was home.
Even more surprised by her spirit that was unafraid of the dark he called home, he sat down on the floor while she went to a corner and uncovered a small tinder box. If he didn’t know better, he’d think her part demon the way she moved about in the darkness as if she could plainly see.
But it was merely the fact that she was familiar with the place, and knew where everything in it was located. She struck a match and lit a small tallow candle to burn. Holding it aloft, she returned to his side and placed it in a small makeshift sconce she’d created.
Once she could see, she returned to his side and knelt down. When she reached for his armored cuirass, he caught her soft hand with his claws. “What are you doing?”
She gave him a blank stare. “I was going to inspect your injury. Surely, you don’t think I could do you harm?”
No, but trust didn’t come easy for him. He’d never had anyone who hadn’t sought in the past to give him all manner of pain.
That list included his own parents.
Reluctantly, he loosened his grip and surrendered to her care. As promised, she didn’t hurt him. Rather she carefully examined his wound then tore away a section of her underdress to bandage it.
That selfless act hit him twofold. One, that she destroyed her own dress for his care. And two that her touch was feather-light and seared him to the core of his rotten soul.
When she was done, she sat back to smile down at him. “You lie still and rest. I shall get you something to eat and drink.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome…”
By the way she said that, he knew she wanted something from him, but he had no idea what.
After a second, she laughed. “What’s your name?”
“Malphas.”
“Malphas?” she repeated in distaste. “That name doesn’t suit you at all.”
“How do you figure?”
“You’re far too handsome to be a Malphas.”
Was she insane? He was completely demon in her presence. The one thing he’d learned early in his life was that humans hated them whenever they wore their demon skins. Everything about his kind was repugnant to the human species.
Yet it didn’t seem to faze her at all.
Not even the darkness of his blood or the length of his claws that had been designed to shred human flesh seemed to bother her. She acted as if he were as normal to her as daylight.
And it softened his hardened warrior’s heart in a way nothing ever had before. “What name would you have for me, then, little one?”
She pursed her lips into an adorable frown as she considered it. Then, to his complete consternation, she reached up and gently brushed his orange hair back from his face so that she could cup his cheek and study his features. “Caleb.”
It left him speechless that she’d instinctively picked a name so close to his summoning name … as if she could sense it somehow. But more than that …
“Caleb?” He shuddered. “Why such an awful thing?”
She dropped her hand to the center of his chest. “Because I sense in you a true heart. A faithful heart. And by your wounds and scars, I can tell that you are fearless. So I shall call you Caleb, the faithful, fearless warrior who defends what he believes with everything he has. That is what I see when I look upon you. Not a demon. An ever-courageous, noble warrior. One day, I suspect, you shall look into a mirror and see the same noble man I do.”
And with those handful of words, Lilliana shattered the icy barrier that had caged his heart since the moment he’d been forsaken to this harsh bitter world without friend or family. “I can assure you that I will never look into a mirror and see a man there. At least not that I don’t scream. Then kill it.”
She laughed. “You know what I mean. Now let me see about collecting your sword before it’s found and they begin looking for you. Then I’ll make sure you have supplies until you’re well enough to rejoin your army.”
Malphas’s breath had left him in a rush as he realized that he’d completely forgotten his weapon.
What the hell?
He’d never in his life set his sword aside. Never been disarmed by anyone.
Until now.
Malphas had set it aside without a second thought. What magick did this human wield so effortlessly that she could ensnare the most lethal demon commander in the entire Mavromino