Siren | Caden Archeron

Chapter Five

what i've got will make you feel more alive, i'll be your favourite drug, i will get you high

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Stella was unsurprised when they reappeared in his bedroom, and she looked anxiously to the bed where she'd splayed out so confidently only a day ago. Where she'd run from. All of that confidence was gone. She felt lost—adrift.

"Stella." He'd put their weapons down on the armoire and returned to pull her close. "These need to come off," he told her, pulling at her wet clothes. She hesitated, her fingers curling around the hem of her shirt.

"Stella," he said warningly and something in his tone had desire coiling within her again, the way it had when he'd pressed her to the forest floor. "Remember who's in control." He told her, tugging the tie out of her ruined braid.

"I'm cold," she whispered and his eyes softened. Taking her hand, he pulled her through to a bathroom with grey stone tiles with white furnishings. Wordlessly he started filling the bath and she winced as she tried to detangle her hair, soaked through with river water. Steam began to rise into the air as warm water filled the tub and she watched him turn for the sink.

He washed his hands and she cringed when she saw the damage she'd done, blood still running from the wound. As the tub filled, he turned around and began stripping his leathers off. She'd caught him on the back of the arm too but it wasn't anywhere near as bad of a wound as the one on his hand.

"You have fifteen minutes," he told her and she blinked as he started to move for the door. She must have made a surprised sound because he stopped, looking over his shoulder. "I'll wait for you out here." He smirked, "but Stella?" He ran his eyes over her frozen form. "Don't bother putting your clothes back on."

She shivered, not at all from the cold. As he closed the door behind him she sagged against the tub, breathing deeply. What had she done? She shook her head, quickly stripping off her clothes. It was only one night, it would be fine. It wasn't like this was a new concept to her and if it was anything like that first time...

Her wet hair had her rummaging around for some shampoo, regardless of the fact she was on a time limit. She paused mid-way through her search on the handful of first aid supplies on one of his shelves, glancing back at the door. Should she...? Shaking her head she put them to the side for later, finding what she needed so she could get on with her bath.

The warm water was heavenly on her skin and she sighed, sinking down into the tub. When she was fully clean and no longer shaking she pulled herself back out, glancing only briefly at the new tattoo on her finger gripped around the edge of the bath. What did it mean? Surely it meant something. Just like the first, he'd worded this bargain specifically as 'my mark' not 'a' mark and far be it for her to pretend she was an expert in bargain magic, but it felt like maybe that mattered. It had with the wing around her neck after all.

Sighing, she dried off quickly, wringing out her wet hair in the towel. Luckily Caden had a hairbrush and she snickered, working the knots out of her hair. She would hate someone using hers and she felt a petty sense of mischievousness as she left a handful of blonde hair behind. She had no clue how long it had been and she quickly wrapped the towel around herself, snatching up the few first aid supplies she'd been able to find, clutching them in her fist.

When she emerged from the bathroom he was sitting on the edge of the bed, all of his golden skin on display and she swallowed, her mouth going dry. He raked his eyes over her and raised an eyebrow, giving her a flat look.