Page 48 of Myths and Manuscripts
“No!” We all said it at the same time, and I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurd situation.
I took a deep breath to calm down and smiled at him. “Sorry. What were you going to say?”
He gave me an exasperated look. “That I actually agree with the Demon Lord. Send me back. I promise I won’t mention this little visit and I’ll save the invasion for later. Tomorrow maybe.”
Thorne shook his head. “Well now we definitely can’t send him back. He’s going to invade my lands either way.”
I bit my lip, hoping that didn’t mean he planned to deal with the hero permanently or something. I should probably talk to him in private before anyone decided something we couldn’t come back from.
“Come with me.” I tugged on his sleeve, pulling him into the hallway and lowering my voice. “If you want me to finish this book series, then I need to talk to the hero.”
“Really?” He raised an eyebrow at me.
“Yes, really. He’s the main character! Don’t you think we should ask him about the books? See what his plans are and all that?”
“His plans are to kill me.” He stared at the holy sword, leaning down to pull the belt tighter like that would prevent it from overhearing us or something. “I thought you were trying to find a better ending for me.” His voice lowered. “For us.”
“That’s not fair and you know it. Of course I’m trying to find a better ending for you, but to do that, I needhim. So we’re going to talk to him and that’s that.”
“But he’s my enemy.” He gave me a look that screamed I was being really dense, but I wasn’t about to give in.
“So what if he is?”
“So, this is dangerous, Willow. I can’t protect you if an army storms this village.”
Ah, so that’s what he was so worried about. Now that he’d taken on the role of a protector, this whole situation probably felt a lot different to him. He couldn’t just cast the area in darkness and do whatever he wanted anymore. He had to keep his people, and me, safe. I understood his point, but the hero was literally in the next room! I couldn’t let this opportunity pass me by.
I tapped my finger against my thigh, watching the holy sword struggle against its bindings. “What if he agrees to tell his party that he’s on a mission and will be back soon?”
“And how will you get him to agree to that?”
“That’s a problem for tomorrow.” I forced a smile that hopefully looked far more confident than I felt. “Let’s sleep on it and see where we’re at in the morning. After he gets some rest and eats a hot meal, I’m sure he’ll be more open to our plan.”
Thorne snorted, but didn’t say anything else as we walked back into the room. The hero was having a staring contest with Cinder while Dain nudged the bunny closer.
“Uhh, what’s going on?” I asked.
“The demon bunny has found its newest prey.” Dain smiled grimly. “And she’s not going to let him go.”
Cinder puffed up her fur and produced three little balls of red flames in the air. The hero leaned back, but then Cinder sneezed, and sparks flew up like sparklers and ruined the whole scary bunny vibe. I laughed and pet her soft fur. She deserved a carrot or two for lightening the mood like that.
“Let’s all get some sleep.” I shooed Dain and Thorne out of the room, hoping that everyone would be more reasonable in the morning. “You’re safe here, hero. So please, rest.”
He glanced at the stone bed and barren room. “Right. It feels very safe and cozy in this dungeon.”
“It’s not a dungeon.” Exasperation colored my voice. It had been a long day and this was not how I’d wanted to end it. “I promise, you’re safe here. I give you my word.”
“And how can I trust that? The Demon Lord is in charge here.” The hero leaned down, staring at Cinder as she flipped her ears. “And is this bunny really dangerous?”
“No, she can even stay here and keep you company if that helps.” I put on my best smile again and said the only thing that might actually help this situation. “You can trust me because I’m the Demon Lord’s consort. My promise means something. So if I say you’re safe here, then you’re as safe as a well-sealed tonic.”
His mouth dropped open. “Wait, Demon Lord! When did you get married?”
The hero’s voice was loud enough to reach Thorne down the hall who called back, “I didn’t!”
“My spies are terrible,” the hero muttered, gazing at me with newfound wonder. “I can’t believe he married a human and we didn’t even know about it. Hmmm...I’ll have to work on our spy network when I get back. Oh, and congratulations!”
The last part was also shouted loud enough to make Thornegrumble and moan, muttering something about annoying heroes. I pressed my lips together to stop from laughing. I’d loved the hero’s personality as a reader, and he seemed to be exactly the same in the flesh. Wary when needed, but also happy and genuine, making the best out of any situation. Even congratulating his enemy on getting married.
