She smoothed the tension in his jaw with her thumb, her voice dropping to a steady, grounding hum. "You know why he came. He came to see if he could rattle the cage. Don't give him the pleasure of seeing you bleed."
Max closed his eyes, leaning his forehead against hers, his breathing finally beginning to level out. "He's a snake, Ruby. He doesn't come for congratulations. He comes for weaknesses."
"I know," Ruby whispered. Then, her brow furrowed, a sudden flash of a memory sparking in the back of her mind. "Max... did you see the mark on his leg? That fish-shaped scar near his ankle when his trouser leg moved?"
Max opened his eyes, blinking in confusion. "The birthmark? Yeah, he's always had it. It's a Byron trait, though his is more prominent. Why?"
Ruby pulled back slightly, her eyes distant as if she were scrolling through a thousand mental files. A cold shiver trace down her spine. "It's strange. I feel like I've seen it... somewhere else. Not on him. Somewhere specific."
