Page 44 of Demon Daddy's Nanny

"Stealing from your betters?" His boot connects with her ribs. "Thought you could slip away with my lady's jewels?"

"Please, I didn't-" Another kick cuts off her plea. "I was only cleaning, I swear-"

"Lying whore." He grabs her hair, yanking her head back. "Empty your pockets."

She fumbles with shaking fingers, turning out empty pockets. Nothing falls but dust and lint. My nails dig crescents into my palms as I watch, bile rising in my throat. The woman's terror-wide eyes meet mine for a heartbeat.

"See? Nothing! Please, I’m-"

He backhands her, the crack of it echoing off stone walls. Blood trickles from her split lip. "You’re worthless."

My chest burns with each ragged breath. Every instinct screams to intervene, to stop this senseless cruelty. But I know what happens to humans who challenge xaphan authority. Best case, I'd lose my position with Ridwan. Worst case...

The woman's soft whimpers carve into my bones. She didn't take anything - I'd watched her dusting the window displays earlier, head down, movements careful and precise. This isn't justice. This is power corrupting absolutely.

I shift forward, muscles coiled tight. The weight of my choice presses down like storm clouds before lightning strikes.

"Stop." My voice cuts through the alley, steadier than my thundering heart. "She's telling the truth."

The xaphan's wings snap toward me, feathers bristling like blades. His eyes narrow, pupils contracting to slits as he releases the woman's hair. She slumps against the wall, chest heaving with silent sobs.

"This doesn't concern you." He stalks forward, each step deliberate. His wings spread wider, casting shadows that swallow the remaining light. "Walk away."

I plant my feet. "I saw her cleaning the windows earlier. She didn't take anything."

"You dare question my judgment?" He towers over me now, close enough that I smell expensive oils on his feathers. Heat radiates from his skin - not the comforting warmth I feel near Ridwan, but something savage and wrong. "Do you know what happens to humans who forget their place?"

My fingers tremble, but I lift my chin. "Your threats will not make me cower.

The xaphan's wings flex, golden light catching the mottled gray of his feathers. Lower class then, trying to prove himself through cruelty. His breath fans hot across my face as he leans closer.

"Pretty little thing, aren't you? Think that makes you special?" His fingers hover near my cheek, not touching, but promising violence. "Think it gives you the right to speak to your betters?"

Behind him, the woman crawls toward the street. I keep my eyes locked on his, becoming the distraction she needs. "I think basic decency gives me that right."

His fingers brush my cheek, a mockery of tenderness that makes my skin crawl. "Perhaps you need a lesson in-"

A shadow falls across us, massive wings blocking out the sun. The temperature drops as if winter itself has descended into the alley. The xaphan's hand freezes against my skin, his eyes widening with recognition.

"Remove your hand from her." Ridwan's voice cuts through the air like a blade, each word precise and deadly. "Now."

The xaphan stumbles back, wings tucking tight against his body. His face drains of color as he turns to face Ridwan, whose golden wings fill the narrow space between buildings.

I just stare at him, unable to believe that he's here.

He came for me.

26

RIDWAN

Iknew the second that Eva left the estate. I didn’t know if she’d come back, didn’t know if she was making good on her promise.

It took me a few minutes to rush out after her. Because as difficult as all of this has been - trying to right my wrongs with Annalise, trying to overcome the memories of Sera, trying to convince myself that I both can and can’t be with Eva - none of it has been as bad as the split second I thought I lost her.

But now that I’ve found her…

Blood pounds in my ears as I close the distance between us in three long strides, my wings unfurling to their full span. Golden feathers catch the light streaming through tall windows, casting shadows across the floor.

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