Page 6 of Demon Daddy's Hidden Daughter
"That's my mama!" Ava starts forward, but I catch her gently around the waist.
The vendor recovers his balance and lunges for the woman again, his face twisted with anger. "You don't get to just walk away, you lying bitch!"
That's all I need to see.
I scoop Ava up in one arm, her small body settling against my chest with surprising trust, and push through the crowd toward the altercation. People scatter out of my way—between my size and the spread of my wings, most have enough sense not to block my path.
The vendor has the woman by both wrists now, his fingers digging into what I can see are old scars circling her arms. She's fighting him with desperate strength, but he outweighs her by at least fifty pounds.
"Let her go." My voice carries the kind of authority that made enemy battalions think twice about advancing. The vendor's head snaps up, taking in my approach with wide eyes.
He releases one of the woman's wrists to gesture dismissively at me. "This doesn't concern you, sky-wings."
"I'm not interested in your money." The woman's voice shakes with barely controlled rage. "Let me go."
"Mama!" Ava calls from my arms, reaching toward her mother.
The vendor's gaze shifts to the child, and I watch his expression change as he takes in her distinctive eyes. His lip curls with disgust.
"Well, well. Makes sense now, doesn't it? Demon-fucked whore trying to pass her devil spawn off as?—"
I'm moving before he finishes the sentence. My free hand closes around his throat, not tight enough to cut off air but firm enough that he understands exactly how fucked he is if he keeps talking.
"Finish that thought," I suggest quietly, my voice pitched for his ears alone. "Please."
The color drains from his face. Whatever he sees in my expression convinces him that backing down is his only viable option.
"I... I didn't mean..."
"You meant exactly what you said." I release his throat and step back, placing myself squarely between him and the woman. My wings spread slightly, creating a barrier that blocks his view of the mother and Ava is buried into my chest. "Now you're going to apologize to the lady and walk away. Or I'm going to demonstrate why retired doesn't mean soft."
He scrambles backward, nearly tripping over his own display table. "Keep your demon bitch. Wasn't worth the trouble anyway."
The urge to introduce his face to the nearest stone surface is almost overwhelming, but I have more pressing concerns. The woman—Ava's mother—stands frozen behind me, her breathing harsh and uneven.
"Come on." I turn, shifting Ava to my other arm so I can gesture toward the market's exit. "Let's get you both out of here."
The woman doesn't argue. She falls into step beside me, staying close enough that our shoulders almost brush as we navigate the crowd. Her hands shake where they clutch a small traveling bag, and she keeps glancing back as if expecting pursuit.
"Thank you," she whispers once we've cleared the worst of the crowd. "I... thank you."
"Don't mention it." I glance down at Ava, who's been remarkably quiet during the whole exchange. "You all right, little one?"
She nods, but her arms tighten around my neck. "The mean man was hurting Mama."
"He won't hurt her again." The promise comes out with more heat than I intended, but the child seems to find it comforting. Then I look to her mother. "I'm Rhyen, by the way."
She goes even paler. She's staring at me like I'm a predator who's momentarily forgotten to hunt, waiting for the inevitablemoment when I remember what she is and decide she's not worth protecting after all.
I've seen that look before. Usually on the faces of refugees and prisoners of war—people who've learned that kindness is often just cruelty wearing a prettier mask.
3
RHYEN
Iguide them down a narrow side street where ancient vine-covered walls create a canopy of green shadows overhead. The scent of nightlilies drifts from hidden gardens, and the sounds of the market fade to a distant murmur. Here, away from prying eyes and gossiping tongues, some of the tension seems to ease from the woman's shoulders.
But only some.
