Page 17 of Christa's Obsession

Could a demon be such a thing?

A branch snaked over the table and leaves brushed over Wanda’s hand. She smiled softly at the gentle offering of comfort.

“My tree senses your distress,” Silas murmured quietly, placing the sweet, scented tea in front of her. “I’ll ask Dakata to leave us.”

Her lips parted to deny she needed him to leave, even though it was a lie, but Silas shook his head. “He will play on his laptop, so don’t fear we are disturbing him.”

Wanda didn’t look directly at the large demon as he rose silently and closed the laptop, putting it under his arm before coming and kissing Silas.

She didn’t look away, needing to understand how they fit. How could Silas not fear those who hated the demon, and those who threatened him? Despite what had happened, there was nothing in their embrace that disputed their blissful bond.

All she sensed was… love, deep and abiding. There was no fear—none. Their connection hummed in the life of the mighty oak pressed against the house. The feelings coming from the oak were of acceptance and the honor of having found their third.

Oh mercy me, you bonded with her.

“Take your tea, I’ll follow you shortly.” Silas pressed a mug into Dakata’s hand before allowing him to walk away.

When Dakata disappeared up the stairs, Silas retrieved his own mug and sat next to Wanda. He took a sip of his tea, eyeing her over the rim of the mug. “I sense your struggle, Wanda. Please let me help.”

With Dakata out of the room, Wanda gave Silas a wan look, working to collect her thoughts. Insulting her brother's blissful one was not something she wanted to do, but he resembled those who took her. She had not asked about what had happened in the demon realm, now she considered she should.

If her trees’ lack of response to what she’d just realized was anything to go by, answers were what she needed. Her trees were persistent and must have given Christa leaves—somehow. Allowing her fear to rule her would harm Christa. Could asking questions and getting answers help?

“What happened…” She sipped the tea to take away the sudden dryness in her throat. “To the demons that… took me?”

Silas placed his mug down and reached for Wanda’s free hand. “They won’t hurt you again.”

In the fierceness of his words was sadness, too. Wanda came to the realization of what Silas had done to protect her. “You…”

He nodded. “Dakata… he…” Silas held her gaze, and she released a trembly breath at what he couldn’t say. Taking a life, it went against everything they believed in. “I did too, to protect you,” he whispered painfully.

She flipped her hand over to clasp Silas’s, sharing the burden of pain he held, even as the branch which had comforted her moved to touch their joined hands.

“I took life to protect yours because they left me no choice, a decision I would repeat for you.” His gaze moved to where Dakata had disappeared. “For him.”

A tear rolled down her cheek. “I’m sorry.” Life was sacred to a dryad, so to offer such a thing that would hurt Silas’s soul eternally was monumental.

The strength of the blissful bond was never more obvious to Wanda as she stared at her brother, her own emotions in turmoil.

He wiped the tear away from Wanda’s cheek as another fell. “They wanted to hurt my blissful one, and they succeeded with their actions.”

“They took me, not you,” she pointed out, despite hating that it happened, she would never have wished for Silas to have taken her place. No, she would never wish for that.

“Yes, but think, we have the same connection to each other as our trees, do we not, my love?” She nodded. “Hurting me hurts Dakata, and he unleashed his pain on all of them without bias.”

Wanda gasped as she considered the number of demons who had been in the room with her. “All of them?”

“He has never spoken of it, but through my bond with him, I felt his rage. His need to punish those for causing my pain. It took him to a dark place that ensured no survivors.”

“He did this alone?” She gulped, eyes widening, working to comprehend how one demon could fight so many at once.

“Dakata’s best friend Merihem, his brothers, and Christa. They all fought for you, for me.”

“Christa?” A memory worked free of the conversation with Christa. She had said she was there.

What Dougal had said floated through her mind, it all piecing together.I know what they did to you, lass, but that demon who just came callin’, she fought to protect you. Fought for you before she understood what you were to her. A blissful one, it’s a gift from Fate.

Was it a gift if it came with a threat of violence? A threat of death? “The threat—”

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