Comforted by Fate's words, Deidre obeyed Darkyn's order with trepidation but no hesitation, assuming he meant to drink from her again. His nearness rattled her senses in a way that reminded her of how she felt around Gabriel. She swallowed hard, willing herself to remember that she was meant for Gabriel, even if it was Darkyn's name on her back.
The heaviness of her mind grew, until she wasn't certain why she should resist Darkyn in the first place. She was fighting a fever, one that made it hard for her to focus.
"No demon should ever harm you again. But, if an Immortal or human or deity corners you, and you aren't able to summon me, you need to know how to defend yourself," Darkyn started. His voice was the only thing that penetrated the haze coating her thoughts. "I'll show you how to kill the simplest way possible."
As he spoke, he peeled off his shirt to reveal a whip-like, muscular upper body coated by a thin layer of tan skin. Gabriel's body was built for power; Darkyn's was crafted for agility. He tossed his shirt on the chair behind her. He reclaimed the hourglass from her and set it on the mantle of the fireplace. When he took her hand, she almost cried.
She didn't want to be attracted to him, to feel the fire in her blood and the calm at her core when he touched her. She was too aware of the expanse of his chest, the heat of his closeness, the strange fog that grew thicker in her mind.
"I prefer to kill painfully," he said. "You probably do not. Have you ever killed anyone?"
"No. I've never even hit anyone."
He assessed her for a moment before continuing. "To kill a man, Immortal or demon fast, touch him here." He placed her hand at his neck.
Worse than seeing him was feeling him. His skin was smooth and warm, stretched taut over an athletic body. The Dark One felt like a man.
"Or here," he said and moved her hand to his chest. "Also, instant death."
She flattened her palm against the spot over his heart. His hand fell away, but hers remained. He had a heartbeat, one that reverberated through her as if it was her own. She wasn't able to reconcile the creature that turned her Immortal with the man before her.
"How?" she managed, needing to focus on something other than him. She ran her tongue over her gums then licked her lips. Despite the water, her mouth was dry and aching almost to the point of pain.
"You will them to die-dead. As my mate, you are able to use a limited amount of my power," he explained. "Try it. Will me dead."