Brisa grabbed the pillow from her side of the bed and placed it against the headboard at Darius’ head along with his. She took hold of his arm when he tried to push himself up, but tugging at him seemed to cause him more pain. Switching positions so she straddled his waist, she helped lift him by hooking her arms under his. Once he sat up against the pillows, she shifted to move away, but Darius put his hands on her hips and stopped her.
“You can stay there,” he said.
“What about your thigh? You’re wounded there as well.”
“You’re low enough that you’re not sitting on it.”
Brisa settled back down, careful not to jar him. “Just tell me if it hurts.”
“I will.” Darius took a deep breath. “I’ve been a warrior of Anubis for seven hundred and ninety-four years.”
“That’s almost eight hundred years,” she said, finding it so hard to believe.
“I know. I told you I have been one of the god’s warriors for a very long time.”
“How did it happen? How did you become a warrior?”
“I was already a warrior, a knight, just not one of Anubis’. I’d joined the fifth crusade in 1217. I was originally from Germany.”
“You were on crusade?” Brisa asked, feeling a bit in awe.
“Yes. The fifth crusade was the last one sanctioned by the church. It was decided that we’d try to take Egypt. The first thing we did was attack an important Egyptian settlement called Damietta. The sultan there, by the name of Al-Adil, wasn’t expecting us, but somehow managed to put up a resistance. Though we finally did take the city, which took several months and thousands of lives to accomplish.”
“But you came out of that okay?”
Darius nodded. “After all the loot we found in the city, it was decided we’d attack Cairo next. Once that great city was taken it was thought it would make Egypt powerless and give us an open road to Jerusalem. We met up with a small resistance from the sultan from Damietta on the way, but we outnumbered his men. After that, we pushed on to Cairo. We marched alongside the Nile.” He paused and shook his head. “Our leaders forgot the river flooded. We ended up trapped behind a canal. Retreat was called, but not all of us made it out.”
Brisa picked up Darius’ claw-tipped hand and held it. “That’s where something happened.”
“Yes. I lay on the bank of the Nile, bleeding from the numerous wounds I’d received, on the verge of death, not wanting to go out like that. I called to the Christian god I’d pledged to crusade for to save me, but got no response. So I called to any god who was listening.”
“Anubis heard you.”
“He did. He offered to give me back my life. In exchange, I had to become one of his warriors. I didn’t think twice, gave Anubis my vow that I would serve him.”
Brisa squeezed Darius’ hand. She couldn’t imagine what it would have been like for him, lying on a battlefield, dying, not wanting to give up the fight to stay alive.
“What exactly does it mean to be a warrior of Anubis?” she asked.
“I’m charged with hunting evil in the mortal realm. When I encounter an evildoer, I feel pulled to him or her. I automatically shift into this form. While in it I can capture their gaze and see, and live through, every evil thing they have ever done in their lifetime. Then I send them to Anubis in the underworld to be judged. My gold dagger is spelled to do that. One cut and they leave the mortal realm.”
“So you don’t kill them.”
“No. I’m not their final judge. Anubis is.”
Darius groaned and pushed Brisa onto the bed. She watched as his body realigned itself, shifting back to his human form. The sound of his bones cracking got to her, as did the sounds of pain he made. Once complete, he was breathing heavily.
“Are you okay?” she asked softly.
He looked at her and gave her a small smile. “I’ve gone through a shift thousands of times, but it never gets any less painful.”
She pulled back the covers and saw Darius now wore the clothes he’d had on before. With gentle fingers she lifted his t-shirt. Anubis’ bandage was still there around his middle. “Are your wounds any worse?” Her gaze also landed on the black tattoo of Anubis that was inside a cartouche on his upper chest, over his heart. “Did you get this tattoo after becoming one Anubis’ warriors?”
“No, they feel about the same. I guess I have to wait for the second spell to wear off. And that’s not a tattoo. Anubis placed his mark on me once I’d taken my vow.”
She nodded. “Let me help you take your shirt off, so you’ll feel more comfortable.”
Brisa reached for it, but found herself tugged up against Darius’ chest, his lips moving over hers in a passionate kiss. He had her well on her way to being aroused when he pulled away, but she knew it would go no further than this, not with him so badly wounded.
“Thanks for staying with me, Brisa,” Darius said in a husky-sounding voice. “I didn’t know how alone I actually was until I met you.”
She reached up and stroked the side of his face. “Well, I’m not going anywhere.” She noticed his eyes were becoming heavy lidded. “I think we both should get some sleep. It’s late. Hopefully by the morning you’ll be healed.”
“I am tired.” He gave her back her pillow, then tugged his until it was on the mattress under his head. Darius held out his arm. “Come here.”
Brisa hesitated. “I could hurt you in my sleep.”
Darius pulled her against his uninjured side and held her close. “It’ll be worth the pain. I want to feel you next to me. I’ll sleep better.”
Settling her head on his chest, she relented. A minute later, Brisa felt Darius relax and his breathing even out. She closed her eyes. Before sleep took her, she thought of all that had happened that night. Being in love with an immortal warrior would take some getting used to, but she was glad Darius was hers.
Chapter Nine
Darius opened his eyes to find the room bright with the light of day. He looked over at the curtains to see they hadn’t been closed. He tried moving and found he could do so without experiencing pain. His wounds had healed while he’d slept.
He turned his head and saw Brisa lay next to him, still lost in slumber. Darius slipped out of bed without disturbing her. Standing next to it, he stripped out of his clothes and tore off the linen bandages. There weren’t any marks on his skin to show where he’d been hurt. Naked, he climbed back in next to Brisa.
Shifting so he lay on his side with his head supported on his hand, he stared down at her. Last night, after he’d first shifted, he’d thought for sure he was going to lose her. She’d been too fearful of him. Even though she’d agreed to let him explain, he’d still felt as if she wouldn’t be able to accept what he was.
Then the demon had showed up and gone on the attack. Darius had had only one thing on his mind—protect Brisa. But in the end, it’d been she who’d saved his life. If she hadn’t been there, Darius knew he wouldn’t have walked away from the fight only wounded, if he walked away at all. He would have lost his head.
He reached out and brushed a lock of hair away that had fallen over Brisa’s forehead. A surge of love and protectiveness washed through him as he looked at her beautiful face. The face of his mate.
Even though he’d told her his story of how he’d become a warrior to Anubis, and what his duty was to the god, he hadn’t told her about being his mate. She’d already had a lot to take in without him adding that to the mix. But now was the time to do so. He wanted to make love to her, and had a feeling he wouldn’t be able to hold back from biting her, making them mates. Anubis had told him that he had to let Brisa have the choice, not to take that away from her.