Page 44 of Twisted Sins

She was hiding behind a large rock inside a small cave.

But his gaze remained towards her.

She stepped further into the shadows and held her breath, waiting for him to pass and leave the pond area,

But his gaze didn’t deter.

And then, he began to come towards her.

Oh God.

She didn’t wait for him to get closer and corner her in a cave. So, she ran.

She knew she shouldn’t run.

She had read somewhere that it increased wild predators' chasing instincts. And the demon was the biggest and the most dangerous predator she had ever known.

But she couldn’t stop her instinct to escape. She ran all the way back to the tent.

She realized she should have run towards the encampment, but she knew that wouldn’t stop the demon from dragging her back and doling out a bigger punishment.

She waited inside with her heart thudding.

What will the demon do?

She felt sick with fear and anger. She had every right to do what she did.

If the demon thought of her as his wife, he should treat her as one. Not as a prisoner.

She didn’t know how long she waited with fear and outrage, but the demon didn’t come. After a while, she heard the sounds of horses and birds leaving the encampment.

Did he leave?

She felt uncertain about what it meant.

It was much later when Uma and Rumi came inside the tent. Uma held a small smile.

“After your bath and breakfast, you can accompany me around the encampment.”

Nandini’s heart leaped, listening to her.

“Did the demon… I mean, did Rudra say I could?” she asked.

Uma nodded. “Yes.”

The demon’s darkness was melting.

***

The new encampment that was spread across the foothills of a mountain looked nearly similar to the previous one, but it appeared a little larger. Nandini felt there was an increase in the number of tents.

Did more people join?

Once again, she didn’t see any children in the camp. She also didn’t recall seeing any when the demon was shifting the encampment to a different location. It led her to think this was only a part of the clan.

Where are the rest?

The Kabali clan people still weren’t happy to see her as she accompanied Uma. Hostile yet curious glances were directed her way.

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