Page 2 of Nanny for the Demon's Twins

"What did you call them?" My voice comes out as a low growl.

The merchant steps back, finally noticing the burn scars coating my arms, the way I tower over him. His eyes widen as I let my magic build, filling the air even more than my massive frame.

"I- I simply meant-"

"Get out." I bare my fangs. "Now."

He scrambles for the door, nearly tripping over his own feet. The bell chimes violently as he flees.

Luna tugs my sleeve. "Uncle Karn, your eyes are glowing again."

I take a deep breath, letting the magic recede. Nova wraps her arms around my leg, and I reach down to stroke her copper curls.

"Nobody talks about my girls that way." I kneel between them. "You two are perfect exactly as you are."

"Even when we make rainbow metal?" Luna asks.

"Even then." I ruffle her hair. "Though maybe we should work on your color choices. Hot pink isn't very intimidating."

Their giggles chase away the last of my anger. I'll need to reset those protection runes later - they always flare up when I get protective. But for now, I have two little artists to supervise.

I'm sweeping up the last of the glitter - or I tell myself that, there's never an end to the glitter my nieces make - when the bell chimes. Rain pounds against the windows, and a gust of wind sweeps inside with my visitor.

I look up to see a woman stumble through the doorway, water dripping from her torn dress onto my floor. Dark hair hangs in wet ropes around her face. Her arms wrap around herself, shoulders hunched as if trying to disappear.

She's human. Small and frail and clearly underdressed and underfed. But even under all that…

She's beautiful. It's hidden behind the dirt tracked with rain and the bruises mottling her skin. But her green eyes are bright, expressive, and I find myself caught on them as I speak.

"We're about to close-"

The words die in my throat as she shifts, and her sleeve slips. The brand on her wrist is unmistakable - the mark of ownership that makes my blood boil. She quickly tugs the fabric back down, but her green eyes meet mine for a split second. Terror and exhaustion war in her gaze.

"Please." Her voice barely carries across the room. "I saw your runes outside. I just need..." She sways on her feet.

I move without thinking, catching her arm before she falls. She flinches at the contact but doesn't pull away. Up close, I can see the shadows under her eyes, the way her cheekbones stand sharp against too-pale skin.

"Uncle Karn?" Nova's voice drifts down the stairs. I finally got them settled in the apartment above for a few moments while I cleaned. "Is someone here?"

The woman tenses under my hand. I keep my voice gentle, like when the twins have nightmares. "I'm not going to hurt you." Though I don't really know what I'm going to do with her - but I have no problem with humans the way some demons do.

"They're coming," she whispers. "I can't- I won't go back."

I hate the desperation in her voice and for a moment Sarah - the twin's human mother - flashes through my mind. The protective runes pulse at my words. "No one's taking you anywhere."

Footsteps patter above us. The woman's eyes dart to the stairs, then the door. I recognize that look - a cornered animal searching for escape.

"The twins need their bedtime story," I say, loud enough to carry upstairs. "I'll be right there."

"But Uncle Karn-"

"Five minutes. Count the stars on your ceiling until then."

The woman's shoulders relax slightly at the domestic exchange. Her eyes find mine again, and this time there's a flicker of hope beneath the fear.

"You're safe here," I tell her. "Let's get you warm and dry first. Then we can talk."

I start to guide the woman toward the back room where there's a small wash area, not bothering to dry her clothes when she needs new ones, when tiny footsteps echo down the stairs. My heart clenches - the twins never disobey a direct order to stay put. Not since...

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