‘Stay still.’ I said, pressing my hand to her lower back. ‘Stay still, or you’ll end up in the hospital, explaining why you’ve allowed me to beat you.’

She smiled and turned her head, being careful to keep her back from moving. ‘It wouldn’t be the first time.’

‘Let’s not relive that event.’

I pressed the edge of the scalpel to her back and pressed it in until her flesh yielded and blood welled up. I drew it back, like a child would upon a crayon, in a neat line that flicked up at the end. I glanced up at her face, saw the tears that slide across the bridge of her nose. I heard her sniff slightly, but ever vigilant about the stillness of her back.

I repeated the action on her back, this line running fractions away from the angry mark of the first. The blood began to blur the lines, hide them under a thick flow of crimson. I ran my gloved hands over the cuts, resisted the urge to taste her on my fingertips. It was barely contained, the urge. I wanted it badly enough that my chest felt tight with the compulsion.

I touched her again and she flinched violently. My gaze slid back to her face. She gave a watery laugh and hid her face in the fold of her arms. Her voice was muffled, ‘It’s getting hard.’

I laughed softly, but paused in my next cut. ‘How did you know?’

She laughed, but the sound was cut off in pain as her back stirred the cuts. Blood stirred again, flowed that much more from the cuts. The urge was strong. I grit my teeth.

My thick breath was obvious and she looked at me carefully. ‘Enough for today, D.’

‘Enough?’

‘Just for today.’

I lowered my hand and nodded my head. I dropped the blade onto the small tray with a clink. My gloved fingers returned to the cuts and I stroked them almost lovingly. They were stained with her blood when I pulled them back, coated thickly in the stuff.

‘I love watching you bleed.’ I mumbled it, almost to myself.

She couldn’t move until I had bandaged the wounds and knew it. I was in no hurry. No hurry.

I brought my fingers to my mouth and smeared the crimson across my mouth. I felt it settle in my body like alcohol. I could feel the ease that settled into my muscles. I was drunk, high, on her essence. My lids felt heavy. My body hummed.

I was consumed.