaring. “Mavros, you infuriating beast!”
His rumbling voice lowered. “You simply don’t need to know, Astoria.”
“I do!” My voice broke, all my suppressed emotions erupting between us. “You can’t leave me like you did this morning and come home to me like… like this. I saw you and I thought… Oh, gods, I thought—”
I couldn’t finish. Couldn’t voice the morbid thought without spiraling.
Mavros opened his eyes, dark and deep with something unreadable. “I’m alive.”
“This time.” I scowled at him.
“It was nothing.”
I glared harder.
He pursed his lips and looked away.
“You’re lying,” I whispered.
He didn’t reply.
The fire crackled, breaking up the ensuingsilence. I almost regretted wishing for his return. If I had known he would come back like this, I wouldn’t have—
