Page 5 of The Demon Who Loved Me

With that, I lose the horns and burning eyes.

Ridiculous, a man of my prestige in a glamour.

As we step into the library later, I can feel the eyes of every mortal in the building on me. Even with my glamour in place, they sense something otherworldly about my presence. It unsettles them, and I can't help but smirk. A little unease never hurt anyone.

Evelyn leads me to a section of the library dedicated to ancient history and mythology. "Okay, let's start looking for anything related to demonic bindings or artifacts," she says, her voice hushed.

I lean against a bookshelf, crossing my arms over my chest. "You do realize I could just use my powers to find the information we need, right? It would be a lot faster than sifting through all these dusty old tomes."

She shoots me a glare, her eyes narrowing. "And risk drawing even more attention to ourselves? I don't think so. We're doing this the old-fashioned way."

“The old-fashioned way?” I roll my eyes, but I can't help but admire her determination. "Fine, have it your way. But don't come crying to me when your pretty little head starts to hurt from all that reading."

She ignores me, already pulling books from the shelves and stacking them on a nearby table. I watch her work for a moment, grudgingly impressed by her focus. For a human, she's not half bad. Annoying, yes, but not entirely useless.

As the hours tick by, I find myself growing restless. The mortal world is so dull, so lacking in the thrill and danger I'm used to. I long for the rush of battle, the feel of my sword in my hand, and the taste of blood on my tongue.

"You know," I say, breaking the silence, "in my world, knowledge is power. But it's not the only kind of power that matters. Beauty is also another form of power."

Evelyn looks up from her book, her brow furrowed. "What are you talking about? I am trying to work."

“Well maybe if you took your hair down and relaxed, a little more of your problems would solve themselves.”

“I am going to scratch your eyes out if you don’t stop talking.”

“Well someone has to be proactive. You never know, they could ambush us at any moment. Then when I’m standing over them with their blood on my hands you will see who is right.”

“Is killing and destruction the only thing you think of?”

“I will admit, my focus is overwhelming.” I grin, my glamour slipping just enough to reveal a flash of fang. "But it's what I was born for. What I was made for. There's nothing quite like the rush of combat, the thrill of victory."

She shakes her head, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "Sounds exhausting, if you ask me. Don't you ever just want to relax? Enjoy a moment of peace? Let your hair down and be pretty?"

I scoff, the very idea seeming ludicrous. "Peace is for the weak, little human. In my world, you're either the conqueror or the conquered. There's no in-between."

Evelyn studies me for a long moment, her expression unreadable. "Sounds like a lonely way to live," she says finally, her voice quiet.

I blink, taken aback by her words. Lonely? I'm a demon Lord, feared and respected by all. I have no need for companionship or peace. And yet, something about the way she looks at me makes me feel strangely unsettled.

Before I can respond, I sense a disturbance in the air. A presence, dark and familiar, lurking just outside the library. I tense, my glamour dropping away entirely as I reach for my sword.

"We need to go," I say, my voice low and urgent. "Now."

Evelyn's eyes widen, and she quickly gathers her things. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Demons," I growl, already moving towards the exit. "They're here for the artifact. We need to get you somewhere safe."

She nods, her face pale but determined. "Lead the way."

As we make our way out of the library, I keep Evelyn close, my senses on high alert for any sign of trouble. The thought of her coming to harm fills me with a strange, unfamiliar sense of dread. I push the feeling aside, focusing on the task at hand.

"Stay close to me," I murmur, my hand resting on the hilt of my sword. "And if things get messy, you run. Don't look back, just get as far away as you can. Understand?"

Evelyn nods, her jaw clenched. "I understand. But I'm not just going to leave you behind, Malakai. We're in this together, remember?"

I chuckle, a wry smile tugging at my lips. "How could I forget? You're like a thorn in my side, little human. A very persistent, very annoying thorn."

She rolls her eyes, but I can see the hint of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "Gee, thanks. You really know how to make a girl feel special."

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