Page 102 of Lost in the Dark

“Ah, she wakes.” The shadow stood in front of me, his voice deep and rumbling. A set of piercing golden eyes with pupils reminiscent of a cat’s peered down at me and seemed to sear into the depths of my soul. “Don’t be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you.”

I blinked my eyes rapidly, trying desperately to clear my vision. When I could finally see, I panicked at the sight in front of me.

He was easily six feet tall, with two horns sprouting from the top of his head. He was even taller if you considered the length of his unbroken horn. His skin was deep red in color, like the hot embers of a fire, and heat seemed to resonate from his body.

I tried to dart away from him, but my head started pounding the moment I moved.

“Get away from me!” I screamed as I clutched my head in agony.

He sat down on the bed of furs and held his clawed hands up in a submissive gesture. “Truly, I mean you no harm. I’m trying to help you. Look at your feet if you don’t believe me.”

When my head stopped spinning, I clutched my knees and looked down at my feet. Clean strips of linen were expertly wrapped around my soles—as if someone had bandaged them.

I gave him a sideways glance from where I was huddled in the corner. “Y-you did this?” My voice was a hoarse whisper from all of the screaming I’d been doing as of late.

Firelight reflected off of his face and his red lips parted into a kind smile. “Yes. I picked out each piece of stone, cleaned them with a tincture, and bandaged you up. You fell in the tunnel and got a nasty cut on your head, but I think it’ll heal fine without stitching. Your hairline should hide any scar that’s left behind.”

My hand drifted up toward my forehead and I winced when my fingers ran over the crusty edges of the wound.

“Careful. Don’t want to bust it open again,” he said in that baritone voice of his as he smiled down at me.

I studied him for a moment in disbelief. If he was indeed the Demon of Dalwick, he didn’t seem all that threatening. Sure, he looked different than any man I’d seen before, but he’d already shown me more kindness than I’d experienced from the villagers in my entire life.

“Would you like some water?” he asked before rising from the bed.

When he stood, I admired his shirtless form, the glow from the fire illuminated the smooth planes of muscle covering his body. Shiny black hair woven into a tight braid hung down his back and a piece of fur—almost like a short skirt—covered the lower half of his body. Peeking out from beneath the skirt was a red tail topped with a fuzzy tuft of black hair that swayed back and forth behind him.

I glanced upward, my gaze slowly tracking up his muscular body to his face, and he let out a warm laugh. “I asked if you’d like some water, little human.”

All I could do was nod my head.

The Demon of Dalwick had dressed my wounds and was making sure I was cared for?

I was certain this had to be a dream. Perhaps I hit my head harder than I thought.

With dirty fingernails I reached out and pinched my arm.

“Shit,” I mumbled to myself when my fingers dug into my skin.

“Are you alright?” The demon spun around quickly, sending water sloshing out of the cup as he rushed over to me.

“I-I’m fine,” I croaked, and held out my hands for the water.

The demon sat down on the pile of furs, far enough away from me for me to feel comfortable, and handed me the cup.

I sniffed the liquid a few times, confirming it was water before I took a long drink. He stared at me while I drank and for the first time, I was able to get a good look at his face.

Other than the reddish hue of his skin and his horns, he looked fairly human. His face was angular and defined, with a well-trimmed beard covering his jawline. If he wasn’t a demon, one might even say that he was handsome.

When I’d drained the cup, I handed it back to him and gave him a small smile.

“Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?” he asked.

I tried to remember the last time I’d eaten. When you lived the life I did, food was scarce, and it wasn’t often that my clients offered to buy me dinner.

I looked down and smoothed my hands over the furs. “Um, if it isn’t too much trouble, I’d love something to eat.”

“It’s no trouble at all. It’s been awhile since I’ve had company.” He rose from the furs and rummaged through a basket near the fire. “Here,” he said before passing me a piece of crusty bread and a generous hunk of cheese.