---
That she trusted him. That her neck was right there. That he could drink just a little.
Not enough to kill. Just enough to calm the thirst.
Sekhmet's eyes darkened.
"No."
He repeated it, but the word felt weaker than before.
He shifted again, and the movement made a faint sound.
Scrape…
One of the guards glanced toward him briefly, eyes sharp, then looked away again, assuming he was simply adjusting to stay awake.
Sekhmet swallowed again, throat burning.
He leaned forward another fraction.
His gaze fixed on Lily's neck like it was a rope thrown into deep water.
He could already imagine the bite.
The warmth.
The relief.
The way fatigue would dissolve like ash.
The way his blood proficiency would inch forward with the quality of her blood.
The way the hunger would finally stop screaming.
His jaw tightened.
His lips parted slightly.
He did not realize he was moving until he was close enough that he could feel Lily's breath on his cheek, soft and warm.
