From the moment Eial's eyes opened to reveal the ceiling this morning, in the silence of the cabin aside the sleeping demon, the elf had come to a decision. So, even as he caught their conversation and the demon's thoughts, nothing surprised him. In fact, this was more so what he'd hoped.
"Mother!" the small elf shouted when he noticed his mother's aggressive stance. As she halted, he slowly crept out from behind a tree. "Mother, it's fine."
His mother quickly turned to him, her eyes wide with fright that the cruel words from the demon met the soft hearted elf's ears. She was unaware, however, that crueler words from the demon had already met the elf before.
The demon, on the other hand, surprisingly wore the same expression of fright, unblinking. With a stutter, his voice quietly came out in pauses. "I— didn't— I— What are you doing here?"
"I just wanted to make sure you two weren't fighting..." He glanced at the two as if insinuating that his prediction came true.
"How much did you hear?" The demon's voice was tense as he asked, almost in hope.
"All?" The elf quirked his head at the question. "Was I not supposed to?"
The demoness's expression softened and her heart ached. "I'm so sorry you had to hear that, Eial."
"There's nothing to be sorry about."
This response had both the demons stare in confusion.
Eial turned to Drokn and smiled. "I'm happy you find me useful. I finally have a way I can help. I'll stay as long as you need me. You can leave whenever you feel ready."
"You still... you still think I'm leaving you? I told you I'm not!" An odd anger told hold of the demon and he felt frantic with nonsensical thought and blame. "It's not like I can leave, anyway, with the way your barrier is set up!"
Eial just looked at the demon in pause. And that's when the demon realized. Drokn didn't fly far from the cabin, but he went far enough to a distance that the barrier wouldn't have been needed. So, either the elf hadn't created a barrier in the first place, or—
His suspicion was answered by the gentle voice. "I should not have restrained you within my barrier before. I'm sorry. But I made sure you're able to move freely this time. I hope that makes you feel better."
No. In fact, it made Drokn feel worse.
"Fine!" he grated. The demon tried to shake his wings, and noticing they were mobile again, he charged towards Eial. With one hand around his waist, the demon picked up Eial and quickly flew towards the cabin.
Setting the elf down near the cabin, he spoke in a stern voice. "Change the barrier so I can't leave." When the confused Eial didn't move an inch, he raised his voice. "Change it!"
Unsure, Eial dropped to the ground with his hands flat against the soil. A few moments later, he stood back up, dusting off his hands.
"See! I won't leave! Now you believe me, right?"
Eial didn't know how to respond and just stared at the demon with upturned and quirked brows.
At the lack of response, Drokn grew more irritated. "Well, now you'll have to believe me anyway! Since I can't leave now!" He huffed a quick and heavy breath and turned away. But what lay on his face was... a smile?
In the near distance, the demoness had caught up to the two and stood still, watching from afar in awe. When the two young ones separated, she was brought back to her own reality. With a darkened expression, she took out a piece of paper and a thin piece of graphite from within her cloak. Hurriedly, she started to write on one side and on the other side, drew a spell circle. Reaching into one of the pouches tied to her waist, she took out a vial filled with what looked like blood and let a drop fall onto the circle. Stretching her arm out, the piece of paper folded itself and vanished.
YOU ARE READING
The Demon and the Elf (Book 1)
Fantasy[mlm] The lonely Elf had waited many years to meet his bonded mate, but reality was harsher than he would have liked when he finds out his mate is not only a Demon, but the Demon wants nothing to do with him. [Part 1/Book 1 complete. Follow the stor...
