Page 31 of Myths and Manuscripts
A warm fuzzy feeling swept over me as he predicted exactly what I’d need and moved to handle it before I even asked. “How are you so good at taking care of other people, but so terrible at taking care of yourself?”
He shrugged. “I get by just fine on my own. Stop worrying and focus on the book.”
“I’d worry less if we went and looked for that bed we talked about.”
A sigh that felt like it was being pulled from the depths of his soul escaped his lips. “Okay. If improving my sleeping arrangements would make you feel better, then let’s go look for a new mattress.”
I grinned, linking my arm through his as he picked up my bags from the shop. Inkheart flew through the air behind us as the raccoon demon waved goodbye. This had been such an interesting store and I couldn’t wait to see what else this demon village had in store for us.
The demons were apparently more like magical artisans than beasts spawned by dark magic like the books had led me to believe. There was so much to learn and so little time to figure it all out. Getting stuck in this book might be the best thing that could have happened if I really did want to finish this series. There was no way I’d find all these secrets out otherwise.
As we strolled through the town, hope washed over me. Maybe I could actually pull this off.
Chapter 12
Willow
Turns out mattresses were a big thing in the land of demons, so big that they had multiple stores dedicated to them. Ironic considering the stone slab the Demon Lord had been sleeping on all this time. Why would the author flesh out this village before the castle? It just didn’t make any sense, unless they were the type of author who got really distracted by random details and forget about the important things.
Ha. Who would do that?
I leaned back in a chair in the shop’s lobby, watching as the Demon Lord glowered at the rows of mattresses without trying any of them. I’d convinced him that this was a necessary step in figuring out who he was, but really, I’d wanted to give him the opportunity to talk to people on his own. If he really was a villain, we needed to know why, and the best way to do that was to see how people interacted with him.
Unfortunately, the intense gloom emanating off him in waves was too thick to penetrate. A few customers had gotten close, but they’d changed direction when his shadows had darkened the area. The woman behind the counter also seemed interested, but she was more focused on keeping the little girl peeking out from behind the back curtain from running out to greet him.
“Leave him be, Rosie,” she whispered. “He’s a customer right now and you know the rule about customers.”
The little girl sighed. “Don’t bother them unless they need help.” She peeked at the Demon Lord again, exasperation clear on her face. “But mom, look at him! If anyone needs help, it’s him.”
I laughed softly, but the girl’s mom must have heard me. She bowed her head and shooed the little girl back behind the curtains like they were never there. Those were the kind of people he should be talking to, but instead, he was just standing there like a statue! The girl was right about one thing: he needed help.
I meandered over by him, glaring at the mattresses like he was. “You know, you could try sitting on one to see if you like it.”
“Sitting on one?” His eyebrows shot up. “Why don’t you just pick one? This was your idea after all.”
Well, he had me there. I flopped onto the closest mattress, sinking into its pillowy surface so far that it was cradling my entire body. That was weird, and yet, it was kind of comforting. Like one of those weighted blankets. Except, I’d sank in so far that I couldn’t see the Demon Lord anymore. Or get back out.
I struggled against the coziness to no avail. “Uhhh, any help would be appreciated.”
He snorted. “You’re the one who hopped on a magical mattress without checking its properties first.”
Magical mattresses? Sure, there was a lot of magic in this village, but even the mattresses were full of it? I gazed up at the ceiling, watching as big needles and thread flew overhead, zipping back and forth between seamstresses. Okay, maybe I should have guessed that.
From now on, I’d assume everything in this village had some kind of magic. Even those toasted nuts I’d sampled earlier. My stomach growled, remembering their buttery flavor. We’d needto stop for lunch soon if this mattress shopping took as long as the stationery shop did.
Suddenly, a strong hand grasped mine, yanking me out of the bed hard enough to send me flying through the air. I stumbled against the Demon Lord’s chest, his arm resting against my waist to steady me. His eyes were full of laughter and my face burned.
“Fine, show me what bed you think we should try next then.” I forced myself to step out of his warm and safe grip, moving to read the sign on a nearby mattress. “This one supposedly makes you feel like you’re sleeping on a cloud. That sounds nice, right?”
He leaned over my shoulder to read the tag. “It also literally floats. Can you imagine being half asleep and forgetting you were in the air? That bed sounds like a health hazard.”
“I’d totally do that,” I said with a laugh. “Okay, moving on then. What about this one? It plays soft music for you until you fall asleep.”
He pinned me with an icy stare. “Demon Lords do not need lullabies.”
“Oh forgive me, your Demon-nes, I forgot you were too good for silly things like music.” I dragged him through the aisles, checking out what other mattresses he might like. “Honestly, the magic isn’t the most important part. First, we should find out what kind of firmness you like. Do you like hard beds or soft ones? Maybe you’re in the middle?”
“I’m not sure...”
