Page 85 of Demon Loved
“You saw how my form shifted several times during the confrontation with the Collector,” he said, and she nodded.
“Yes, I was kind of wondering if you were going to change back permanently. Good thing you didn’t — poor Allegra probably would have fainted for real.”
Because the corners of Brianna’s mouth quirked as she spoke, Belshegar thought she was most likely teasing him ever so slightly. “Yes, that would have been unfortunate,” he agreed. “You know how you can wear different clothing, but you are still completely yourself underneath? This human form has become like that for me — a permanent cover I now control entirely. All my abilities, all my powers, everything that makes me Belshegar, remain exactly the same. I’ve simply gained the ability to wear this form whenever I choose.”
Bree sat up a little straighter in bed, clear blue eyes locked on his. “So…you can stay human for as long as you want to?”
“I believe so,” Belshegar replied. The eagerness in her expression made his heart swell with hope. No, he could not fault her for wanting him to remain as he was — there would have been no chance for them to be truly together if he’d reverted to the body he’d known all his long life. He would have been forced to return to his plane, to go back to quietly tending his gardens and perhaps visiting this world every once in a great while, such as to welcome any children that Elena and Alessandro might have, or to make sure the wards the McAllisters had put in place tonight showed no signs of faltering.
“That’s…good to hear,” Brianna said. Then, as if she’d realized her relief might appear to be a rejection of his true self, she hurriedly added, “I mean, there’s nothing wrong with how you really look, of course. It’s just that you might be kind of hard to explain if you hung around Jerome looking like that.”
“Yes, a similar thought had crossed my mind,” he replied, his tone wry. “But I don’t believe it’s anything we need to worry about. Also,” he added, needing to reassure her that he didn’t mind wearing this human body for a very long time…forever, if that was what she wanted, “I have to admit I’ve become rather used to this form. It is somewhat less bulky to manage.”
Her mouth lifted in a smile, one so beautiful that she made his heart ache all over again. “Now you’re teasing me.”
“I am not,” he said calmly. “I am only telling you the truth.”
“And you can still do demon things if you need to?”
Now it was his turn to smile. “Yes. Although I do hope I won’t be called on to use any of those abilities anytime soon.”
She was silent for a moment, but he noticed that she didn’t reach over for her mug of tea, as if she, too, had realized she shouldn’t consume any more of the stimulant tonight.
Voice quite different, she said, “The Collector isn’t gone forever, but we have some breathing space, right?”
“I believe so.”
Once again, she was quiet, seeming to ponder his words. A very small nod, as if she’d accepted the truth of what he’d said and allowed herself to absorb it. Perhaps it would be years before they had to worry about their adversary, or only months.
Or perhaps Belshegar had been wrong about his assessment of the situation, and they had nothing to worry about at all.
Brianna’s fingers played with the edge of the quilt that covered her. “Will you — will you sleep with me tonight? Not…not to do anything,” she amended hastily, because he hadn’t been able to quite prevent himself from staring at her in surprise as she made the request. “But I know I’ll feel safer with you here next to me.”
That was a request he could accommodate well enough. Hadn’t he done the same thing for Elena many times, providing companionship so she could survive another sad and lonely night in her attic bedroom?
And true, he hadn’t slept in the bed itself because his bulk would have smashed it to splinters, but he’d lain on the rug next to it while she slumbered, providing what comfort he could.
“Of course,” he replied.
True, it was a little awkward to remove his shoes and his socks while Brianna watched, and then to hesitate when his fingers touched the buttons of his jeans. Perhaps he should sleep in those as well, even though they seemed rather stiff and uncomfortable for bedtime attire.
“It’s okay if you take the jeans off,” Brianna said, and again she sounded almost amused. “But I hope you can sleep in your T-shirt.”
“That should not be a problem,” he assured her, and went ahead and unbuttoned his jeans and then climbed into the empty space in the bed next to her.
Under the covers, her fingers sought his. “Thank you, Belshegar.”
“I will always be here for you,” he said simply.
She leaned over and pressed a chaste kiss against his cheek. “And I’ll always love you for that.”
Seeming to realize they’d said what they needed to, she reached over with her other hand and turned off the bedside lamp. Darkness fell on the room, but it wasn’t absolute, not with the faint illumination from the mercury glass light on the bookcase seeping in from the living room.
Beside him, Brianna settled herself down on her pillow, and Belshegar did the same, placing his head on the one provided for him, doing his best to allow his body to relax. It was odder than odd to lie here next to her and realize how much he wanted her…but also to understand he was willing to wait as long as necessary until she was ready.
He would do that because he loved her.
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