She gave him a sarcastic salute. “Aye, sir. I’ll return forthwith.”
Adjusting the basket on her arm, she quickly swept out of their cottage before he realized what she carried wasn’t empty. Yet she kept looking over her shoulder in fear of being followed or spotted.
If they were still looking for her demon, they could easily stumble on her cave. That wouldn’t bode well for any of them. While she wanted to believe Caleb wouldn’t harm them, she wasn’t a fool. The last thing she wanted was to see the blood of someone she knew smeared on his sword.
So, she made her way carefully to where she’d left him.
As she entered the cave, she looked around. For some reason, Caleb hadn’t started a fire. Maybe he didn’t know how?
Maybe he didn’t need one.
“Caleb?”
No one answered. Worried, she moved forward until her eyes adjusted.
Then, she saw him on the ground with his wings spread out.
Terrified and breathless, she rushed to his side. He was burning with a fever.
“Caleb?” she asked again.
Again, he didn’t answer.
Lilliana blamed herself for leaving him. But he’d seemed so incredibly strong. Invincible even.
What did one do for a demon with a fever? She had no idea. Maybe they were the same as a human?
It was the only place she knew to start. Scrambling for her basket, she pulled her supplies free and quickly used the cold water to try and draw out the fever.
Thankfully, she had stopped along her way to pick some herbs… just in case her father checked.
Garlic. Sage… rosemary. They might help. Mixing them together, she made a fast poultice for his festering wound. Her stomach tightened as she saw how much worse it was today. The ragged edges were awful, letting her know that whoever had delivered the wound had intended to kill him.
Stupid thought really. Of course, they’d meant to kill him. It’d been a battle. The very thought saddened her. She didn’t like war, and this battle between gods, demons and men had been going on for far too long. Longer than she’d been alive.
Why wouldn’t they find peace? Her father called her foolish for such thoughts. Maybe she was. Because really, the world was a large place. Surely, there was room for everyone?
It just didn’t make sense to her.
Carefully, she redressed his wound.
Hissing, he swatted at her as if she were an annoying fly.
“Shh, Caleb. It’s only me.” Her hand brushed against the taut skin of his abdomen.
He came awake with a curse. For a second, his eyes and body appeared human, then they returned to their eerie demon-snake eyes and flaming red skin. “Lilliana?”
“Aye.”
Scowling, he rubbed at his forehead. “What happened?”
“You’ve a fever. I think you might have passed out.” She reached for her basket and took the bread, meat and cheese from it. “I brought you something to eat and drink.”
Malphas wanted to curse her for that kindness, but honestly, he was grateful. It’d been a long time since he’d been wounded this severely. A long time since he’d passed out.
Had she not hidden him…
He would most likely have been found. If not by the humans, then by those who wanted him dead.
