"Curiosity."
"You were tormenting me."
"Your fate lies with me. I wanted to see what you would do when confronted with the man you thought you were going to return to," he replied.
"Cruel."
"Closure."
"Closure," she repeated. "Another door closed." Deidre pushed herself up to see his face.
"A battle is only truly won when the opponent believes he's been beaten," he said. "You were forced to admit it. You were forced to let go."
Deidre sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees, pink hair falling down around her. She didn't move from Darkyn's body.
"There are so many moments where I don't think I can do this," she said. "You can't understand that or how I feel. You never will."
"I am a survivor," he corrected her in a growl. "I do not feel like a human, but I know what it is to survive."
"How do you survive a life and a world that's so … foreign?" she rested her temple against her knee.
"Simple," he said. He sat, his warmth surrounding her once more. With his hair mussed and his youthful features, he didn't look like the devil she knew him to be. "It's the same key that got you into Hell."
"My tumor?"
"To bring people to Hell, I uncover their weakness and I exploit it. What did I exploit to get you to Hell?"
She was quiet for a moment.
"Hope," she murmured.
"Hope," he agreed. "I gave you what you were looking for. A silver lining."
Her eyes flew up to him at the words Fate had spoken to her.
"You read my mind a lot," she said.
"I rarely stop."
"That's really not …" she sighed, sensing he'd provoke her, if she let him. "Did you have a silver lining to survive?"
"My ambition is far different than yours."
"You wanted to rule Hell."
"And the mortal world."
She shivered again. Fate's words returned to her. With their faces inches apart, they assessed each other.
"I won't let you hurt my world," she said.
"You can't stop me."
"But I'm the only one who has a chance to try."
A slow smile spread across Darkyn's face. It scared her, and she saw his fangs grow.
"You can beg me," he said and kissed her hard enough to rob her of breath. "And fight me." Another kiss, this one harder. "And bleed for me. If you satisfy me, I might consider whatever you ask of me, but I will never willingly spare your world."
Deidre stopped his next kiss by placing her hand on his heart. Darkyn didn't back down, and the light of lust flared in his gaze.