Page 23 of Once Upon a Demon's Heart
My eyes widen as I finally understand.
“Oh. I didn’t know that was something demons were affected by. I didn’t even know you experienced them. Why is it happening? Have you had a heat before?” My eyes travel to his hands. There are bite marks on them, and they look like they belong to him. Was he trying to desperately stop himself last night? My thighs ache with the memory of his ruthless thrusts.
His eyes narrow with annoyance. “Haven’t you been educated in scenting and heat cycles?”
I lift a shoulder and let it fall. “No, I’m the only daughter of Venus in Alzhor. Demigods don’t get heats like I do. I’m the outcast in the bunch.”
He opens his mouth a few times like he wants to say something, but he can’t get the words to come out. Finally, he says quieter, “I shouldn’t have to explain this to you.” Kalel drags a heavy hand through his hair and sighs. “The scenting I did last night is something only partnered demons do with one another, so the act of it increases our natural instincts. I’m not one to be intimate with others, so this is highly unusual for me. And no, I haven’t had a heat before.” He turns his back to me.
“Kalel, I have frequent heats, and I know how painful they can be. It’s okay if you need to do it again.” My voice waivers and I try not to dwell on the way his shoulders tense. I focus my attention on the tips of his ears and how red they turn.
He drags a hand down his jaw with discomfort as he shifts to face me. “I’m sorry if I… if I frightened you last night.” His eyes soften as he stares at the ground. Then he hardens his gaze. “I’ll make sure to have our healer visit you before we leave.”
The ride is different today.
Kalel’s presence is more defeated and heavier with his silence. Now that I’m not shivering the entire day, I’m able to admire the cold landscape and the slow march of the horses.
There isn’t a single sign of life amidst the snow. The wastelands truly are a desolate place. Normally the mortals linger in these areas, waiting in the thick underbrush to ambush travelers or take out entire groups for goods and food. I doubt we’ll need to worry with an army this big though.
The healer made quick work of me this morning, and I’ve been relieved all day that I didn’t have to ride a horse with soreness.
We set up camp along a cliffside tonight. The northern winds are intense, but the steep rock face keeps the frigid air off of us for the most part.
It’s the first day that I don’t feel entirely drained from the ride, so I decide to sit by the campfire and listen in on some of the knights as they share stories of their families. The longer I sit here, the more burdensome the guilt of what I’ve done becomes.
They’re talking about their loved ones just as demigods do.
A frown forms across my lips. I rise just as they’re serving bowls of beef stew. It smells good, but I lost my appetite thinking about the demons I’ve slain that were just like these knights. Or their innocent family members that never should’ve been involved in the war in the first place.
The snow crunches beneath my boots as I trudge to the edge of the cliffside and look out over the expanse of the wastelands. Now that the storm has cleared, I can see over the entire valley we crossed today. Jagged rocks break from the ground and extend toward the sky. Patches of forest cover each end of the valley, going as far as the eye can see.
I jolt when I hear footsteps. I conclude that it must be Kalel, so I let my shoulders relax and continue looking over the landscape solemnly.
Two hands slam down onto my shoulders and shove me to the ground. The snow is easily a foot deep, and it instantly pushes up into my shirt. The cold stings my skin, muddling my senses as I turn to face my attacker. My heart drops.
There’s more than one.
It’s a group of angry soldiers, still dressed in their armor. Three of them surround me with a fourth on his way up the slope.
“You killed my cousin, you witch,” One of them snarls at me, unsheathing his sword. My heart skips a beat. I’m unarmed and defenseless.
The others glare at me with hatred.
“You killed my fiancé.”
“My childhood home was burned down by your soldiers.”
They berate me with their grievances as they circle around me like wolves. “I’m your duke’s betrothed. Don’t you want this godsforsaken war to end?” I shout, gnashing my teeth together and shaking my head with frustration.
The broad-shouldered demon closest to me cackles. The hair on the back of my neck rises as I prepare to fight for my life.
“You think we want peace?Nowof all times when we finally had you abominations cornered? All it would’ve taken is a single breath and we would finally be rid of the demigods for good.”His grip adjusts on his handle and I move just in time as he swings his sword at me.
Of course, their kingdom would be divided on the matter of peace. Especially considering the tricks we played.
Thornhall.My heart aches for the loved ones I stole from them.
“I don’t want to hurt any of you.” My voice gets stolen from me as a sword is swung across my shoulder blades. A pained scream is torn from my lips as I’m thrown down into the snow again.
