Page 22 of Her Demon Mate
The scum demon, Elia’s boss, stumbles away from us, down the street. I turn to Elia, my arms twitching at my sides as I imagine her running to me tearfully and embracing me.
Unfortunately, that’s absolutely not what happens.
“You fuckers!” Elia snarls, her eyes wild as she starts to march toward Vylco and I. “You let him get away.”
My mouth opens and closes a few times, my brain trying to catch up with the sight before me. She should bethankingus– we just got rid of the piece of shit who terrified her so badly that she ran out of the bar!
Maybe this is just how she deals with fear,I tell myself.
“Give me back my fucking knife,” Elia demands, thrusting her hand out to Vylco, who looks as confused and surprised as I feel. He wordlessly places the blade back into Elia’s hand, and she sheaths it at her thigh in a fluid motion that I might appreciate more if she didn’t begin stomping away from both of us.
“Elia!” I call out to her, and she stops in her tracks, whirling on us.
“What has he done to you?” Vylco asks. The fight with Elia’s boss seems to have sobered him up. He walks to Elia and places a hand lightly on her shoulder.
I don’t miss the fact that she doesn’t move away from him, flinch away from him, or push him away, despite the rage that’s still rolling off of her in waves.
I swallow the acidic anger that rises in my throat and then I cross my arms over my chest.
“You cannot keep working for him if you’re that afraid of him.” Vylco says, his voice completely rational.
“Yes,” I find myself chiming in. “You’re afraid of him. I saw you in the bar. What did he do to you to frighten you that much?”
Elia scoffs, shaking her head as though the mere implication of her fearing Tonnolun is ridiculous. “I’m fine.”
Vylco sighs impatiently, as if Elia’s answers annoy him. But I can tell that he is trying to be kind to her.
We both continue to ask her questions, but she refuses to answer them and continues repeating the same words, over and over again, seeming to grow more agitated by the second.
I’m fine. I’m fine. I’m fine.
“Well, you might be fine, but I don’t think you should be alone tonight.” Vylco’s words surprise Elia and I. “You should stay with Azron tonight. I’m sure he wouldn’t have any problem hosting you for the night.”
I force down the lump that just exploded in my throat before I can speak.
“Of course,” I croak the words out. “You’re very welcome to come to my place for the night.”
I look up at the sky. It is late enough that all traces of red have left the sky. Instead, the sky is as black as my horns.
Two moons, Neomia and Ediea, hang in the distance. They do not provide much light. Instead, they shimmer darkly like two looming disasters, waiting to crash into Ikoth.
Elia sighs as Vylco continues to invite her to stay at my place for the night.
You’re hoping that she’ll say yes. That’s all you want. For her to say yes.
“I have no interest in doing that.” Elia says curtly. The hope that had been ballooning in my chest deflates, and something about her icy, distant tone stokes my rage.
“We’re just trying to protect you, you know!” My voice is tight and hoarse. My voice is an angry growl, and it is loud, as if it echoed off the night sky above us.
“We already saved you from your boss! You’re being ungrateful! You should just come home with me so that you can actually be safe, as opposed to being in your own place! I’m quite sure that your boss knows where you live, and I have a feeling that he’s the kind of demon who would come looking for revenge.”
Elia, who was turning away from me, whirls around, rounding on me.
I take a step back as rage flares across her face. Her brown eyes are black in the night, and they are bright and sharp as diamonds.
Her lips are pulled back in a snarl, and when I look down, her hands are clenched into fists.
She looks ready to attack me. And I am almost sure she’d be able to get a good few punches in before I could stop her.