I stared at the empty hall for a long time after he left, my instincts and my mind at war with each other.
Could I convince a human female to stay with me? To mate with me? Was it even possible that she could return the depth of my feelings?
Females were a mystery to me in so many ways. Human females seemed infinitely more complicated than daemon ones.I knew how to convince a daemon female that I was worthy of her claim.
I had no clue how to do the same with a human female.
It seemed I was going to have an opportunity to find out.
Chapter
Twenty-Two
Leda
A desperate desire to eavesdrop on Bokkan’s conversation with Guldan filled me, but I didn’t get the opportunity.
As soon as Masu saw me in the doorway to the kitchen, she rushed forward and wrapped me in a hug. Her arms were almost as strong as Bokkan’s.
“I am glad you and the master are both well,” she said, holding me tightly for a moment before releasing me. “Are you hungry?” she asked.
Without waiting for my answer, she went to the daemon equivalent of a refrigerator and began pulling out food. “Of course you are,” she muttered. “You haven’t had a meal in hours and hours. I’ll make something quick for you and the master. You both need to eat.”
As she fussed with vegetables and meat, I walked over to the pitcher of water she kept on the counter and poured myself a glass. The liquid was refreshing against my tongue. I drained the glass in a few swallows and poured myself another. I’d been so focused on Bokkan and my safety that I hadn’t realized how thirsty I was.
I edged toward the door to the hall, straining my ears for the low rumble of voices coming from Bokkan’s office. Unfortunately, Masu decided to continue our conversation. “I am pleased you and Guldan were able to have the master freed. It was unjust to jail him for defending you from that cruel ass.”
I blinked and focused on the imp. “You know Karaj?”
“Oh, I do very well,” she answered as she added oil to a large, hot pan. “His parents were once my masters before the general. I left their estate when it became clear they were not going to protect their staff from their son’s brutality.”
“How was he brutal?” I asked, moving closer to Masu.
She dumped chunks of meat and vegetables into the sizzling pan. “He would punish the staff when they made mistakes. But most of thosemistakeswere created by him through lies or maliciousness. All he wanted was an excuse to torture the poor souls that worked for his family.”
“Did he torture you?” I asked. I couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to hurt Masu. Despite her gray skin and red eyes, she was sweet and bubbly.
“Only the once,” she replied, not looking at me.
I decided I was going do my best to stab the asshole the next time I saw him. Maybe more than once. He deserved that and worse for hurting a sweetheart like Bokkan’s cook.
“I’m glad you were able to escape his home.”
“Me, too, child. Me, too.”
I sipped my water and watched her cook, straining to hear the low voices of Bokkan and Guldan in the office, though I couldn't make out their exact words. It was clear I would have to ask Bokkan about it later. In private.
The food was finished a few minutes later, and Masu plated it up in the same wide shallow bowls daemons used for every meal, whether it was stew, porridge, or a sort of meat and vegetablestir fry mixed with black noodles, which was what she’d just made me.
I dug in without hesitation. Masu made it clear that she had found out what herbs and foods humans needed to avoid in Penumbra and that she would no longer use them in meals. I probably shouldn’t trust so easily, but I trusted her. She seemed to genuinely care about my comfort.
After my first bite, my stomach growled loudly. I carried the bowl to the table and sat down, giving the meal my full attention. Between my hunger and the deliciousness of the food, I couldn’t focus on anything else.
When I finished the last bite, I looked up at the imp. “That was the best thing you’ve made for me yet, Masu.”
She shrugged, and her gray cheeks darkened slightly as though she was blushing. “It’s nothing fancy. The sort of dish mothers make for their children when time and money are short.”
“Then their children must be full and happy, because I could eat this almost every day.”
