Page 61 of Wicked Curses
“Are you ready?” Orin asked again.
“Yes.”
As she walked toward him, he drew the shadows around him and vanished. She studied the place where he’d stood but wasn’t sure if he was still there. He could have slipped away while cloaked in the embrace of darkness.
“What do the witches and warlocks think happened to me today?” she asked.
“The only one who asked about you was Zeth, and I told him you’d taken the day off. Belda agreed to tell anyone who asked that you’d asked for the day off work to do some research. Whoever did this to you knows it’s a lie, but anyone else would accept it.”
Sahira somehow managed to keep herself from jumping when his voice came from her right; she’d last seen him to her left. “I have to use the bathroom before I go to my room. Don’t follow me in there.”
Orin’s chuckle set her teeth on edge. “That’s not one of my kinks, witch. You’re on your own in there, but don’t talk to me again once we leave this room.”
She tried not to let her unease show as she opened the door, left the room, and strolled down the hall to the bathroom. Unsure if she believed him or not, Sahira used her body to block the entrance to the bathroom as she entered and locked the door behind her.
She was almost positive he hadn’t entered behind her but wasn’t taking any chances. She used the toilet faster than ever before, washed her hands, and splashed water on her face before studying her complexion.
The knot on her head had faded and gone down. Now all that remained was a purple bruise. The finger marks on her throat were also fading, but she could see their imprint against her skin.
She looked exhausted, haggard, and shadows rimmed her bloodshot eyes. She was paler than normal, her cheekbones more visible, and she’d lost weight.
Not only did she have to put an end to whatever was happening in her room, but she had to feed. She couldn’t keep pushing herself without the proper nutrition, and her meat-and-bread meals weren’t cutting it anymore.
She needed blood before she collapsed or became a threat to everyone around her. That was a problem for tomorrow; tonight, she had to survive.
When Sahira left the bathroom, she resisted her impulse to look for Orin. She had no idea where he was, but he wouldn’t be far behind when she entered her room.
Opening her door, she slipped inside and stopped to light the candle on her bureau. As the wick caught, she set the flint down.
Sure that she’d given Orin enough time to enter behind her, she closed and locked the door. When he didn’t start banging on it, she knew he was somewhere in the room with her.
The hair on her nape rose; she tried to tamp down the feeling of being watched, but someonewaswatching her. Acutely aware of his eyes on her, she set the candle on her nightstand and looked at the shutters. She yearned for fresh air but decided to keep them closed.
She would love to change her nightgown. She’d been wearing it for far too long and associated it with some bad memories, but there was no way she was getting naked in front of Orin.
Although, it would be fun to torment him for a change. Had he been telling her the truth when he said he was waiting for her to break and hadn’t been with other women?
Everything to Orin was a game, and it could be a lie, but she didn’t understand why he would lie. He had nothing to gain from it.
She didn’t think better of him for it, and it certainly didn’t make her want to hop in his bed. For him, it was simply a matter of pride. He’d decided he wouldn’t have anyone else until her and wouldn’t cave.
He had to be ravenous, too, but he wasn’t showing it as much as her. Someone hadn’t been sneaking into his room to try to kill him, so that was probably why he looked a lot more chipper than her.
She glanced around the room but decided against redoing the protection spell. It wasn’t working, and she couldn’t have Orin accidentally triggering it.
She went to the bed, pulled back the sheet and blanket, and slipped beneath them. Exhaustion tugged at her eyelids, but sleep was difficult as she strained to hear any sign of Orin’s breathing or movement toward her.
She didn’t detect anything, as the man proved to be as elusive as the shadows cloaking him. Opening her mouth, she almost called out to him—she’d love to knowwherehe was—but she bit it back.
If that thing had figured out a way to monitor her, it couldn’t learn Orin was in her room. As much as it irritated her, she’d have to sleep without knowing his location.
As she snuggled beneath the quilt and her sore, aching muscles eased a little, she realized she wasn’t worried about Orin trying to do something while she slept. Did she actually have a modicum of trust in him?
The possibility was almost as unnerving as the return of whatever stalked her. It kept her up as her mind continued to contemplate the possibility.
She wasn’t sure how long it took, but eventually, she fell asleep.
CHAPTERFORTY-THREE
