Amusement died. “You’re right. ‘Tis no’ funny. I am takin’ it seriously and, obviously, I know you’re tellin’ the truth. But the point is that I’m no’ the sort to marry…”
“Mate.”
“Marry. Mate. Whatever. I’m no’ the sort to bind my eternal future because of fear. If you do no’ understand this about me, it just goes to show you do no’ know me well enough to ask for my eternal companionship. I will mate for love. I’ve told you this.”
“But…”
She held up a hand. “Wrong conjunction, demon. The correct next word is not ‘but’. ‘Tis ‘and’. And, though I may no’ be sneezin’, there’s still somethin’ you’re no’ sayin’. What exactly are these ‘wrong reasons’ that worry you?”
He stared at her for a few beats then sighed deeply, again, while running a hand through hair mussed by a windy ride and left charmingly unkempt. Deciding that the metaphorical train had left the station, only one option remained – to come clean with all of it.
With a second sigh, short but deep, he began. “Female demons aren’t just rare. They come equipped with power that eclipses males by several times over. That’s a fact of the natural-born. Whether or not if applies to you is yet to be determined. But indiscriminate power-seekers won’t stop and ask questions.”
He could almost see Shivaun’s brain circuitry firing as she sorted that out.
After a brief pause, she said, “’Tis no’ addin’ up. If ‘tis true that I’m stronger, why the worry? Why do you no’ think I can take care of myself?”
“Simple. It’s an unknown. We don’t know for sure that you have, or are in the process of getting, elevated levels of power. What we do know is that you’re a brand new elemental who has no idea what she is and what she can do. Your inexperience is practically total. Without evaluation and experiment we don’t know if any of that applies to you.”
She nodded then reviewed. “So, you’re thinkin’ I could somehow end up with a kidnappin’, gold-diggin’ rapist nursin’ a huge resentment when he finds out I’m just a garden variety, em, demon.”
“If that turns out to be the case.”
“If it does no’ turn out to be the case, would I no’ be able to ‘overpower’,” she couldn’t help but smile at her word choice, “the bastard? ‘Twould no’ fit into his evil plan? He would no’ be wary of that? You know this sounds a bit like demon folklore to me.” She cocked her head. “Is there a sayin’ about old demons’ wives tales?”
“Shivaun!” It was the first time Lyric had ever raised his voice around her. “This is not a joking matter.”
“How many female demons have you ever encountered? Personally.”
Without hesitation, he said, “Three.”
“That would be Rosie, Sher, and myself. Sher was kidnapped by a demon. And that worked out okay.”
Lyric gaped, his expression saying, ‘I cannot believe you said that’.
Observing that Lyric was displaying all the signs of someone afraid prompted even more questions.
“Fine. So, tell me this. I see that you are afraid.” He began to protest, but she held up her hand, again, then continued. “You can deny it all you want, but at your leisure you need to check out the definition of denial.
“Are you fearful of losin’ this alleged power to another demon? Or are you fearful for my safety and well-bein’?”
He closed the distance between them and took her by the shoulders, looking both intense and angry.
“How can you even ask that? My priority is your safety and well-being.”
“Your priority?”
“Yes.”
“And you’d trade your safety for mine?”
In the heat of the moment he responded without thinking. “Of course! What do you…?”
Lyric registered the light in Shivaun’s eyes and the curve of her delectable mouth. His chin retracted slightly. As what he’d said sunk in, he noted there was no sneezing.
“Well,” he said, genuinely surprised at this supremely unexpected turn of events. His hands loosened on her shoulders as he let the implications sink in. He hadn’t been informed that his internal workings had undergone an overhaul. He’d been the same old Lyric for… well, ever. But there it was.
He’d blurted out his answer without precalculated thought. And, judging by the satisfied look on Shivaun’s face, she’d grasped the full implication. He’d just acted out love according to her own definition.
“Well,” she repeated.
“You think your essence mixed with mine when we…?”
“Had no’ occurred to me. Can we no’ just savor the moment?” That notion lasted for a full three seconds before she posed a question