Demon Puppet

Chapter 5

"Hero, I—"

"You don't have to explain yourself to me, Noelle," Hero says curtly, cutting me off. He wouldn't face me, and I feel strangely hurt by his rejection. "Eat. You're still hungry. I can hear your stomach growling."

I stare glumly at the bread in my hands. "I am sorry," I mumble, tearing a chunk from the crust and gnawing on it.

Hero sighs and finally faces me with a small, insincere smile. "It's all right." He reaches out and ruffles my hair. "At least you have food now."

"But the villagers..." We had left without a word, leaving the townspeople in a panic. I couldn't help but feel guilty for not explaining that N was gone.

"They will calm down soon enough. Humans have a tendency to overreact to things." His eyes meet mine, and he smirks.

I roll my eyes. He is feeling better already. We walk side by side in the woods, avoiding the beaten paths and roads. I bite my lip before asking, "Do we have a true form?"

He raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean, 'true form'?"

"Your kind...I mean, our kind...we imitate other creatures. But do we have a natural form that we use when we aren't imitating anything?"

"Not really," he replies with a shrug. "Imitators will choose the form that they feel the most comfortable in. Since you were raised around humans, you chose a mortal form to be comfortable in."

"What form are you most comfortable in?"

He grins slyly. "I'm most comfortable when I'm in the same form as you. Only I would rather be naked."

My jaw drops, and I gasp. "Hero!"

He throws his head back and laughs, flashing his white teeth. "I am teasing you, Noelle," he murmurs. "Although seeing me naked might be something you will deal with in the future as my mate."

My face turns bright red, and I feel my heart pound. "Can we not?"

"Not what? Wear clothes? Well, if you insist..." He begins to lift his shirt over his head, and I manage to spot the smooth, creamy skin of his chest and stomach.

I squeak and whirl around. "No, no! That's not what I meant! Put your shirt back on!"

"Oh, come on," he whines playfully. "I know you have imagined me shirtless before."

I gulp. "You were reading my mind, weren't you?"

His grin broadens. "Actually, I wasn't, but I find it very entertaining that you have indeed imagined me shirtless. Wouldn't you like to take a peek and see if it is every bit as good as you imagined?" He started pulling up the hem again, and I hid my face.

"No, no, no thank you," I chitter nervously. "Nope. My eyes aren't ready for that."

He gently touches my hair and tilts my head up so he can gaze into my eyes. "Don't worry, Noelle," he said softly, his tone changing from teasing to sweet. "I waited for you for hundreds of years. I will wait for you until you are ready. You are my mate—I would never do anything to hurt you." Hero smiles tenderly and kisses my forehead, making me blush.

"Thank you," I say quietly.

He reaches down and squeezes my hand. "Now," he harrumphs, "share some of that bread with me. It looks good."

Doll-eyes keeps his head down as he and Leo scan the village. It seemed as if a tornado had struck; carts were overturned, dust had been kicked up, people were snapping back and forth fearfully. Leo looks around and tilts his head, wondering what had happened.

Doll-eyes wasn't so inquisitive. His eerie eyes skim the crowds as he searches for a single familiar face. His lip hardens into a grimace.
"Dammit," he snaps under his breath. "They're gone already. Hero must have sensed us getting closer."

"This was one of N's hunting grounds," Leo says, raising his nose to the air. "His scent is everywhere. It's a wonder that Hero didn't smell it."

"Noelle must have led them here," Doll-eyes concludes. Noelle...if only you had stayed for a few more minutes. "Can you smell her or Hero?"

"Barely," Leo mumbles. "This is a town full of people, and Hero disguises his scent too well." His wing aches under his shirt, but he fights the pain away and keeps walking. "Let's keep moving. We are bound to catch up to them soon."

"Okay," Doll-eyes agrees. "But let's get out of the village." His mind races with angry thoughts. Hero...Damn you, Hero... Could this be nothing more than a game to you? Keep-the-girl-away-from-the-demon-puppet? Do you really care for her at all? He growls to himself.

Leo punches his arm. "Stop it. You're doing it again."

"I can't help it!" Doll-eyes snaps. "It irks me. I find it very irksome."

Leo rolls his eyes. "Well, instead of thinking about the past, think about the future. What will you do if we do catch up to them? You have tried to kill Hero before, but you failed. You know what he is capable of."

"Yes," he answers bitterly, blinking and rubbing furiously at his damned eyes. "I know exactly what he is capable of."

"So, plan something," Leo suggests. "What will you do? What will you say to Noelle?"

What if Hero has convinced her that they truly are mates? Doll-eyes finishes silently. He had no idea what he would do. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his doll. Never before had his fate been in his own hands. The Wardens took my doll and used it against me, just as anyone would, he thought solemnly. Perhaps a Warden should possess the doll again. I would do it for her. I would become her slave... but what if she has become Hero's slave? What can I do to protect her, then? How can I save her from her own mind? He sighed to himself. Noelle...you are too human.

"Hm." Leo frowned. "I think I prefer you being angry. You seem a little too much like me when you brood."

"I'm surprised you aren't keeping quiet," Doll-eyes retorts. "You don't usually talk this much."

"I am surprised to find that I have a lot more to say," Leo says quietly, looking down at the ground.

Doll-eyes watches him for a moment. "What will you do when we catch up to them?" He asks finally.

"I'm going to destroy Hero," Leo whispers, his voice transforming into a hiss. "He's deformed me. A demon without wings. I can't fly without immense pain. The only thing keeping me from losing my mind is the thought of causing him pain." Leo's hands tightened into fists.

"I want Noelle," Doll-eyes says softly. "I want her safe. I want her here with me. I want her away from him. I want her back. I want...I want her."

Leo's eyes darken intensely, and his face shifts into its demonic counterpart. His voice is raspy and deep. "Both of us will get what we want," he growls, "soon."