Yet it wasn’t for her blood or bones.
It was something else he craved, and he had no idea what to call it.
“You’re burning with fever.” She brushed her hand through his hair.
He couldn’t believe that she didn’t recoil from his unnatural blood red skin tone. Or long orange hair. Rather, she cupped his cheek and stared into his yellow demonic eyes without flinching as she wiped away the black demon’s blood on his cheek and lips.
“Can you stand?” she asked gently.
He nodded, not really sure if he could or not.
To his even greater shock, she helped him to his feet. And when her gentle hand brushed against his black wings to help support him, he was lost to her kindness.
“There’s a cave where I played as a girl, just over that hill.” She jerked her chin to show him the direction. “No one ever goes there. They believe it’s haunted. You should be safe to rest within its shelter, and I can tend your wound and bring you food.”
“I still don’t understand why you would help me.”
“Because you need it.”
She made it sound so simple. As if his words were foolish.
But he knew people didn’t help others. They only preyed.
Amazed by her heart, he shook his head. “Aren’t you afraid of me?”
“Petrified.”
And she should be. He towered over her frail, fragile human body. It would take nothing to break her into pieces and use her blood and bone marrow to restore his strength and heal his injuries. He’d torn apart men twice the size of her, and they had been trained warriors.
Yet here she stood… unarmed. Defenseless. Her only armor was a thin, light yellow flaxen dress that was so thin, he could see the outline of her body whenever the sun passed through it. She didn’t even have on a single piece of jewelry she could stab him with.
Nothing.
Even her nails were trimmed to the quick so that she couldn’t scratch him. She was as harmless as a little mouse.
A part of him wanted to taste her blood to see if it was as sweet as she smelled. That same part of his soul hated her for daring to stand before him like this— for that innocent trust that said she knew he wouldn’t hurt her.
It was as if she dared him to prove he was ruthless and uncaring. That he was a demon, through and through. Things he’d vowed to himself he would always be. That he would feel nothing.
Numb to the world and all its pain.
She was his enemy. The very thing his father sought to protect. Malphas had sworn his sword and army to the utter destruction of every member of her pathetic race. To see them put down like the infectious disease they were.
Humanity…
The very word was bitter on his tongue.
Yet as he looked down at her and felt the heat of her hand on his skin…
This wasn’t hatred inside him. He wanted to comfort her and chase away the frightened light in her eyes.
“I won’t hurt you, little one.” He wasn’t sure who was more stunned when those words came out of his mouth.
For the first time, the terror faded from her light eyes and her gaze softened to warmth. Placing her arm about his waist, she gently helped him toward her cave. “Are all demons as gigantic as you?”
He snorted at her pertinent question. “Depends on the species. Some are small enough to fit in your palm.” He sucked his breath in sharply as he stumbled on a hidden bramble, and pain hit him anew.
She didn’t flinch as he put more weight on her than he’d meant to.
