Page 6 of The Demon of the Wood

Kaemon had mused over the idea of moving closer once, but then a Hunter had come into the village. The man had been searching for Kaemon and had staked out at the Tipsy Tavern. Kaemon realized he needed to keep to himself as much as possible. These periodic visits and talks to Aife and Jorah were already dangerous enough. He wouldn’t add more into the mix.

"I’m quite happy in the woods. You and Aife should build a cabin out there."

Jorah chuckled. “How are you going to find a mate when you’re locked away out there?”

Kaemon took a gulp of his beer and swallowed, ignoring the way his chest tightened at those words. A mate. He had given up notions of that long ago. He’d had a few paramours over the years, though most were so brief he could barely recall their names, and the few he could, he’d never felt the mate bond with. There was so much he didn’t know about it because he was only fifteen when he had been taken. However, he had a sneaking suspicion it was because he was not open to it. He felt a wall close in on him anytime someone wanted to get close, to know him.

“I think that’s more trouble than I care to deal with,” Kaemon said with a wry smile and Jorah shook his head, laughing, then stood up and went behind the counter, serving more customers.

When he finished eating, Aife beckoned to a little goblin who helped her run the counter. He scrambled up, crouching, frightening the patrons with his quick movements, and started taking orders as Aife led Kaemon to the back. He sat down as she pulled out her scissors, a fine instrument that she was proud of, and started trimming his hair.

“You need to brush your hair more before you wash it. And buy better soaps and oils from Jas in the market,” she said.

He pursed his lips. She often gave him advice, and while she delivered it in a rough, playful way, he knew it was her way of saying she cared. “You and my sister would get along well.”

Her movements halted, and he swallowed hard.

“I didn’t know you had a sister,” Aife said. “What happened to her?”

He closed his eyes, taking a slow breath in. “I don’t know.”

That wasn’t entirely true. He was on the continent of Nemus. Humans were the most densely populated here, next to the elves, with several races that either migrated here or had been here for as long as the humans and elves. His family, and the other demons, lived in Medeis. News of the magical continent of Medeis was scarce, but he saw a few reports on the market newsboard or heard people talking. The House of Shadows was doing well. From what he gathered, his family was alive. They had survived the attack. He had contemplated returning, but the journey was long and he feared being attacked if he went alone. He also held a deep fear that his family didn’t want him. Perhaps they thought he was dead. Or perhaps, as his jailor said, they had been contacted and did not care to come find him.

Aife finished the trim, then held up a hand mirror for him to see.

“It’s nice,” he said. “Thank you.”

She grinned. “Tell all your friends. I’m trying to get out of the tavern business.”

He laughed, then left, stopping by Jas’ stand and giving her a fine deer pelt for a jar of oil and soap, and some cream to soften his hands. He didn’t know why he needed all of that, but she was insistent, and added in some satchels of lavender, too.

“Put them under your pillow and you will have sweet dreams,” she said.

He thanked her, then headed off, listening to the chatter of the market as he passed through.

“Attacks in the forest, over by Thon,” an orc male said.

“They’ll pin it on us,” the goblin hissed.

“They already are,” the orc said. “Claiming someone is raping their women and attacking their men.”

Kaemon hastened his steps out of there. Thon was the closest village to his cabin, full of humans. He knew what they were talking about, but he had no intention of telling them the truth of the matter.

three

Melina

Melinaworkedtirelesslythroughoutthe rest of the day, finishing up any chores she expected her uncle wanted completed. When she was done, he asked her to dust the parlor, though she’d done it just the day before.

“Can’t be too clean, now, can we?” he’d said, flipping open his book as he sipped brandy by the fire.

Melina only nodded and continued working. She dusted each item of furniture, the shelves, the corners that were already pristine. The mantle over the fireplace practically shone from the attention, and the vases gleamed when she finished. She stood before her uncle, and he made a grumbling noise.

“I suppose you’re done for the day. You can rest. I'll go to bed soon, anyway.”

She nodded, suppressing her smile, and ambled out of the parlor, her steps turning into a sprint down to her room in the lower levels of the house. It was bitterly cold down there, but she barely noticed as her body hummed with excitement and nervousness. She was going to meet Gregory at the tavern.

A prickling wave of guilt washed over her, but she shook it off. She knew her uncle would be angry if he found out, but a stubborn bit of rebellion reared up at the thought. She wanted some little thing that was hers. Some little decision that she made because she wanted it. Not because he told her she could. And the look Gregory had given her earlier replayed in her head. It had been thorough and approving. Something she wasn't used to.

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