All I could do was nod my head.
The Dalwick Demon had dressed my wounds and was making sure I was cared for? I was certain it had to be a dream. Perhaps I’d hit my head harder than I thought.
With dirty fingernails, I reached out and pinched my arm.
“Shit,” I mumbled to myself when my fingers dug into my skin.
“Are you alright?” The demon spun around quickly, sending water sloshing out of the cup as he rushed over to me.
“I-I’m fine,” I croaked, and held out my hands for the water.
The demon sat down at the foot of the bed, far enough away for me to feel comfortable, and handed me the cup.
I sniffed the liquid a few times, confirming it was water before I took a long drink. He stared at me while I drank, and for the first time, I was able to get a good look at his face.
Other than the unnatural hue of his skin and his thick horns, he looked fairly human. His face was angular and defined, with a well-trimmed beard covering his jawline. If he wasn’t an infamous demon, one might even say that he was handsome.
When I’d drained the cup, I handed it back to him and gave him a small smile.
“Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?” he asked.
I tried to remember the last time I’d eaten. When you lived the life I did, food was scarce, and it wasn’t often that my clients offered to buy me supper.
I looked down and smoothed my hands over the furs. “Um, if it isn’t too much trouble, I’d love something to eat.”
“It’s no trouble at all. It’s been a long time since I’ve had company.” He rose from the bed and rummaged through a basket near the fire. “Here,” he said before passing me a piece of crusty bread and a generous hunk of cheese.
“Thank you.” My mouth began watering the moment I held them in my hand, but I did my best to eat slowly, as if I had some manners and wasn’t absolutely starving.
He watched me eat and let out a satisfied chuckle. “I take it that it’s been a while since you’ve eaten.”
I nodded my head as I gulped down a large bite of cheese.
“What did the townsfolk accuse you of?” he asked quietly, his voice taking on a sympathetic edge as he stared down at me.
I swallowed and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. “Prostitution, stealing, and witchcraft. I, um, am certainly guilty of the first two. I did what I had to in order to survive. But I’ve never practiced witchcraft a day in my life. Grafberg was just appointed a new priest, and I suppose he wanted to make an example out of me.”
“Hmm.” He nodded his head and rubbed his jawline with a clawed hand. “I see. That would explain why it’s been some time since a human ended up down here in my cave. Though it appears that some of the townsfolk are still the same. They seem to think it’s easier to persecute others than to lend a helping hand.” The last few words came out as a harsh growl and his tail flicked back and forth in agitation.
“I-I take it you don’t want to eat me then? Unless you’re fattening me up a bit first.”
He shook his head and laughed again. “Those are rumors. I don’t eat the humans that end up here. I help them.”
“Help them?”
“Yes. Remember the moss that cushioned your fall? I lead each sacrifice that finds their way into my cave under the mountain to safety. They start a new life in the next town over.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. My entire life I’d been told that the demon of Dalwick Cave feasted on the sacrifices offered to him, but in truth,he led them to safety.
He was a purer soul than William, and even Father Aldous, a supposed man of God.
“So you’re saying that you’ll take me under the mountain too?”
The demon smiled and nodded his head. “Yes. If that’s what you wish. Belden is a welcoming town, but I’ll warn you it's different from Grafberg.”
“Considering I was just thrown into a cave formy crimes, that can’t be a bad thing.”
He sat down at the foot of the bed, leaning closer to me. “What if I told you that magic,witchcraftas your kind call it, exists in the lands beyond the mountain?”
