army? For weeks now, he’d been pursued by their deadliest forces. Even wounded he’d put down their best soldiers with minimal effort.
And she had done nothing more than smile and he’d laid aside his sword.
I’m an idiot.
One who expected her to return with enemies to use his sword to kill him. After all, they would need such a weapon, forged by the gods, to damage his flesh, as mortal weapons were harmless against him.
But she didn’t. Instead, she returned, just as she’d promised, his weapon in hand and a basket of food for him in the other. Without a single reservation, she’d handed his sword to him. Then given him food and drink, and redressed his wound.
When she finally left the cave later that day, she’d carried his heart with her. A heart he hadn’t even known he possessed. With nothing more than a handful of spirited words and a kindness he’d never known, she’d taken the most lethal demon ever spawned by the most vicious, callous creatures the Source had spat out, and captivated him.
Centuries later, Caleb still loved her. He still grieved for her and kept her memory sacred. And he continued to use the name she’d given him to remind himself that his wife, alone, had seen something inside him besides a monster.
Lilliana had taught him to fight, not simply against his father because he hated him, but for his convictions because that was what a man of honor did.
It was the right thing to do.
I pray that you never again reach for this sword, Lord Husband. But should the day ever come when you must return to war, then it should be to protect what you love. Never again for hatred or fear. And never should you battle for vengeance.
Nick felt the same emotions Caleb had felt on the day he’d plastered his demonic sword into the wall of his cottage bedroom. Wrapped in enchanted cloth and bound with a protection spell to keep his enemies from locating him, he’d promised his wife that he was done with battle forever.
Never again would he fight for any cause. His only goal was to remain home with her on her farm, in the guise of a humble human.
But the gods hadn’t allowed him that peace. They’d dragged him back to their war against his will. Yet true to his word, he hadn’t returned to fight for the Mavromino.
He’d reemerged as a champion for the Kalosum—the side of light. His love for his wife had proven far greater than his hatred for his father, and to please his Lilliana and save her people, he’d fought with his enemies, and protected them with every ounce of his demonic strength.
And he continued to do so even now.
Nick scowled as he looked over at his friend and saw both faces of Caleb—the demon Lord Malphas, and his loyal, if often surly bodyguard who never hesitated to put his life on the line to protect him.
Caleb looked up and froze as he caught Nick staring at him. He narrowed his dark gaze on him. What’s that look mean? I swear, Gautier, you cop a feel, and I will put you through a wall.
Laughing, Nick blew him a kiss.
“Is there a problem back there, Mr. Gautier?” Ms. Pantall asked.
“No, ma’am. Caleb was just making goo-goo eyes at me again and staring at my chest with evil intent. Please tell him to stop sexually harassing me, as it’s making me very uncomfortable.” Nick clutched the collar of his shirt together and leaned away from Caleb.
Caleb choked while several students burst out laughing.
Ms. Pantall rolled her eyes. “In that case, I will remind you both of the No Public Displays of Affection rules that we have for the school. So behave and turn in your homework.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Nick pulled it out.
He’d just gotten comfortable again when the door opened to admit a new student. Something that didn’t happen often in their small, private, parochial school. And it wasn’t just because St. Richard’s was hard to get into due to its high academic standing. But rather from the fact that the school had been set up as a place for preters to learn how to mingle with humans and not let the stress throw them into their animal states.
While there were a handful of baretos, or “normal” humans who had no idea that they were attending school with shape-shifters, the majority of the student body here was either shape-shifters or the children of Squire families. Squires who