Her footsteps followed me through the house, keeping several feet between us at all times.
It wasn’t ideal, but it was a start.
Chapter
Three
Leda
The daemon led me through the house, hesitating briefly by each open door to tell me which room was which. The entire place looked like an English manor house from the 16thor 17thcentury. It was beautiful and well-kept, but had an ancient air, as though it had stood for hundreds of years and would stand for hundreds more.
“This is the downstairs washroom,” he said, gesturing to his left. “And this is the library.”
I glanced in each before following him further down the hall.
Without stopping, he pointed to his right. “That is my study. Typically, if my men enter the house, this is where they come, so you might want to avoid it for the time being.”
No argument there, I thought.
“For the time being?” I asked.
“They will eventually understand that you are a guest and not a servant or prostitute, but probably not until I have to whip one of them for ignoring my warnings.”
“Are all daemons like that, or is it just a few?”
The look he shot me was dry, both annoyance and disbelief clear on his sharp features. “I imagine we’re not too different from humans when it comes to behavior. There are a great many honorable daemons, but there are always a few that think they should be able to do whatever they want. Especially to a creature smaller and weaker than them.”
My chin jerked up. “That’s an accurate assessment.”
There was a reason I taught free women’s self-defense classes once per month. And it wasn’t because all humans were good and trustworthy.
“This is the drawing room, but I rarely use it since I would rather have my horns cut off than entertain.”
I couldn’t contain the snort of amusement that escaped me. I understood exactly what he meant. I didn’t mind socializing, but I didn’t want people in my private spaces. And I considered my entire home my private space.
He turned the corner and went up the stairs.
I picked up a slice of cheese and nibbled on it as I followed. His commander had fed me a slice of bread and some fruit earlier, but it definitely hadn’t been enough food. I hadn’t asked for more because I had a feeling I would be expected to “pay” for the food with sex. I might have considered it if I were already starving, but I figured I would be able to sneak extra food at night and find a way to conceal it if I needed to.
Based on the amount piled in this bowl, Masu and the daemon in charge didn’t intend to starve me.
Which reminded me…
“What should I call you?” I asked as I followed him down the hall.
“I am called Bokkan.”
“Is that your first name or last name?” I asked.
He looked at me in confusion. “What are first and last names?”
“My first name is Leda. That’s what my friends and family call me. My last name is Voight. That is my family name that I shared with my parents and my father’s relatives. In a formal setting, people will call me Ms. Voight.”
He nodded. “I understand. We call ourlast namea legacy or house name. I am of the Stonesword legacy. Sometimes it will be called the House of Stonesword. It’s my mother’s house. What you call a first name is considered just a name here. Mine is Bokkan.”
“You don’t expect me to call you Master like Masu did? Or General as your men did?” I asked.
He stopped in front of a huge, ornate door. “No. You are my guest and should call me Bokkan. I have also asked them repeatedly to do the same, but they were with me when I still served our king and have yet to get out of the habit.”
