I wasn’t.
The darkness in him didn’t scare me.
The fight earlier flashed in my mind. How Dagon let go of my hand, how he fought these demons. But what replayed, again and again, was the moment he was stabbed, the painful scream that tore from his lips, the moment when I felt my heart stop. The magnitude of everything that happened should have made me run away. It should've scared me. For fuck’s sake, minutes ago, I watched him tear someone’s heart out of their body. But instead, all I could feel watching him like this, with blood marking his body, was bone-deep relief.
Breaking free from the shock I was locked into, I ran to him. Crashing my body into his, I grabbed him by the neck and kissed him. I could feel the taste of his blood from his split lip, but I didn’t care. Nothing else mattered except feeling him in my arms, knowing he was alive and here.
Dagon inhaled sharply, frozen for a moment before kissing me back. Our tongues crashed together, and I wrapped myhands tightly around him, kissing him in a ravenous, starving way. My heart was going wild, my body was screaming, my mind was an utter mess, but something stark came to the front. It was an inner knowing I couldn’t name. It felt like my soul was purring. Like two strings finally finding the same note. It was like I was finallyhome.
Dagon pulled away and looked at me with unfocused eyes. I was transfixed by his purple eyes. Eyes that look different, should feel different, but they didn’t. Even though the color had changed, his eyes still carried the core of who Dagon was. He was looking at me in the same tender way as before. I moved a few wet strands from his forehead and cupped his face.
“Don’t you ever get hurt again,” my voice was hoarse. Whether it was because of all the screaming or the emotions still overwhelming me, I wasn’t sure. “My heart almost stopped when I saw that demon stab you. We need to take you to a hospital.” I took him in. “Wait, can you turn again so we can go to a hospital? How are you feeling? Does it hurt? Of course, it hurts. Dagon why…”
He interrupted my panicked talking by kissing me.
“I’m fine.” His voice sent goosebumps over my spine. It was so different from the one I was so used to. “It will heal in a matter of minutes in this form. Just give it a moment.”
I looked up at him and didn’t like what I saw. Dagon looked at me, but there was a flicker in his eyes. A flicker I had never seen before. For the first time, I saw the fear he had buried so deep inside him. My chest ached.
“What kind of a demon are you?”
I saw the flash of panic he tried to hide, and my heart shattered, not because of my question or his answer, but because he was afraid and tried to hide it. It took him several minutes to answer. Even then, it was only in a whisper.
“A Starborn.”
I exhaled deeply. Closing my eyes, I tried to regulate my breathing. A Starborn, the most powerful clan. Instead of being afraid, an overwhelming feeling of relief overtook me. Being a Starborn meant he was one of the strongest demons. It meant he would be safe, or at least he had a greater chance against other demons.
I opened my eyes and looked at his stomach. I couldn’t see any wounds anymore, but I wanted to be sure.
“How is it?”
“It’s already healed.”
Knowing he was better, I hit him in the chest, which didn’t even make him flinch.
“You idiot! Do you seriously think I care that you’re a demon? What I care about is you not getting hurt like that, for fuck’s sake! I thought you wouldn't make it.”
I turned around and stormed to the car, resting my hands on it to keep me from falling. A sob tore from me. I heard Dagon’s voice behind me.
“It doesn’t matter to you that I’m a demon? A Starborn.”
“Of course I fucking care!” I screamed, turning to him. His face fell, and he took a step back.
“I won’t hurt you. I would never hurt you,” Dagon said.
“Let’s get this straight. I want to be with you. You being a human or a demon or a unicorn doesn’t change anything for me. You’re still Dagon. It’s not like you turned into someone else.” Just something else, but I didn’t say it out loud. I stepped closer to him, “You’remyDagon. I know you. I know your heart, even when you try to pull away.”
“I-”
I didn’t give him a chance to speak. Everything was too much, and the words rushed out of me.
“For the record, I saidit mattersbecause it’s part of who you are, you idiot. Second, the only thing that matters to me isyou not getting hurt and me being able to do something, damn it. This little thing of yours wouldn’t let me get close to you. I just stood there and watched Dagon!” My voice cracked as tears welled in my eyes, and I let them fall.
“I just watched you fighting alone and getting hurt! Lastly, you said you’re a Starborn. Well, you will tell me more about Starborns, because I don’t know shit. And no, I don’t believe King. You being a heartless creature, cold-blooded, I don’t believe that even for a second.”
I rubbed my hands over my face and slumped against the car. All the strength left my body. Dagon closed the distance between us, cupping my face and bringing it up so I could look at him.
“I’m fine, Di. I’m fine. I’m not hurt. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
