Page 32 of Myths and Manuscripts
His voice was soft, changing his entire vibe from grumpy demon to lost puppy. I kept forgetting that he was a character from a book, so he’d probably never actually slept in a comfortable bed before. Well, there was only one way to fix that. He’d have to lay down on every single mattress until he found one he loved.
I straightened my shoulders. “If you want a good night’ssleep, there’s only one thing you can do: sit on that mattress. Sit on every mattress. Lay down and roll around on them. Figure out what you like and what you don’t like. Your coziness demands it!”
“You want me to lay down?” His eyebrows pinched together. “Maybe you should just do that part for me. It wouldn’t look good for a Demon Lord to be rolling around like a dog.”
I pressed my lips together, picturing him flicking his ears and pawing at the sheets. Ohhh the silly things I could write. Speaking of writing, I could hear the furious scribbling of Inkheart behind me. I glanced over at the book.
You might as well pick a mattress for him. That way you’ll enjoy it when you inevitably end up using it.
“Inkheart!”
The pen wasn’t even trying to tame the quirks it had picked up from its former owner. I was in no way about to share a bed with the Demon Lord. Not a chance. Things would get all sorts of messy if that happened.
You know you want to. So go, try some beds with him, have some fun. He obviously needs help in that department.
That was true. The Demon Lord really didn’t seem to know how to have fun on his own yet. And how could he if he had no idea what he enjoyed doing? I took a deep breath, then flopped onto the next mattress. This one said it magically controlled the temperature, but I wasn’t sure how.
“Aren’t you going to join me?” I stared up at the Demon Lord until he relented. I grinned as he sat on the very edge of the bed, barely even touching its surface. “There you go. How’s it feel?”
“Fine.” He grunted, but I could see him scoot backwards just a tiny bit. “Are they always this soft?”
“No, they can be firmer too.” I sat up, moving on to the next bed. “This one might be more your style.”
This time he sat on it without me asking him to, even leaninghis hands back like he was ready to relax. I smiled, happy to see him finally letting loose just a bit. Maybe if we kept this vibe going, he’d be willing to actually talk to people too. So we kept trying beds, ranging from so soft we both got lost in them to so hard they almost felt like that stone slab, but he seemed to prefer the ones in the middle. Which actually did suit me pretty well, but I wasn’t about to admit that to the chatty pen full of sassy commentary. Its feather tilted to the side, as if it knew what I was thinking.
“Okay, now what kind of magic do you want?” I asked. “Honestly, I’d lean towards sleep magic to make sure you feel well-rested in the morning.”
He laid back on one of the beds, his long black hair sprawled across the mattress, seemingly deep in thought. I’d never seen him let his guard down like that before. He really was trying to find something he liked, which felt like such a win for today.
Not to mention how good he looks doing it, right?
For once, I couldn’t even chastise the pen. He did look good on that bed. My heartbeat quickened and I wiped my hands on my pants, forcing myself to look away. This was for research, not pleasure. Getting distracted by those long lashes of his wasn’t going to do me any good. I’d gone down that road with other men before and it always ended the same: they left.
After it had happened four times in a row, I realized there were better things to spend my time on than men who were so flighty they couldn’t stick around for more than a few months. This Demon Lord would do the same thing. He was literally a character in a book, and depending on how his last book went, we had no idea what would happen to him. Getting attached to him was a terrible idea.
But, seeing him smile and take care of himself did feel good. Even if we weren’t together, making his life a little better felt like it was worth doing. For the story, of course.
My stomach grumbled again, apparently so loud that the Demon Lord sat up. He got off the bed, tugging his clothes straighter. “I think we’re done here. Let’s get something to eat.”
And just like that, all my hard work was ruined.
“Oh no, you’ve got to order the mattress first.” I nudged him towards the shopkeep I’d seen earlier with beautiful rose-gold horns. “We’d like to buy a mattress, please.”
“Of course.” She smiled wide as she rang up the order, her gaze never leaving the Demon Lord for long. “I was hoping to thank you in person one day. For saving my Rosie a few years back.” The little girl ran out from the back room, clinging to her mother’s side with far more shyness than I’d expected. “Rosie, this is the man who united our people and created the barrier between our land and the humans. The Wandering Woods protects us so that you never have to worry about getting taken again.”
Rosie looked up at him from her position behind her mother. “It’s nice to meet you, My Lord.”
He nodded curtly, shoulders as stiff as the bed he’d been sleeping on. I shook my head and stepped closer to the girl. “Hello, Rosie. My name’s Willow and this big grump is just a little shy. We’re happy you’re safe.”
“Really?” The little girl’s mouth dropped open. “Mom, he’s shy just like me!”
I laughed and patted her on the head, my fingers brushing over her cracked and ashen horns that looked nothing like her mother’s vibrant ones. The shopkeep jerked her daughter away from me, shooing her into the back room again. Her eyes looked haunted, pinched with worry for her child. I dropped my hand to my side and took a few steps back.
“Sorry.” I bit my lip, not sure what else to say. Something was wrong with the girl, but it didn’t feel like my place to ask since I was one of the humans her mom obviously feared. “I’lljust wait outside if you want.”
“You’re not leaving.” The Demon Lord put his hand on my shoulder, grasping it tight enough that I couldn’t move even if I wanted to. His shadows enveloped me with all the warmth his tone lacked as he leaned closer to whisper in my ear. “We’re on a mission, remember? Ask her about the child.”
He really had a problem reading the room sometimes. I took a deep breath and turned my attention back to the mother who was looking like she was the one who wanted to flee.
