Page 45 of Demon Daddy's Little Girl

"Uh huh! I made purple ones and blue ones and-" She wiggles with excitement. "Oh! And I drawed pictures! Lots of pictures."

"Drew pictures," I correct automatically.

Dezoth's lips twitch. "Show me these masterpieces."

Rose launches into a detailed explanation of each drawing as Dezoth carries her to the sitting room. His massive frame dwarfs her tiny one, but he handles her with such care. The same hands that can crush steel and wield deadly magic now carefully hold her artwork.

"This one's for you." Rose presents him with a paper covered in swirls of color. "See? It's you fighting bad guys with your sparkly magic."

"Ah yes, I see the resemblance." He studies it with exaggerated seriousness. "Though my horns are a bit larger than that."

Rose giggles. "They're the biggest horns ever! That's why you're the bestest guard."

Something in my chest aches watching them together. Despite the danger lurking outside our door, Rose blooms under his attention like a flower turning toward the sun.

The anger still simmers in Dezoth's eyes when he glances my way, but his voice remains gentle as he asks Rose about the other colors she wants to learn. His arm tightens around her just slightly - a promise of protection wrapped in casual affection.

20

DEZOTH

Istride into Rolfo's office, my boots silent on the stone floor despite my size. He glances up from his desk, silver eyes narrowing at my expression.

"You look like you've got venom in your tea." Rolfo pushes aside the stack of reports.

I shut the door with a soft click. "Had a visit from the Third District patrol last night. Asked about my household staff."

"You don't have household staff." Rolfo's shoulders tense, his casual posture evaporating.

"Exactly. They claimed it was a routine census." I lean against his desk. "But their questions focused on whether I employed any humans."

Rolfo's jaw tightens. "Similar to the pattern before the disappearances started."

"My thoughts exactly." I tap my fingers on the polished wood. "Got three reports this morning from the Silvermark District. Noble houses reporting guards asking specific questions about their human servants. Times they leave for market. Which exits they use."

"Fuck." Rolfo runs a hand through his jet-black hair. "They're getting bolder. The Silvermark District is heavily patrolled."

"These weren't our guards." I pull out my notebook, flipping to the latest entries. "Descriptions match - tall demon, scarred left cheek, speaks with a northern accent. Same one from the Third District."

"Impersonating city guards." Rolfo stands, pacing behind his desk. "Just like the Westbrook case. Remember those children?"

"Hard to forget. Three half-demon kids vanished on their way to school." My claws dig into the leather cover of my notebook. "Parents said they saw guards escorting them. Guards we never assigned."

"How many households reported visits today?"

"Seven so far. All with human servants or mixed families."

Rolfo stops pacing, his silver eyes meeting mine. "They're mapping them out. Creating a network of targets."

"And using our authority to do it." The rage builds, but I keep my voice level. "They're getting smarter about it too. No violence, no threats. Just questions that seem routine enough not to raise an immediate alarm."

I spread the reports across Rolfo's desk, arranging them by district. My fingers trace the pattern emerging on the city map.

"Look at this. They're working their way inward, district by district." The golden glow from my eyes reflects off the parchment as I lean closer. "Started in the outer rings where security's lighter. Now they're pushing into noble territory."

Rolfo picks up one of the reports, his silver eyes scanning the details. "The timing between visits is getting shorter too. More coordinated."

"Because they're getting confident." I straighten, rolling my shoulders to release the tension building there. The silver cord holding my hair shifts with the movement. "These aren't randomthugs anymore. Someone's organizing them, teaching them our protocols."

---