What could have done this?
My eyes scan the barn, but I see nothing. Then, that awful feeling of being watched sweeps over me, and slowly, I tip my head to look up into the rafters. Above me, deep in the shadows above the beams, I spot a darker area.
And within that inky blackness glows two red eyes.
A scream lodges in my throat, and I turn to run. I don’t make it more than two steps before the wind swirls around me, and the massive creature lands between me and the door. I throw my hands up to protect my face, my sapper still in my hand, and I shake as I sink into a crouch.
There’s no use fighting this thing. I know that I won’t win with the kind of damage he can inflict, and it hits me then that this is what I’ve been feeling all day. It’s been his eyes on me that’s been calling my attention, and I, like a helpless prey, went on unwittingly, letting my predator stalk me.
I’m shocked when his voice breaks through the charged air between us, and his timber is deep. It almost sounds like the crackling of fire, low and comforting. “You’re hungry.” I lower my arms just enough to see his eyes as he says, “Eat.”
I drop my hand to take him in fully, surprised to see he’s holding out a round, red fruit. It looks delicious. The only fruits we manage to cultivate here at the farm are small and wrinkled and bitter. This, though, looks ripe and juicy, and my mouth waters with the thought of sinking my teeth into it.
I flick my gaze back up to the creature’s–demon, I think, though I don’t know where the word comes from–and I find his red eyes to be soft, glowing warm. Like his voice, it reminds me of cold nights by a fire, and I reach out subconsciously.
As I take the fruit from his hand, his fingers brush against mine. Despite the claws on his fingertips, they are soft, and a shiver runs through my body- and not from fear.
“Thank you,” I whisper, and, not wanting to offend the demon–or at least, that’s what I tell myself–I sink my teeth into it.
The fruit’s juices dribble down my chin, and I groan at how sweet it is. It’s even better than it looks, and I devour half of it in three bites. My eyes never leave the demon’s as I go, and a soft grin that looks like he’s pleased with himself spreads across his dark face.
I know that I should find him intimidating. He’s well over seven foot, and over three times my width. I can see large, claw-tipped wings peeking over his shoulders made of a thick, soft membrane, and I wonder how massive they are. His whole body is corded in thick muscle and armor, as if he needs protection when he looks like a solid weapon, and I have to assume he has fangs from how he drained the livestock.
And then there’s the matter of his face. I’ve never seen a head like his, with large, curved horns jutting straight up from his temples. His ears are tall and pointed just behind his horns, and his face elongates forward almost like an iypin. His eyes are deep pits that glow, though I can’t see the eyeball itself.
Just like the woodland creature, he looks cunning, but I don’t fear him. Though I should, I find something comforting in his vicious features. In fact, he’s handsome in his own way. Maybe he should look like a terrifying predator, but all my mind can think of is how well someone like him could protect me – and how those teeth and claws would feel against my skin.
I burn, shocked at where my thoughts are going, and to hide it, I shovel the rest of the fruit into my mouth. Why am I thinking about him like this? Just because he’s tall and chiseled? He’s not even human! His head looks more animalistic than humanoid, and he could probably bite my head off if he wanted to!
Only, he doesn’t seem too inclined to do that…
I wipe my sticky hands on my pants and try to dry off my chin. I made a mess, but I can’t seem to find it in me to be embarrassed. In fact, a heat rushes through me as his eyes seem to flare while I lick my lips and fingers clean.
“Do you want more?”
I’m so drawn in by his voice that I purr a response without thinking. “Yes.”
I must be as red as his eyes by now because I realize he was talking about the food and nothim.What is wrong with me?
I’m attracted to his power. I’ve only ever been around scared humans with an undeserved complex. This demon… he is real power and I want a taste.
The words echo through my head, sounding so much unlike myself I don’t understand them. Thankfully, he saves me from my own thoughts as he reaches over his shoulder, detaching a black cloak from his back. He unwraps it from his torso, exposing more of his sculpted chest, and snaps it in the air.
The cloth takes the shape of the table, staying up as if propelled by magic, and in the blink of an eye, a feast appears on the table. It's laden with dishes I’ve never seen, and with a snap of his fingers, the beasts on the ground are shoved across the barn, away from me so that the smell doesn’t disturb me while I eat.
This demon has been more thoughtful with me in a few minutes than the people in this camp have been my entire life.
“This is for me?”
He nods. “It’s only the beginning. If you come with me, you’ll never go hungry again.”
I suck in a breath of excitement, but I try to stem it. This could all be some big trick. Or maybe I’m hallucinating again. I’ve gone so hungry that I’ve started to see things before, and it is almost always a feast.
Whether or not it’s real, I’m going to dive in. At least if I’m imagining a full belly and delicious flavors, I will feel happy for a moment.
I take a step forward, grabbing the first thing in front of me. It’s a roasted leg of an animal, some small creature I can’t place, and I rip the meat from the bone. It’s juicy and tender, the crust providing a great crunch, and I moan with pleasure.
The demon’s eyes glow brighter, and he seems just as excited as I am, though he’s not eating. It only spurs me on, but as I lift the meat to my lips for another bite, the barn door flies open.