Page 24 of Demon Daddy's Little Girl

"Your eyes..." Ada tilts her head, studying me with newfound curiosity. "They're not as cold as you pretend they are."

The observation catches me off guard, making me drop my hand from her face. But Ada doesn't retreat. Instead, she reaches up, hesitating just shy of touching my cheek.

"There's kindness there," she whispers. "Behind all those careful walls you've built."

A small voice pipes down from above. "Mama? Cap’ain Dez? Why are you playing in the garden without me?"

I look up to see Rose's tiny frame in the doorway, her violet eyes bright even in the darkness. Her honey-blonde curls are mussed from sleep, reminding me of her mother's.

"We're not playing, little one." My gruff tone softens despite myself. "Your mother is tending the roses."

"But it's dark!" Rose looks up at the sky as if to accentuate her point. "Are the flowers lonely at night?"

Ada's laugh rings out, clear and genuine. "No sweetheart, they're just fine. I couldn't sleep and wanted to check on them."

"Can I come help? I promise I'll be quiet as a mouse!"

"Back to bed, Rose." I cross my arms, trying to look stern despite the way my lips threaten to curve upward. "The garden will still be here in the morning."

Rose's lower lip juts out. "But you're both awake..."

"And we're both adults," Ada calls. "Little girls need their rest to grow big and strong."

"I'm already strong!" Rose flexes her small arms. "Strong like Cap’ain Dez!"

My hand brushes against Ada's as we both move to stand. Her fingers are cool from the night air, dirt still clinging to her skin. I let mine linger there, just for a heartbeat, before pulling away.

"Let's go to bed, Rose." Ada starts toward the door, and I already hate the loss of her.

"Okay..." Rose sighs dramatically. "Goodnight Cap’ain Dez!"

"Goodnight, Rose!" My voice softens a touch as I stare at the honey-blonde hair and warm brown eyes of her mother, wishing I could have knelt in the dirt a little while longer with her. "Goodnight, Ada."

She smiles at me so softly, and my heart threatens to stop. "Goodnight, Dezoth."

I stay kneeling in that garden far longer than I should after their gone, staring at the door as if I can still see Ada there. She's slowly chasing away my ghosts, and I wonder how long it will be before she leaves, too, and it's her haunting me instead.

11

ADA

Iwatch Rose swing her legs under the table as she shovels another spoonful of stew into her mouth. Her honey-blonde curls bounce with each enthusiastic movement, and a small drop of broth trickles down her chin.

"And then I saw Cappy Dez doing his special moves in the yard." Rose punches the air with her tiny fist. "He went whoosh with his sword, and it was so shiny!"

Dezoth's golden eyes widen, the vertical pupils dilating slightly at the nickname. His long fingers pause around his spoon, and the stern set of his jaw softens.

"Cappy Dez?" The corner of his mouth twitches.

My cheeks flush. "Well, the twins have been calling you Uncle Dez, so she kind of started to pick that up. And she struggles with the word Captain."

"I do not!" Then, Rose beams at him, showing the gap where her front tooth fell out last week. "Can you teach me to be a guard too? I want to do the whoosh thing!"

"The 'whoosh thing' takes years of practice, little one." His deep voice carries a gentleness I've never heard before, andthose ritual markings on his forearms catch the lamplight as he reaches for his water.

"I can practice! I'm good at practicing. Mama says so." Rose turns those violet eyes on me, seeking confirmation.

My throat constricts at the sight of this towering demon - this Elite Guard Captain - melting under my daughter's charm. The same way her father used to...

---