Page 4 of The Demon's Secret Baby

Instead, I crash onto the ship, rolling awkwardly and scraping my elbows raw on the rough wood. Gasping, I scramble to my feet and whirl around.

There, standing at the edge of the ship, is a hooded figure. His hands are raised, crackling with arcane energy. It was his magic that pushed me aboard, I realize with a jolt.

But there's no time to dwell on it. The dark elves are mere feet away, their faces contorted with rage. One of them raises his hand, a spell forming at his fingertips.

The hooded figure moves with lightning speed. He thrusts his palms outward, and a wave of shimmering energy erupts from his hands. It slams into our pursuers, freezing them in place. Their bodies go rigid, eyes wide with shock and fury.

"Go!" the figure shouts, his voice strained with effort. "I can't hold them for long!"

June doesn't need to be told twice. She yanks the last rope free, and the ship lurches away from the dock. I grab onto the railing to steady myself, my heart still racing.

As we pick up speed, I can't tear my eyes away from the frozen dark elves on the dock. Their faces are locked in expressions of impotent rage, fingers outstretched toward us. The hooded figure maintains his stance, magic pulsing around him like a visible aura.

I stumble onto the deck of June's ship, my legs trembling beneath me. The wooden planks creak as we rush across, my bare feet stinging from the splinters. June's red hair whips in the wind as she moves with purpose, her hands flying over ropes and pulleys.

"Hold on!" she shouts.

The ship lurches beneath us, and I grab onto the railing to keep from falling. My heart pounds in my chest as I watch the port recede, the angry shouts of our pursuers fading into the distance.

I collapse onto a crate, my legs finally giving out. June crouches beside me, concern etched on her freckled face.

"Are you hurt?"

I shake my head, still struggling to catch my breath. "Why... why did you save me?"

June's green eyes soften. "Because no one deserves to be a slave." She stands, offering me a canteen of water. "I'm taking you to Aurelius."

I take a grateful swig before asking, "What's Aurelius?"

"It's a sanctuary," June says, her voice filled with warmth. "An island forgotten by the rest of Protheka. A place where humans can live free."

As June speaks, describing lush jungles and hidden treehouses, I feel a spark of hope ignite in my chest. A place without dark elves, without the constant fear of capture and enslavement. It sounds too good to be true.

"And you're... offering me a place there?" I ask, hardly daring to believe it.

June nods, a smile spreading across her face. "A chance at a new life, Zylpha. No more running, no more hiding. You can be free." Her eyes dart to the other end of the ship and I see more women — some men and children, too — huddled together. "Where anyone can be."

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes. I blink them back, overwhelmed by the sudden rush of emotion. "I... I don't know what to say."

"Say yes," June says simply, extending her hand.

I look at her outstretched palm, then back at her face. In her eyes, I see kindness, determination, and a fierce protectiveness that makes me feel safer than I have in years.

I take her hand, sealing my fate. "Yes."

"That was a close one," the hooded figure says as he sits down, flipping the hood back. And I gasp because he looks like a dark elf…with horns. Something I thought was a rumored nightmare, something meant to scare children.

A demon saved me.

3

VOLEZIMIR

The lush jungle of Aurelius is always a welcome sight as I stand on the beach, only water on the horizon. The air here is thick with humidity, alive with the calls of strange creatures.

Lamain and June materialize from the dense foliage, their faces breaking into warm smiles at my arrival. My chest tightens, a mix of relief and something I can't quite name.

"Volezimir," Lamain clasps my forearm, his grip firm. "Right on time, as always."

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