Mark

He held her gaze for a long moment, and just when Talia thought that she wouldn't receive a response from him again, she heard him speak. "No. You can't leave." 

Confusion bubbled within her, Talia bit her lips as she pointedly stared at him. "Why? 

"It's way too risky for you to go back to that place," he said. 

"Pardon?" Talia blinked. She couldn't believe she was hearing this from him. 

"You have been in so much pain. The last time we…we've met you were suffering in great pain that you fainted. And now, you were almost at the brink of death had I not arrived to save you." 

"Thank you for listing all of that," she quickly butted in when he was done. Her voice was laced with madness and anger, "But if you are worried that you have to save me again. Don't. I will promise that I won't need your help nor will you ever have to appear again to pretend to be my knight and shining armor. Because you are not!"