Page 33 of Demon Daddy's Little Girl

I hope this doesn't break that.

"Did you now?" I settle into my chair as Ada places a bowl of steaming soup in front of me. Our fingers brush, and her warm brown eyes meet mine for a brief moment before darting away, that beautiful blush creeping up her cheeks.

Rose thrusts the paper across the table. "It's you! See? I drew your special marks!" Her small finger points to scribbled lines representing the ritual markings on my forearms.

The drawing shows a stick figure twice as tall as the others, colored in black and silver - my usual colors. Next to it stands two smaller figures, one with yellow curls like sunshine, theother with a long braid. My chest constricts at the sight of us drawn as a family.

"That's very detailed, Rose." Ada smiles at her daughter, and my chest tightens at that smile. She's finally starting to look relaxed. "Remember to eat your soup before it gets cold."

I watch Rose dip her spoon into the bowl, managing to get most of it in her mouth rather than on her dress. The ordinary moment feels fragile, like glass about to shatter. The weight of what I need to tell Ada presses against my ribs.

I'm tempted to ask her for one more taste before I taint everything, but it would be wrong. I know that.

"Cappy Dez, you're making your scary face." Rose tilts her head, purple eyes too perceptive. "Is it because the soup's too hot?"

Ada's hand freezes halfway to her mouth, her gaze sharp on my face. She's learned to read my expressions too well these past months. I'm hoping that Ada won't see the tension I'm trying to suppress, but the glances she throws me the rest of dinner tells me I fail at that. But I hold it together through the meal at least.

After helping tuck Rose into bed with her favorite batlaz pillow, I lead Ada down the torch-lit corridor to my study. My steps echo against stone, each one feeling heavier than the last. Ada's bare feet make no sound - a habit from her years of service that she hasn't broken I've gathered.

I unlock the heavy wooden door, gesturing for her to enter first. She glides past me, her braid swinging with the movement. Even now, after months of safety, she carries herself like she's ready to bolt at any moment.

The fire crackles in the hearth as I close the door behind us. Ada perches on the edge of the leather chair, her fingers twisting in her lap. I remain standing, unable to keep still with the weight of what I need to tell her.

"There's something you need to know." My voice comes out rougher than intended. "I don't want to scare you, but I think you deserve to know."

She nods, studying me. "What is it?"

When I offered you and Rose sanctuary, it wasn't because I knew someone was hunting you. The second I saw what she is, I knew you both needed protection."

Her shoulders tense. "What do you mean?"

I pace to the window, staring out at the city lights below. "Children are disappearing. Half-demon children, specifically. There's been ten in the last two months alone, and I haven't been able to catch them."

The sharp intake of breath behind me cuts like a knife. "Rose?—"

"Is safe here." I turn back to face her. My hands shake slightly as I grip the back of my chair. "But that's why I was so insistent you stay. Why I pushed when you wanted to keep running." The admission feels like gravel in my throat. "I couldn't let you wander out there, not with these monsters hunting."

Ada stands, her warm brown eyes haunted in the firelight. "You knew this was happening when you found us?"

"I suspected. The disappearances were just starting then. But now..." I drag a hand through my hair, loosening the silver cord. "It's getting worse. More frequent."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Her voice wavers between anger and fear.

"Because you already had enough reasons to run. I needed you to trust me first, to know that Rose would be protected here. It's not safe out there, and I couldn't let her be at risk." I meet her gaze steadily. I don't add that it kills me because I almost had my own half-demon daughter and the need to protect Rose rises from a role I was never allowed to fill. No, I don't need to spillthat many secrets tonight. "I swear to you, Ada, no one will touch her while I draw breath."

The color drains from Ada's face, her honey-blonde braid slipping over her shoulder as she sways. Her fingers clutch at the chair, knuckles white against the dark leather. I recognize the signs before she starts to fall - the slight tremor in her legs, the way her breath catches.

I cross the space between us in two strides, catching her against my chest as her knees give out. Her slight frame feels fragile in my arms, though I know better than most how strong she truly is. The scent of herbs clings to her hair, and I breathe her in.

"Easy." I guide her back to the chair, kneeling before her. Her warm brown eyes are distant, seeing horrors I can only imagine. "Ada, look at me."

She blinks, focusing on my face. "All those children..." Her voice cracks. "Their families- they must be-" She presses a hand to her mouth, shoulders shaking.

"We're tracking them." I keep my voice steady, an anchor in her storm. "We're going to get to the bottom of this, I promise. And Rose is safe here. The wards are-"

"The wards didn't save those other children." Her words cut sharp as any blade. She grabs my forearms, fingers pressing against the ritual markings there. "Promise me. Promise me she won't end up like them."

"I'd die first." The words rumble from my chest, a truth as fundamental as breathing. "No one gets past these walls without my permission. No one touches Rose."

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