Glancing at him, I'm startled by his intense expression. Wet locks of hair frame his face, droplets of water clinging to his dark lashes and emphasizing the otherworldly color of his eyes. Every time I meet his gaze, I can't help but be utterly captivated by that ever-changing shade of purple. It's unlike anything I've ever seen, and I don't think there are words that could do it justice, just as there's no matching Pantone to describe it.

"What is this?" He reaches out to trail his finger up my arm and toward my collarbone.

My eyes flare open as I realize what he's pointing to, and instinctively, I jump back, pushing his hand away.

"Are you all right, human?" he demands in a low tone.

"Yes, sorry about that," I murmur as I hug my arms around myself. "I don't like talking about it."

He frowns.

"It seems to be embedded in your skin," he muses, his eyes still arrested on the marks on my body.

"Ze..."

"But why did it not heal when the game started? Or when I healed you?" He continues, ignoring my silent pleas to drop the subject.

"I don't know." I sigh. "I've had them for over ten years. They are...brandings."

"Brandings?" he repeats, his brows furrowing together.

"From when I was a slave," I whisper.

Realization dawns on him and he freezes.

"I see." His lips flatten into a thin line, and his eyes are back on my chest.

Goosebumps erupt all over my skin and I find myself suddenly colder than before. A shiver runs down my back, his intense regard making me squirm.

"Would you allow me to attempt to heal them?" he asks after a moment.

"What?" I blink.

"I can focus solely on your brandings. If it is something that has been done to your skin, my healing should work."

"You mean..." I trail off as I point to his mouth.

He gives me a nod.

I ponder his suggestion, ashamed to find myself actually considering it. Somehow, it feels a little too intimate to allow him to put his mouth on my skin after... I swallow uncomfortably.

I shouldn't think too hard on the fact that I saw him naked. He's hardly the first naked man I've seen. Yet there's this continuous feeling in my chest that tells me it is wrong. I am married. And I am certain Nikki would not like any of this. My heart clenches in my chest at the thought. I would never want Nikki to think I would betray him in any way—alive or dead.

At the same time, if there's a chance I could finally get rid of these markings forever... I'm ashamed to admit that I would take it.