Page 27 of When the Wicked Sing
As she smoothed the last piece of tape over the bandage, Dax’s hand drifted over hers.
Mariana stilled, glancing up to find his eyes barely open, half-lidded, and unfocused.
She leaned over him. “Dax?” she asked softly, unsure if he was even fully conscious.
His eyes fluttered closed again, but his hand tugged hers closer, pressing it over his heart.
Mariana didn’t know what to make of the gesture. She was exhausted, her body aching from using so much power in sucha short span. Blaming it on the weariness, she sat beside him on the table, leaning back against a wall covered in soft vines.
She glanced down at him. He was still clutching her hand. His skin was warm. His calloused fingers, though rough, felt surprisingly gentle.
Lifting her free hand, she brushed her fingers across his forehead, smoothing the crease there. His face relaxed, tension fading from his brow.
Curiosity stirred. Her fingers trailed over his sharp cheekbones, tracing the line of his temple, his nose, and his lips. His facial hair was growing in, and she dragged her fingers against the roughness, enjoying the sensation.
She held her breath as his head shifted toward her touch, but his eyes never opened. Instead, he settled his head in her lap, her right arm resting on his shoulder as he continued to hold her hand.
She exhaled softly, a strange warmth spreading in her chest. Gently, she settled her other hand over his head and stroked his short, soft hair. His breathing slowed, steadying as his body relaxed completely against her thighs.
Mariana glanced down at the dirty dress barely covering where his head now rested. If he woke up like this … would he be embarrassed? Angry? Or …
Her lower belly tightened at the thought, and she quickly closed her eyes, resting her head back against the wall.
It didn’t matter. She honestly should have left already. Her sister was counting on her, and her family was looking for her. So why hadn’t she? Dax was the enemy, and yet …
She couldn’t bring herself to pull away.
Instead, her breathing evened out, her heartbeat calming as she stayed with the sleeping male.
Chapter 14
Daxgroaned;hiswholebody felt like it had been through a meat grinder and then sewn back together.
Movement to his right had him instinctively snatching the dagger strapped to his thigh and bringing it up to the siren’s throat.
“You’re alive,” Mari breathed. “What a surprise.”
Glancing down, Dax realized she, too, held a short blade to his throat. Pale light glinted off the sharpened bone in her hand.
It only took him a second to realize she had been about to change the bandage on his side. Pulling the dagger back, he sheathed it and waited for her to do the same. She hesitated before setting her blade down. He eyed it wearily. It was the same one he’d taken from her during their first encounter. He knew he should take it back, but was too tired for another fight.
Dax scrubbed his face with his hands. “What happened? Where are we?”
They appeared to be in some sort of ruin. Crumbling stone walls covered in moss surrounded them. Above was half a wooden ceiling with a broken skylight that provided little shelter.Dax eyed the rotted beams with caution. The last thing he wanted was to have a shoddy ceiling collapse and bury them alive.
“This place looks like a tomb waiting to happen.”
“Yeah, well, it was the only building in this destroyed village with a roof. I dragged you all the way out here after the fight. You’re welcome.” She helped him sit up, and he swung his legs over the side of the slab of stone she must’ve laid him out on. Cracking his back, he rolled his neck and heard a series of pops.
“Let me see,” she demanded. Dax tensed as she crouched between his legs to inspect the wound. His eyes studied her carefully while she peeled away the bandage to reveal a red slice. The skin that had touched the tainted blade was dark. “It’s looking better.”
“How … That was widow toxin. Without an antidote, I should be dead right now,” he muttered, his voice thick and drowsy. He’d come close to death so many times over the course of his long life that it felt like any other day by this point. How he’d managed to survive this one, he had no idea.
Widow toxin was incredibly rare and difficult to come by. He hadn’t expected anyone to have it, much less attack him with it, so he never kept the antidote on hand. A stupid mistake.
“I had to flush the wound,” she replied, then let out an irritated sigh when he stared at her in confusion. “I drowned your veins until the toxin spilled free. You were asleep for …mostof it.”
“Most of it?” A hiss slipped between his gritted teeth as the sting intensified. She was wiping the wound clean with the disinfectant he kept in his bag.
