“How did you hear about my running away?”
Haros's face turned serious and Lori instantly regretted her question. It appeared the game was only for silly questions after all.
“The king made us aware. We're not privy to where he gets his information from,” the demon answered simply, his fun-loving grin unnervingly absent.
There was a long pause. Lori picked at a small hole in the mattress.
“It's your turn to ask something,” she mumbled, relieved when Haros's face brightened once more.
“Hm, you're right... Sex?” Haros asked.
“What kind of stupid question is that? Clearly, I'm a female.” Lori rolled her eyes.
“No, I was asking if you'd like some,” the demon quipped.
Lori felt her cheeks grow hot as she gaped at him.
“I– What?!” she spluttered.
Haros laughed loudly.
“Fear not – I'm teasing, Little Dove. I was just–”
A knock at the door interrupted them, and Loriglanced over. A bearded soldier stood there,looking at her cagily.
“Shift change, sir.” He stood to attention.
“Shame. Just as I was beginning to enjoy myself...” Haros shot Lori a wink. With a groan, he stood and stretched his back. “Sleep well, Princess. We set off early in the morn.”
Lori ignored him, simply laying down and rolling onto her side with her back facing the new demon. He entered the room and took silent vigil immediately. Haros hadn't been joking when he said he was more entertaining than his subordinates.
She strained to hear them as they muttered between themselves for a moment, but failed to pick out anything of interest. Haros left the room, quietly pulling the door shut behind him.
Lori sighed and closed her eyes.
CHAPTER FIVE
Lephas hadn't slept, but it wasn't for want of trying.
He had tossed and turned through the night, mind whirling. Though he was exhausted but his thoughts had refused to let him rest.
It wasn't as if he had never taken a faerie prisoner before. They had managed to capture Lazuli's scouts or injured soldiers and taken them back to Zelrus for questioning on many occasions. It wasn't a common occurrence exactly, but he was hardly inexperienced when it came to matters of conflict and politics.
So how had the faerie princess managed to get under his skin so quickly? He couldn't stop thinking about her.
Lephas tried to kid himself that it was just morbid curiosity. His interest in the girl was purely because, in all his war experience, he had never actually managed to capture a female faerie. He denied that he was lying awake, waiting for morning to come so he could look at her pretty face again.
He sat up from the make-shift bed he had fashioned out of camping equipment and scrubbed a hand down his face. This was messed up.Hewas messed up. Why was he running in circles over afaeriegirl who was half his age?
“Morning, boss,” Haros greeted him from the far side ofthe room.
Lephas turned to look at the demon.He was stood in the kitchen area,leaning his back against a tall cabinet and skilfully slicing up a blood berry.
“You're up early,” Lephas remarked, glancing out through a grimy window. Though the sky was heavy with snow once more, it had brightened, indicating a new morning was nearly upon them.
“Likewise,” Haros retorted. “How did you sleep?”
“Fine,” Lephas lied. “Well, as fine as you can when you're lying on a stone floor, using the outside of a tent as a blanket.”
